City reserves eased to a comfortable 2 - 0 win at Ninian Park this afternoon. Early goals from Andy Campbell on 6 mins and a rising shot from some 25 - 30 yards from Fan Zhiyi on 15 mins won the game for City.
The Bluebirds lined up
Adam Lee Barrett, Gethin Jones, Martyn Giles, Andy Jordan, Daniel Gabbidon, James Collins, Gareth Whalley, Des Hamilton, Fan Zhiyi, Leo FW, Andy Campbell.
Reaction from Paul Evans.
The reserves weren't too bad today against a young Wycombe team that included Stuart Roberts, Gavin Holligan and a couple more players who were on the bench last night. That said, it wasn't that good a game (it's just that, compared to normal, there were some shots and a couple of goals!) - the City scored twice in the first fifteen minutes then rather cruised through the match. Wycombe tried thier hardest and made a decent game of it to some extent, but you always thought the City could raise their game if need be.
The goals were scored by Andy Campbell who benefitted from some neat footwork by Leo (honest!), to beat the keeper easilly from six yards and by Fan when a Des Hamilton corner was cleared to him.
Fan's goal was the highlight of the game by a distance - a tremendous first time shot from about thirty yards which flew into the top right hand corner of the net - the best goal I have seen the City score this season.
As for individuals, there were ninety minutes from Danny Gabbidon who had his casual moments, but also showed his all round ability throughout (he looks ready to start on Sunday to me), Gareth Whalley who almost scored with a clever free kick which was turned over by the keeper and who played some neat passes, Andy Campbell who took his goal well, but missed another easy chance and didn't really look match fit and Fan who, besides his goal, was solid enough.
Others to take the eye were, surprsingly, Jordan who had a good game (although he reverted to normal when he got over ambitious and played a pass across his own box, this led to the comedy moment of the match as Collins touched the ball back to Barrett who had come charging of his line - it looked a certain own goal, but the keeper did well to recover and scramble the ball off the line - Barrett was a mixture with some good handling being mixed in with some poor kicking). James Collins (my candidate for reserve team player of the year from what I have seen of them)was his usual reliable self and I still can't figure out why he was never given a chance in Danny's absence in the first team.
Finally, another who I thought who didn't do badly was Nicky Fish who played the second half as a substitute for Martin Giles and looked a neat and well organised player in the process.