Bath City (0) 0 Cardiff City U21s (1) 2 – Tuesday 14 July 2026 – Pre-Season Friendly – Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park
Match Report by Henry Burridge.
Bath City suffered their first defeat of pre-season against Cardiff City Under-21s.
The Romans found themselves behind after just four minutes when Hayden Allmark scored with the first chance of the game, before Mannie Barton won and converted a penalty after the break.
A City side containing a number of trialists tested the visiting keeper a couple of times, but neither team could create truly free-flowing football on a hot, sticky evening at Twerton Park.
Cardiff opened the scoring early on. After the Bluebirds pinched the ball back in midfield, Isaac Davies immediately pierced the defence with an incisive through ball that Allmark slotted into the bottom corner.
The hosts soon threatened an equaliser when Scott Wilson whipped in a dangerous cross from the right that Jordan Tillson met with a toe, forcing keeper Ewan Griffiths to backpedal and tip over.
Wilson and Danny Greenslade each put in further crosses that caused some panic in the visiting defence, while Dan Ola nodded a tame effort into Harvey Wiles-Richards’ gloves for Cardiff.
City forced another save from Griffiths when two of their trialists combined, with the contract hopeful up front striking a shot on the turn that the keeper palmed wide.
Before the half was up, Wiles-Richards also had to smother a Jake Davies shot following Allmark’s cheeky scoop over the Romans’ defence.
The second period was littered with substitutes – one of City’s half-time introductions, Kieran Parselle, headed a corner over soon after the restart.
Wilson then won possession in the Cardiff third and cut a pass back for new signing Harry Parsons, whose shot thumped off a defender.
The Bluebirds doubled their advantage from the penalty spot just after the hour. Tricky winger Barton raced clear on a break down the left, only to be brought down by one of City’s trialists, then confidently scored from the spot.
Parsons drew a solid save from Griffiths after taking aim at the bottom-left corner, and Wilson clipped a cross narrowly over the head of Enzio Boldewijn.
At the other end, Herbie James failed to hit the target at the near post from a Barton centre.
The visitors also had the final chance of the game through sub Thierry Katsukunya, though his stooping header failed to test Wiles-Richards.
Att: 182
City’s Line Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes (c) (Trialist D HT), Greenslade (Parselle HT), Tomlinson, Batten (Stirling 70), Trialist A, Wilson (Streczen 85), Trialist B, Tillson (Pritchard 79), Parsons (Boldewijn 70), Trialist C (Windsor HT). Sub not used: Cook.
Scorers: City – none; Cardiff – Davies (4), Barton (pen 56)
City Bookings: none
Officials: S Thorne, D Hughes, M Aniskevych