Cardiff City 1-5 AFC Wimbledon: Young Bluebirds crash out of Vertu Trophy after chastening defeat

Cardiff City’s youngsters suffered a chastening night at Cardiff City Stadium as they were thumped 5-1 by AFC Wimbledon in the Vertu Trophy last-32.

While this competition is designed to give valuable minutes to the club’s emerging talent, the level of performance on display was nowhere near good enough, with individual errors and poor defending repeatedly punished by a clinical Dons side, including Aron Sasu who smashed home four goals.

The tone was set midway through the first half when Sasu opened the scoring after a disastrous sequence at the back.

Tanatswa Nyakuhwa was dispossessed cheaply before Dylan Lawlor mistimed his challenge, allowing Sasu to skip round him and lash beyond Matt Turner from a tight angle. It was the first of several moments the young Bluebirds will want to forget.

Cardiff had actually started brightly, dominating the ball and carving out two good chances within the opening 12 minutes. Troy Perrett forced Joe McDonnell into an early save before Nyakuhwa raced clear only to drag his finish wide. But possession without penetration became a theme, with City repeatedly recycling the ball across the back line rather than finding the incision required.

Wimbledon, by contrast, looked dangerous whenever they broke forward, and they should have doubled their lead before the interval when Omar Bugiel headed over after overpowering Dakarai Mafico.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, Cardiff needed a sharp restart. Instead, they capitulated.

Within three minutes of the restart Sasu struck again, drilling low from 18 yards as Turner allowed the ball to squirm underneath him.

Moments later, the goalkeeper was again beaten far too easily as Bugiel rose at the back post to head in a corner after City debutant Noah Williams