Cardiff City ended their training camp in Ireland with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Cork City at Turner's Cross, a result that will be welcomed after a difficult opening friendly in Denmark.
Young players take centre stage
Manager Brian Barry‑Murphy made extensive changes at half‑time as he built match fitness across his squad and allowed a number of younger players to stake a claim. Most notably, 17‑year‑old Robert Tankiewicz came off the bench to score twice and produced a composed display that drew praise from supporters.
- Callum Robinson opened the scoring with a finish powered home from David Turnbull's free‑kick, five minutes before the interval.
- Cork briefly levelled shortly after the hour mark through a Denzell Obenge strike that took a heavy deflection past goalkeeper Matt Turner.
- Isaak Davies restored the lead with a confident finish in the 73rd minute and Tankiewicz added a composed strike shortly afterwards; Yousef Salech completed the scoring.
The victory offered a marked response to Cardiff's earlier pre‑season defeat by FC Midtjylland, when they lost 6-0. The contrast will ease some immediate concerns about the squad's readiness ahead of the new campaign.
Supporters react to academy prospect
"Rob Tankiewicz, remember the name. This boy's going to be some player."
That social‑media reaction was typical of the responses from Cardiff fans, several of whom suggested the teenager could make a breakthrough this season. One supporter predicted "15+ appearances" while others called him "a star" in the making. Those assessments underline the local interest in homegrown talent and the club's academy pathway.
Where this leaves the Bluebirds
On the pitch, the friendly allowed Barry‑Murphy to rotate his side and assess combinations. Jack Sykes also attracted notice for a lively first‑half showing, while the second half displayed clearer cohesion as the team produced four second‑half goals.
| Scorer | Notes |
|---|---|
| Callum Robinson | Opened scoring five minutes before half‑time (from David Turnbull's free‑kick) |
| Denzell Obenge (Cork) | Equalised shortly after the hour; heavy deflection past Matt Turner |
| Isaak Davies | Restored lead in the 73rd minute |
| Robert Tankiewicz | Two goals after coming on at half‑time; 17 years old |
| Yousef Salech | Completed the 6-1 scoreline |
The win forms part of Cardiff's ongoing pre‑season schedule; the squad will continue preparations ahead of competitive fixtures and further friendlies. For local supporters, the match served both as a confidence boost and a reminder of the potential in the club's youth ranks.
Cardiff travel and friendly plans mean the manager can continue to experiment with squad selection before the Championship campaign begins, and the emergence of several younger players will give the club and its supporters much to monitor in the weeks ahead.
