COVENTRY CITY U23'S 0-1 CARDIFF CITY U23'S
Coventry City U23's went down to a 1-0 defeat against Cardiff City at the Alan Higgs Centre this afternoon.
Jason Farndon was only able to name a young team for this fixture due to tomorrow night's League Two game against Cambridge United at the Ricoh Arena but still included Callum Maycock, Dominic Hyam, Chris Camwell and loanee Jordan McGuire-Drew who all have first team experience against a Cardiff side which included Lee Camp in goal and two trialists with three on the bench.
Cardiff came at City from the start with Tom Bilson having to push a Mark Harris effort over the bar in the fifth minute and then save with his legs from a trialist.
After nine minutes and thirty seconds, Cardiff, who travelled to Coventry on the Welsh national team coach, took the lead when the pacy Ibrahim Meite got the ball and ran through before dispatching a lovely shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the area.
Jak Hickman fired at Lee Camp, who has conceded six goals in a game twice againd City's first team and Dominic Hyam missed from a free kick for City who were working hard but had very little up front.
Cardiff had the better of the chances but the Sky Blues did win a corner and have Billy Stedman, who battled well all game, fire into the side netting in the 41st minute.
Callum Maycock, who picked up a caution and Dominic Hyam were replaced at half-time by Tyler Johnson and Lewis Green as the clouds lifted and the sun started to appear.
Cameron Coxe and Meite both had early chances for the visitors who were having to deal with some solid defending from Jordan Thompson, now captaining the side, Chris Camwell and Hickman.
Bilson did very well to save on the goal-line in the 55th minute and looked good despite being rounded by a trialist in the 68th minute who thankfully, could only fire into the side netting after a Jordan McGuire-Drew free kick was curled wide.
Cardiff continued to attack but two great saves from Tom Bilson, firstly to push over a Meite shot on the turn in the 86th minute and secondly, diving to his right to push away for a corner, a Lloyd Humphries free kick two minutes, meant that although Coventry City were beaten, it was only by a single goal.
Coventry City: Bilson, Hickman, Camwell, Maycock (Johnson 46), Thompson, Hyam (L.Green 46), Maguire-Drew, Finn, Crowther (S.Green 72), Stedman, Sayoud. SNU Naylor, Lautaru.
Cardiff City; Camp, Coxe, Abbruzzese, Trialist, Brown, McKay, Meite, Waite (Humphries 67), Healey (Trialist 75), Harris, Trialist (Trialist 67). SNU Byrne.