Craig Bellamy is on a mission. He has led Cardiff City to the Welsh Youth Cup final and now has Swansea City in his sights.
The young Bluebirds won 6-0 in their semi-final against Airbus UK Broughton and will play the Swans or Connah’s Quay Nomads in the final.
Cardiff have not won the FAW Youth Cup since 2006, although they did not enter the competition in a number of seasons, whole Swansea have lifted the trophy in seven successive seasons.
Bellamy, Cardiff’s player development manager, would love to see his under-19 team lift the Welsh youth trophy.
He was a leading candidate for to manage Wales before Ryan Giggs was appointed, while he almost took charge at Oxford United, but says: “To be honest, I’m already in a position in Cardiff working day-to-day, which I’m loving.
“For the time being I’m really happy where I am (at Cardiff). I want to go into management, but it has to be right.”
Cardiff fired six goals past Airbus in their semi-final at Newton FC, while Swansea City take on Connah’s Quay Nomads in their semi-final at the same venue on Sunday (2.30).
Nomads v Swansea is a repeat of the 2016 final which saw Nomads fall to a 5-0 defeat.
Sam Bowen, the son of former Bluebirds midfield creator Jason, scored two goals for Cardiff in their win against Airbus, while Mark Harris, Sion Spence, Keenan Patten and Laurence Wootton were the other scorers.
Harris scored his fifth goal in the Welsh Youth Cup this season, while the Bluebirds netted four goals in eight minutes to take control.
Harris (35 mins), Sion Spence (38) and Bowen (42 and 43) put Cardiff in control. Bowen netted with a screamer from 25 yards and then headed his second.
Patten (49) made it 5-0 soon after half-time, while Laurence Wootton added the sixth (69).
Airbus UK Broughton: Szczepaniak, Ellis, Murphy, Davies, Hughes, Lawrence, McNicholas, Robinson, Lanceley, I Jones (Vickery 67), Wright (Peers 52, Randall 59)). Subs: Lloyd, L Jones.
Cardiff City: Ratcliffe, Reynolds, Young, Bodenham, Coxe (Margetson 80), Patten, Wootton (J Davies 84), Waite, Harris (I Davies 56), Spence, Bowen. Subs: J. Davies, Burwood, C. Davies, I. Davies, Margetson.
