Crystal Palace 2, Cardiff City 3
The young Bluebirds stormed back from two goals down to stun Crystal Palace in a Professional Development Under-18 League match at Beckenham Training ground in London.
Goals from Harry Pinchard, Rubin Colwill and Ntazana Mayembe led coach Matthew Bloxham’s team to their second league win of the seasonCardiff City looked down and out when they were trailing 2-0 soon after half-time, but they showed tremendous team spirit and courage to fight back.
Pinchard (48 mins), Colwill (51) and Mayembe (86), who fired a superb strike from the edge of the penalty area, led the charge for Cardiff in an impressive victory.
The pick off those goals was Colwill’s sublime free-kick from 25 yards into the bottom left-hand corner which gave City their equaliser.
It was an intense, fiercely contested match and Jaimie Cogman, Cardiff’s teenage Australian goalkeeper, produced a magnificent save after 26 minutes when he cut out the danger when Jesuran Rak-Sakyi ran through one-on-one.
Palace went ahead after 37 minutes when David Omilabu scored their opening goal.
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The hosts then scored a second two minutes after half-time when Finn Mooney was picked out by an incisive pass and rounded goalkeeper Cogman to score.
Cardiff showed spirit and willpower in abundance, quickly pulling a goal back when Pinchard reacted first to a rebound from Kieron Evans’ dangerous strike and shot home from close-range.
Colwill’s cracker after 51 minutes made it 2-2 and the momentum was with Cardiff.
Sam Parsons had a diving header saved 20 minutes from time, while Mayembe tested Palace goalkeeper Jacob Russell from range as City pushed for a winner in south London.
Mayembe netted the Bluebirds’ third and put City ahead for the first time in the game. He was picked out by Siyabonga Ligendza on the edge of the box and the shot rifled into the bottom corner with four minutes left.
That proved to be the winner, leaving Palace down and out, although the Eagles pushed for a late equaliser and substitute John-Kymani Gordon fired against a post on 88 minutes.
Cardiff City are away to Ipswich Town in the PDL Cup next weekend before taking on Charlton Athletic at home on Saturday, November 5. That match will be at Cardiff Sports Arena.
Crystal Palace: Russell, Thistleton, Bello, Steele, Chamberlin, Siddick (Smith 76), Rak-Sakyi (Gordon 74), Olodape, Ajayi, Mooney, Omilabu. Subs Not Used: Whitworth, Watson, Wright.
Cardiff City: Jamie Cogman, Aidan MacNamara, Sam Parsons, Taylor Jones, Josh Rippon, Tom Chiabi, Kieron Evans, Harry Pinchard, Isaak Davies (Eli King 77), Rubin Colwill (Ntazana Mayembe 70), Siyabonga Ligendza. Subs Not Used: Brad Stewart (gk), Owen Pritchard, Cian Ashford.
