Cardiff City suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Newport County in the EFL Trophy, spoiling what was supposed to be a historic night for the Bluebirds. Newport County, despite their struggles in League Two, secured a well-deserved victory at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Tom Davies' header just before half-time proved decisive, securing the win for the Exiles. Nathaniel Opoku had earlier rattled the crossbar for Newport, signaling their intent from the outset. This win offers some respite for Newport boss David Hughes, whose team has endured a challenging start to the season, winning only one of their first 11 league matches.
Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy made ten changes to the side that thrillingly defeated Leyton Orient over the weekend. The match saw a debut for Rob Tankiewicz, a highly-rated youngster who briefly became Cardiff's youngest-ever player at 16 years and 120 days, surpassing Aaron Ramsey's record by a mere three days. However, his record was short-lived, as he was replaced by 15-year-old Axel Donczew in the 65th minute – a bittersweet moment on a disappointing night for the home side.
Despite the significant changes in personnel, Barry-Murphy will undoubtedly be disappointed with his team's performance against a Newport side that made only four changes from their recent defeat to Swindon Town. Bobby Kamwa and David Turnbull exchanged early, wayward shots before Opoku's flick struck the bar in the 11th minute.
Kamwa's dangerous cross should have been converted for the opener, and when Habeeb Ogunneye was forced off injured, Newport might have felt they had missed their chance to capitalize on their bright start. A significant deflection diverted Kamwa's powerful shot around the post before Opoku was again denied.
Key Moments of the Match
- 11th Minute: Opoku hits the crossbar for Newport.
- Davies scores a header for Newport just before halftime.
- Rob Tankiewicz becomes Cardiff's youngest player (briefly).
- Axel Donczew replaces Tankiewicz, becoming Cardiff's youngest player.
The defeat highlights the challenges facing Cardiff as they aim to balance squad rotation with maintaining performance levels. Newport, on the other hand, will take immense confidence from this victory as they look to climb the League Two table.