Report | Swansea City U18 2 Cardiff City U18s 3

Swansea City Under-18s suffered late heartbreak in their south Wales derby after Leeyon Phelan netted a 95th-minute winner for Cardiff City

The Swans had through a Yori Griffith goal inside 20 minutes, before Thomas Woodward doubled the home side’s lead before the break.

However, a red card for Brogan Popham meant the young Swans played out the final half-hour with 10 men and the momentum of the game shifted.

Joseff Edwards pulled the first goal back for the visitors, before a brace from Phelan secured all three points for Cardiff.

It was harsh on the Swans, who had been in control of the contest for much of the night.

They had taken control from the off with Cardiff keeper Luke Armstrong having to clear as Woodward closed in during the opening few minutes.

Woodward was then off target from a Ramon Rees-Siso free-kick while, at the other end, Cardiff’s Jake Davies saw two efforts saved by Sam Seager.

Rees-Siso got involved again down the right again with a mazy run, but his final ball flashed across the face of goal and evaded a sea of Swans shirts.

But the hosts would break the deadlock in the 17th minute.

And it was Griffith, on his second game back from injury, who weaved his way through the Bluebirds’ defence before drilling a low shot into the back of the net for the opener.

It was almost a second for the Swans moments later. A neat one-two between Woodward and Josh Pescatore in the Cardiff half threatened the visitors’ backline, but Pescatore’s shot was collected by Armstrong.

But Swansea did double their lead just before the break as Woodward surged through the Cardiff defence before sending the ball into the bottom corner. 

The restart started the second half brightly, Harry Watt testing Seager early on with a high curling effort.

Substitute Ben Phillips tried his luck for the Swans after a Rees-Siso lay-off, but Armstrong pushed his strike away for a corner, and Pescatore drilled wide from the resulting set-piece.

But the game changed when Popham was dismissed on 65 minutes after being shown a second yellow card.

Cardiff capitalised on the numerical advantage and pulled a goal back following a scramble in the box, with Edwards tapping home from close range.

Pescatore came close to restoring Swansea’s two-goal cushion when his thunderous strike forced Armstrong into a fingertip save.

But Cardiff would prevail late on as Phelan grabbed a brace in the closing stages, including a winner deep in stoppage time, to give his side all three points.

Swansea City Under-18s: Sam Seager, Billy Clarke, Callum Deacon (captain), Jacob Cook (Aidan Higgins 87), Brogan Popham, Kiel Higginson, Ramon Rees-Siso, Yori Griffith (Ben Phillips 45), Morgan Bates, Thomas Woodward (Caio Ifans 77), Josh Pescatore.

Substitutes: Isaac Dudding, Osian Williams.