WOTTON-under-Edge hosted a very experienced Cardiff side and knew that with several key players injured or unable to play it would be a very tough game.

A big pre-match chat from captain Michael Buist put the Boys in Blue in the right frame of mind for the battle ahead.

Wotton duly started the brighter team. Good linking play between Rob Davies and Neil Curtis set up a ball back across the goal for David Holt to slap it into the corner past the diving keeper.

Unfortunately, Wotton switched off soon after and Cardiff equalised with a quick hit to the back post for an easy deflection.

This woke up Wotton and they won a few short corners.

A freak ankle injury to forward Ryan Howarth meant that was the end of his game and reduced Wotton to 12 players.

However, Wotton being a team who thrive on a challenge, then made it 2-1 with some good skill from David Holt who made it into the ‘D’ with a reverse stick shot that was deflected past the keeper.

Once again, a lapse in concentration during a short corner lead to Cardiff equalising, following an initial save from Wotton keeper George Lampkin The second half was very much a physical battle and a time to keep cool heads, with the visitors’ discipline breaking down, and green and yellow cards coming out.

Buist created all the forward threat, taking on and equalling the opposition’s ex-national league and international players.

With this, the opposition piled a huge amount of pressure on Wotton’s defence, with Rob Davies, James Cruickshank, Henry Patteson, William Cave and Seb Culpepper making some very important tackles.

A big moment came in the last five minutes when Cardiff played the ball across the circle where it fell loose to an attacker about to make it 3-2, but Lampkin made a quick shuffle across the goal to dive down low and turn it past the post.

With a last push for a winner, a few chances came Wotton’s way. It has left the home team second in the league, two points behind Westbury and UB and seven points clear of third-placed Gloucester City.