Birmingham City Under-21s lost 3-1 at Woking in the National League Cup on Tuesday, 3 November, despite Menzi Mazwi briefly reducing the deficit early in the second half.
Scott Sellars’ side were two goals behind after 12 minutes. Mazwi’s reply gave Blues a route back into the contest, but Sean Adarkwa restored Woking’s two-goal advantage and the hosts held on.
Early goals leave Blues chasing
Thomas Dryer opened the scoring inside three minutes after taking the ball around William O’Sullivan. He then helped create Woking’s second, supplying a cutback for Liam Dulson to finish into the bottom corner.
Birmingham tried to threaten from wide areas but could not find a goal before the interval. O’Sullivan made an important save and Blake Campbell produced a block as Woking sought to extend their lead before half-time.
Mazwi offers hope after the restart
Blues responded soon after the break. Pressure from Cobi Maddox helped create the opening for Mazwi, who finished low to make it 2-1.
The response meant Birmingham had cut the gap to one goal rather than allowing the early setback to settle the match. O’Sullivan then denied Jaiden Putman, but Adarkwa scored in the 62nd minute to put Woking back in control.
Woking protect the advantage
There was further work for O’Sullivan in the closing stages. He stopped another Dulson attempt and reacted quickly to keep out substitute Shadrach Ogie’s header near the end.
The club’s official report records those interventions alongside Mazwi’s goal.
For Birmingham, the scoring sequence tells the story of the evening: a difficult opening, a second-half reply and a third Woking goal that prevented the recovery from gathering further momentum.
The academy’s latest cup outing therefore ended without a result to match that response after the break. More coverage of the club’s developing players is available in our Birmingham City academy section.