Cardiff City are facing a scrap for the Professional Development Under-18 League title after their 2-1 home defeat against Ipswich Town.
The Tractor Boys move level with City on points, although manager Craig Bellamy’s Bluebirds have two games in hand.
Dan Griffiths scored Cardiff’s goal during the second half, but they were already 2-0 down by then and were unable to rescue a point.
First half goals from Ipswich players Lounes Foudil and Matt Healy proved enough for victory despite a fight back from the league leaders at the Cardiff International Sports Arena.
Ipswich earned a fourth successive win thanks to goals from Foudil (25 mins) and Healey (44).
The tenacity and spirit in Cardiff’s fightback rocked Ipswich. Griffiths’ goal was an outstanding finish, while captain Sam Bowen saw a shot fly narrowly wide and Keenan Patten went close with a glancing header.
Despite the defeat there were a lot of positives for the Bluebirds, who did well enough to have earned a point.
When the score was 1-0 Patten fired an ambitious effort from range, which goalkeeper Toby Egan could only parry before collecting the ball in his area.
Bowen made a quality run into the penalty area and his shot was deflected into the path of Griffiths, who couldn’t quite get to the ball.
The next match for Cardiff’s under-18 team is at Millwall next Saturday (December 22).
Ipswich Town: Egan, O’Reilly, Smith, Healey, Fehrenbach, Henderson, Curtis (Clifford 85), Foudil, Simpson, Hughes (capt), Crane (Gibbs 74). Subs not used: Alley, Cutbush, Baker.
Cardiff City: George Ratcliffe, Jac Davies (William Warnock 80), Ben Margetson, Trystan Jones, Joel Bagan, Keenan Patten, Ntazana Mayembe, Sam Bowen (capt), Dan Griffiths, Sion Spence (Sam Parsons 51), Harry Pinchard. Subs: Jordan Duffey, Thomas, I Jones.