WESTFIELDS suffered penalties heartache in the HFA Senior Invitation Trophy Final after being beaten to a young but talented Cardiff City XI

Westfields twice led by a two-goal cushion at 3-1 and then 4-2 before the Cardiff side came back and forced a 4-4 draw at the end of 90 minutes and beat Westfields then in a penalty shoot-out by 7-6.

Cardiff took the lead in only the eighth minute with a low shot past Harvey Rivers. The goal sparked Westfields into action and they equalised with a good goal from Keanu Cooper after he seized on a nod-down from Richard Greaves.

Westfields then went into a 2-1 lead when a superb cross by Sam Gwynne found Aidan Thomas who rose at the near post to glance a header past the visitors’ keeper.

Westfields then began to show their class and a superb finish by Daniel Stoneman put them into a 3-1 lead when he curled a 20-yard shot into the far corner of the net.

However, the youngsters came back with a great strike by the young winger to reduce the arrears as Westfields went in at the break 3-2 in front.

After the interval Westfields went two goals ahead once again when Sam Rawlings burst down the wing and crossed for Richard Greaves to finish from close range to give Westfields a 4-2 lead.

However, back came the youngsters in an end-to-end game and Cardiff City pulled back a goal with a cracking strike from 20 yards.

Just when it seemed that Westfields were heading for victory the Cardiff City side equalised to make the score 4-4 and take it into a penalty shoot-out.

In the penalty shoot-out both keepers made early saves in the first five penalties each to leave it 4-4 and then in a sudden-death end to the game Sam Plane sent his penalty high over the bar to give Cardiff City the trophy as they secured it with two clinical finishes to win 7-6.

They were presented with the Herefordshire Senior Invitation Trophy by Steve Willmot, the Chairman of the HFA.

This is the second time that Cardiff City have won the trophy, having beaten Hereford FC last year at Edgar Street.