QPR U18 (5) – Cardiff City U18 (1)

U18 Professional Development League 2

Team: Dickinson, Drewe, Woollard-Innocent, Bettache, Carlyle, Noel-McLeod, Ribeiro, Remy, Kendall, Bansal-McNulty, Brooks

A strong U18’s side lined-up at Heston for their final league game of the season.

The young R’s took the lead after around five minutes when Amrit Bansal-McNulty was brought down in the box. He then stepped up and finished with a well-taken penalty.

Fluid movement and good link-up play from the R’s as they went in search of another goal.

16 year-old Marcus Brooks set-up Faysal Bettache, but his shot was comfortably saved by Warren Burwood.

The second goal came after 21 minutes in superb style. Bansal-McNulty was tripped, but no foul given, so he jumped up again, deftly back-heeled the ball to Charley Kendall and the Rangers No. 9 banged the ball into the back of the net.

A lovely ball from Brooks into the box found Kendall, who touched it back to Bansal-McNulty, but the ball bobbled and he blasted it over the bar.

Despite the home side’s dominance, the Bluebirds pulled a goal back before the 30-minute mark. The Cardiff player hooked the ball side-footed, Tyla Dickinson went down late and it squeezed into the corner.

Cardiff were then boosted by this goal. They became more assertive and almost scored an equaliser when an overhead kick went just over. Tyla Dickinson was booked during this period for belting the ball away.

The Bluebirds had another good opportunity when the ball was struck from an angle close to the far post. It must have taken a slight deflection as a corner kick was indicated.

Rangers began to reverse the visitors’ 15-minute productive period as Bansal-McNulty took the ball into the inside edge of the box where he was blatantly brought down, just as he looked to pull the trigger, but Mr Bullock wasn’t interested!

However, QPR’s third goal arrived in added time after superb build-up play from Bansal-McNulty. Leandro Ribeiro crossed the ball and Marcus Brooks was quick to it and finished with the outside of his foot. Half-time was signalled a minute later.

For the first ten minutes or so after the break, most of the play occurred in the visitors half but nothing was produced on target.

After 55 minutes Paul Furlong introduced Joe Gubbins at the expense of Kraig Noel-McLeod.

With close control into the box, Bansal-McNulty was clearly clipped but was denied another penalty!

Two further changes were made on 63 minutes with Williams-Lowe and Miller coming on for Drewe and Bettache respectively.

Charley Kendall scored the goal of the game three minutes later and what a goal it was! He flicked his first attempt and then finished with a spectacular overhead kick after the ball came back to him!

The QPR No. 9 then had another good opportunity, after a long ball had put him through. Warren Burwood advanced and Kendall blasted his shot directly at him, which the keeper managed to stop.

Whilst at the other end the R’s captain, Nathan Carlyle, mopped up at the back on several occasions with some superb defending.

Kayden Williams-Lowe sped down the flank and his cross was flicked goalwards by Charley Kendall but was grabbed by the keeper.

Then Nathan Carlyle burst through to the bye-line and his ball in resulted in a Cardiff defender requiring some attention after seemingly colliding with a post?

Kendall wasn’t to be denied his well-deserved hat-trick and it came in the closing stages. His initial header hit the crossbar and as the ball came back to him, he fired it into the back of the net from close range.

Leandro Ribeiro and Nathan Carlyle were the other two Rangers players booked during the course of the game.

Steve Russell

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