U21 REPORT: CARDIFF CITY 1-2 BURNLEY

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Clarets come from behind against Bluebirds to seal first three points of campaign

2022-08-30T14:00:00.000Z

U21 REPORT: CARDIFF CITY 1-2 BURNLEY

Clarets come from behind against Bluebirds to seal first three points of campaign

2022-08-30T14:00:00.000Z

Clarets come from behind against Bluebirds to seal first three points of campaign

Burnley’s U21 side earned their first three points of the Professional Development League season in South Wales, coming from behind to beat Cardiff City 2-1.

Raheem Conte’s chip 27 minutes in had put the Bluebirds ahead, but a second half comeback saw Lewis Richardson level things up before captain Mark Helm struck to earn victory for the Clarets.

Two changes were made to the Burnley side from defeat to Queens Park Rangers last time out as 17-year-old goalkeeper Charlie Casper made his debut at U21 level.

He replaced Lewis Thomas, and Owen Dodgson was involved from the off having spent the season so far involved in the first-team setup. Dodgson took Finn Armstrong’s place, with the full back dropping to the bench.

Meanwhile, Cardiff made one change to their starting 11 from their defeat at Reading in the Premier League Cup group stages.

Morgan Lewis started in place of a Trialist who had featured against the Royals. On the bench, Jake Dennis & Morgan Wigley replaced Joe Thomas & Lewys Ware.

First Half

In a fast-paced start to the contest, Burnley came close through Helm who beat two men with a sublime piece of skill to curl an effort from the edge of the area narrowly wide.

That effort came after the Clarets had earned themselves a corner through Richardson’s strike which was blocked behind for a corner, and before 10 minutes had passed, Cardiff then had a first effort of the afternoon held by Casper.

The young shot stopper then held onto Joel Colwill’s shot from inside the box, but couldn’t prevent the hosts taking a 1-0 lead on 27 minutes through Conte’s chip.

Approaching the end of the half, Dodgson and Richardson linked up well with the striker seeing another attempt blocked away while the full back had a shot of his own kept out by City ‘keeper Matt Turner at an acute angle having raced down the left wing to get into the box.

And before the half-time whistle, Richardson again broke into the area with a burst of pace upfield, but was smothered by two defenders who saw out the danger, with the scoreline remaining at 1-0 come the interval.

Second Half

A livewire throughout, Richardson dragged a shot across the face of goal in the opening minutes after the restart before Casper got down well at his near post to keep out James Crole’s low-driven shot at the other end.

And after relentless pressing for the leveller, it eventually came through Richardson just before the hour-mark. A goal kick from Casper was flicked on by Joe McGlynn, with Richardson racing in behind to slot home.

Armstrong had replaced Ne-Jai Tucker just prior to that leveller, and he would go on to have a vital role in the winner, but before that came Joe Bauress curled an effort just wide.

McGlynn then also latched onto a long ball to flick a header goalwards past the onrushing Turner, but with the shot stopper beaten, a defender got back in time to prevent the ball from trickling over the line.

The Clarets were on the front foot, and eventually grabbed what would prove to be the winner on 70 minutes through Helm. Winning the ball high up the pitch, Bauress put Armstrong in down the left and with time on his side, the substitute picked out Helm in space in the area.

Both he and Ratchford were queuing to put the ball in the back of the net, but it would be Helm who did so to hand Burnley the lead and score his first goal for the Club in the process.

It could have been three moments later, but McGlynn had a strike well saved by Turner after the forward had been threaded through by Kade Ratchford, again winning the ball high up the pitch with a press that the hosts couldn’t deal with.

Casper then held onto two free-kicks from distance from Caleb Hughes, but Cardiff were unable to really trouble the Clarets backline, and it ended 2-1.

Now on the board in the Professional Development League, Burnley return to action next Monday – September 5 – when they host Ipswich Town at the County Ground in Leyland. That game against the Tractor Boys gets underway at 12:00.

Burnley: Casper, Hugill, Sassi, Ward, Dodgson, Helm ©, Bauress (Deane ’79), Tucker (Armstrong ’57), Richardson (Coppack ’61), Ratchford (McCullough ’79), McGlynn

Unused Sub: Moss

Cardiff: Turner, Semenyo, Lewis, Benjamin ©, Keeping, Antwi (Wigley ’71), Colwill, Conte (Kenniford ’71), Leahy, Ashford (Jefferies HT), Crole (Hughes ’71)

Unused Sub: Dennis

Goals: Conte, ’27, Richardson, ’59, Helm, ‘70