Report: Cardiff City U23s 1-1 Bristol City U23s

Club captain Bailey Wright, who completed 75 minutes as he continues his recovery, was unfortunate when the ball deflected off him into his own net to give Cardiff a half-time lead.

With less than ten minutes of the game remaining, Richards tapped in from close range after brilliant work from Marcus Day.

Both sides would end the game with ten men though with Joe Morrell seeing red for City and  Cameron Coxe sent off for Cardiff.

Luke Williams named three first-team players in the starting eleven, with Wright captaining the side, while Jens Hegeler also featured.

Similarly, Cardiff named three players who have played in the Premier League this season in their team. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Jazz Richards, and Loic Damour have also featured for Neil Warnock’s side in this campaign.

The first chance fell to City. Marcus Day’s cross was deflected and fell to Morrell, but he couldn’t keep his shot down.

Mendez-Laing threatened for Cardiff when the ball dropped nicely for the attacker, but he fired wide of Jojo Wollacott’s post.

A long ball forward from Tom Harrison found Sam Pearson and did well to beat the defender, but he needed support, as his cut-back lacked another City player.

Cardiff would have the opening goal shortly after though. The Premier League experience showed when Mendez-Laing fired the ball across goal where the ball deflected off Wright behind Wollacott for 1-0.

City almost found an instant response through Sam Bell. Pearson came forward and saw his effort thwarted by the goalkeeper, before Day's header found Bell who volleyed just wide.

Mendez-Laing would be the creator of another Cardiff chance. His ball found Coxe, who put his shot wide from close range.

The home side would dominate the rest of the first half and thought they had grabbed a second when James Waite lobbed Wollacott. Fortunately for City, Harrison got back in the nick of time to clear off the line.

Wollacott would be tested in the final few minutes of the first half on two occasions. First, he saved from Tyrone Duffus’ header, before denying Waite with a strong save down low.

The second half saw City control the game more, and they almost found an equaliser less than ten minutes into the second half when Wright rose highest from a corner, but the Australian saw his header go agonisingly wide of the post.

Cardiff would come within inches of a second. Jake Evans fired from distance, and saw his shot come back off the post via a deflection.

As the game went on, City poured forward in search of an equaliser. They came very close through Richards, who was found by Pearson, but he mis-hit his shot.

Richards would find City’s equaliser only moments later, however. Day beat a number of Cardiff players and found Richards with a pass and he easily tapped home to level the score.

Coxe would then be sent off for the home side in the final few moments, after a late challenge on Barney Soady while Morrell would also see red for City, reacting to a late tackle.

Attention for the Under-23s will turn to the Premier League Cup, as they host Derby County Under-23s on Friday November 30^th.

City Under-23s: Wollacott, Turner-Williams (Ali), Soady, Hegeler, Harrison, Wright (Webb), Day, Morrell, Rees (Richards), Bell, Pearson. Subs not used: Buse, Williams.

Words: Ryan Payne.