Crystal Palace (u-23) 2, Cardiff City (u-23) 3
Sion Spence completed Cardiff City’s big recovery against Crystal Palace in London, scoring the winner with three minutes left.
The young Bluebirds, unbeaten in their last three Professional Under-23 Development League matches, hit back after Palace had opened a 2-0 lead.
Defender Trystan Jones (68 mins), Keiron Evans (84) and Spence (87) scored for coach Tom Ramasut’s Cardiff team.
The next PDL Under-23 fixture for Cardiff is against Millwall away on Monday, February 3, while they entertain Bristol City a week later (7pm).
Former Sheffield United, Portsmouth, Palace and Leeds United midfield player Shaun Derry is in charge of the London club’s development team and he was dismayed by a Cardiff fightback which left the home team down and out.
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City made four charges to their starting line-up from the previous match with goalkeeper Warren Burwood, Dan Williams, Keenan Patten and Spence all called up.
Gio McGregor scored the first Palace goal just after the half hour and James Daley added their second with 59 minutes gone.
Cardiff hit back when Jones scored from a Spence free-kick and Evans equalised when he finished clinically past goalkeeper Ollie Webber.
Barry-born teenager Spencer, a Wales under-21 International, then smashed home the winning goal from 15 yards in the 87th minute.
Cardiff dominated the opening 25 minutes at the Crystal Palace Training Ground before Palace produced some good football of their own and were far more competitive.
The physical presence of 6ft 5ins Jay Rich-Baghuelou, who moved to Britain from Australia three years ago led the charge for Palace, making a series of rampaging runs forward.
He powered past five Cardiff players during one of those runs and slipped a pass for Daly, who crossed for captain McGregor to score.
Spence went close with a curling effort which flew just wide, while McGregor was only just off target with a similar effort at the other end.
Daly made it 2-0 just before the hour after a long pass by Lewis Hobbs picked out McGregor and he set up the chance for Palace.
At that stage Cardiff looked in trouble, but they finished strongly and grabbed a hard fought victory.
Palace: Webber, Russell, Hobbs, Rich-Baghuelou, David Boateng, Kirby, McGregor, Aveiro (Gordon 45), Lokilo (Street 65), Daly, Trialist (Malachi Boateng 24). Subs Not Used: Mensah, Henry.
Cardiff City: Warren Burwood, Laurence Wootton (capt), Cameron Coxe, Tavio Kouakou D’Almedia, Trystan Jones, Jack Bodenham, Danny Williams (Kieron Evans 54), Keenan Patten, Mark Harris, Sion Spence (Ben Margetson 88), Shamar Moore. Subs not used: Jaimie Cogman (gk), Ryan Kavanagh.
Upcoming PDL Under-23 fixtures:
February
Monday 3 Millwall v Cardiff City (2pm)
Monday 10 Cardiff City v Bristol City (7pm)
Monday 17 Charlton Athletic v Cardiff City (1pm)
March
Monday 2 Cardiff City v Watford (1pm)
Monday 9 Cardiff City v Ipswich Town (1pm)
