Pre-season friendly: Forest Green Rovers 1-1 Cardiff City

Image source, Huw Evans picture agency

Image caption, Joe Mason (R) fires Cardiff City ahead at Forest Green Rovers

Cardiff City were held to a draw at Forest Green Rovers in their pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

Joe Mason gave the Bluebirds the lead after being picked out by Craig Noone.

Mason then won a penalty but Peter Whittingham's spot-kick was saved by Jonny Maxted in the Rovers goal.

That proved costly for the Championship side as Aaron O'Connor - the former Newport County striker - rescued a point for the Conference side with a well-placed header.

Russell Slade's Cardiff side now play Shrewsbury on Saturday, before heading to the Netherlands for a training camp.

Whilst there City face Israeli side Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona and Sparta Rotterdam.

They complete their pre-season with matches against newly promoted Premier League sides Watford and Bournemouth.

Cardiff kick-off their Championship campaign at home to Fulham on Saturday, 8 August.

Forest Green Rovers First Half XI: J Maxted, A Baldwin, J Jennings, D Jones, A Racine, S Wedgbury, C Kamdjo, C Moore, E Frear, D Sam-Yorke, J Parkin. Second Half XI: J Maxted, D Pipe, D Bennett, M Kelly, K Guthrie, K Marsh-Brown, R Sinclair, D Jones, L McGrory, A O'Connor, T Bender

Cardiff City First Half XI: Moore, Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, John, Ralls, Dikgacoi, Pilkington, Kennedy, Revell, Macheda. Second Half XI: Wilson, Fabio, Ecuele Manga, Ajayi, Oshilaja, Noone, Whittingham, Southam, Ralls, Doyle, Mason.