Youths beat Cardiff 3-1 to go through in cup

Last updated : 20 January 2015 By Tony Scholes
Brandon Wilson opened the scoring

Games in this competition are like going into the unknown at times with our team restricted to playing their league games in the North West Youth Alliance League whilst our opponents Cardiff are at a higher level as a Cat 2 club within EPPP and play fixtures in a league that includes three Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, QPR and Swansea.

Andy Farrell said as such himself ahead of the game. "It's going to be a tough game. We have got a big challenge ahead because we are playing a team that is, with respect, better than the teams we normally play."

But the team coached by Farrell and Terry Pashley have certainly risen to the occasion in beating Cardiff 3-1 to progress in the competition.

We were much the better side in the first half and finally got in front just three minutes before the break when midfielder Brandon

 Wilson picked up the ball just outside the penalty box and fired past Cardiff keeper Joe Massaro.

The lead was nearly doubled twice before the half time whistle but that half time lead was fully deserved and forced Cardiff into making two substitutions ahead of the second half.

They improved too, and had a couple of opportunities, but the game swung very much back in our favour after the introduction of Jamie Frost.

Immediately he set up an opportunity for Khius Metz and then got onto the end of a ball at the far post after excellent work from Brad Jackson to double the lead.

One of the two half time subs, Jamie Veale, pulled one back for Cardiff with nine minutes remaining when he converted a free kick, but it was Burnley's night and Jackson sealed it with a third close to the end.

The teams were;

Burnley: Tony Aghayere, Hamam El-Fitouri (Vashiko Dixon 86), Waqas Azam, Shaun Hobson, Andy Nugent, Brad Jackson, Andreas Bianga, Brandon Wilson, Christian Hill, Ntumba Massanka (Jamie Frost 66), Khius Metz. Subs not used: Connor King, Jamal Crawford, Josh Dolling.

Cardiff: Joe Massaro, Dylan Rees, Ashley Baker, Robbie Patten, Rollin Menayese, Sam Williams, Jake Watkins (Elijah Phipps ht), Christian Yonga-Toonga (Ibraim So Sani 75), Elvis Menayese, William Taylor (Jamie Veale ht), Abdifatah Noor. Subs: Scott Coughlan, Cameron Coxe.