There isn't too much to report to be honest. This was typical pre-season fare.
The Richmond Park pitch is absolutely dreadful. The grass is way too long and the surface is badly uneven. Cardiff attempted to play a bit of football despite the poor underfoot conditions, but without too much success if the truth be told. Meanwhile, the home side contented themselves by hoofing long balls to nobody in particular at every given opportunity.
Roger Johnson caught the eye. He showed up particularly well during his first performance in a City shirt. Johnson is a tall, aggressive defender, strong in the air, very vocal and obviously a natural leader. Ironically, Carmarthen's best chance came when he was robbed of possession midway inside the City half after the ball got stuck under his foot. However, that mistake can be excused due to the awful condition of the pitch, and he was otherwise pretty impressive.
Paul Parry put in a fair performance, which he capped with a decent finish for City's late winning goal. Glenn Loovens looked solid as usual. Jeff Whitley improved considerably as the game wore on. Joe Ledley did a reasonable job at left back. Andrea Ferretti was generally quiet, although he did produce one or two decent pieces of work.
New boys Malvin Kamara and Nick McKoy showed plenty of energy and a few nice touches, but both looked as though they will be seen to much better advantage on a proper football pitch as opposed the rutted field that is Richmond Park.
Mark Howard in the City goal had very little to do. He made only one save of note, and that was fairly routine. His kicking was a little erratic at times, but the pitch obviously didn't help in that respect. He's a big lad and certainly looks the right size for a goalkeeper.
City fielded a French triallist in central midfield - a tall, athletic-looking black lad who I believe has arrived here from Nantes. His name isn't on my team sheet, and I'm afraid I can't remember it. He competed well and seems worth a closer look. Again, I'm sure he'll be seen in a much better light on a decent surface.
What else can I tell you? Dave Jones was there tonight, as were Paul Wilkinson and Sam Hammam. Mark Aizlewood is in charge of Carmarthen. The bloke that stands alongside him shouting nonsense, who I presume is their assistant manager, seems like a complete and utter tool. The small crowd contained a handful of City fans, but not many. The Carmarthen team featured ex-City players Terry Evans, Martyn Giles, Danny Thomas, Kevin Evans, and a host of other Cardiff-based players. The weather was warm to begin with, but a bit parky later on. The Strongbow was mediocre but cheap. The programmes (photocopied A4 sheets folded in half) were 30p each.
That is all.
Click here for the report from The Echo.