Dinas Powys Ladies FC 4 - Cardiff City Development 4

THIS was a game that the home side will look back on as two points dropped.

Dinas started the brighter, pressing high looking to work in the right areas. On seven minutes Taylor Page unleashed a fine 25 yard strike into the top corner to give the home side the lead. This didn’t last long as 'keeper Lea Phillips let a snap shot spill between her legs and the Cardiff forward tapped in from five yards.

Dinas brushed themselves down and pushed on and the game opened up. Cardiff always looked to play out and they were punished when the in form Laura May Lewis nicked the ball high and found Laura Murray who showed her class with a rasping finish from a tight angle.

Again the home side failed to shut the visitors out as the pacey Cardiff youngsters managed to get in behind to draw level. Murray thought she had restored the lead but failed to connect to a Laura May Lewis cross.

The home side's back four, normally a reliable and organised unit, looked very shaky at times and failure to deal with the first ball was causing a lot of problems. Looking to see the half out Lea Phillips was adjudged to not have both hands on the ball and the Cardiff forward nipped in to give them a 3 - 2 lead at the break.

Following a dusting down and some honest words the second half saw the home side show the desire and spirit that had been lacking for a lot of the first 45 minutes.

Cat O’Connell and Emma Lewis replaced the full backs and Kelly Tuck dropped into centre half, Alex Allen and Steaphanie Garner-Joel moved into the middle of the park to give the home side some real bite. Jodi Bowles replaced Lea Phillips in goals as her hand injury was too bad to carry on.

What happened next was a credit to these girls as they showed what a strong unit they have become in just a few months. This wasn’t a half for pretty football, it was all about who wanted it and the home team went about their business with real passion.

Dinas piled on the pressure but the young Cardiff team stood very strong and looked very lively on the break as they never switched from trying to play. Gemma Crowley, Laura Murray and Steaphanie Garner-Joel all thought they had scored but Cardiff managed to clear off the line.

As the clock ran down young Molly Chapman was in the right spot at the right time to head home the equaliser. Rachel Beare and Vicki Elison went back on as Cat O’Connell and Emma Lewis had done their jobs very well.

As Lewis was getting more joy down the right Dinas introduced Page again, who ghosted in at the back post with five minutes remaining to put the home side 4 - 3 in the lead.

Cardiff always looked threatening and played some great stuff at times, and with two minutes left a hopeful ball down the throat opened the Dinas defence up for the Cardiff striker to coolly finish.

Final score 4 - 4 in a very entertaining game. This just shows how much the home side has come on in a few months as last season Cardiff finished worthy runners-up and Dinas finished one off the bottom.