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Academy Star Has Hat-Trick Denied By WIND In Blowout Win

There's been plenty of cruel goal-denying moments across football over the years.

Many will remember Cristiano Ronaldo arrowing a shot towards the top corner in a match for Portugal on one occasion, after some jaw-dropping skills, only for an offside Nani to smash the goal-bound shot home for himself un-neccesarily. And, in the age of VAR, there has been countless occasions wherein seemingly good goals have been chalked off for the slightest, most twisted reasons around.

But sometimes, a goal can escape somebody for reasons that nobody on earth could possibly prevent. That was the unfortunate case for Cardiff City Academy starlet Jack Sykes, who saw his goal-bound effort against Swindon Town cleared off the line to prevent him from scoring a hat-trick on the day.

But in the cruellest of twists, it wasn't somebody in the visiting Swindon colours to pull off the clearance. No, it was Mother Nature herself who blew up a gale at Leckwith, literally blowing the 17-year-old's looping effort from range off the goal-line and away from danger.

Wind Says Sike to Sykes

Honestly, you'll have to see this one for yourself...

It could have been six for our U18s on Saturday, if not for the conditions! 💨

Jack Sykes was denied a hat-trick by the wind at Leckwith 😪#CityAsOne https://t.co/5biHtW2usR pic.twitter.com/EfGxqL874Z
— Cardiff City Academy (@CF11Academy) October 6, 2025

After a slip-up in possession from Swindon captain Owen Foye, Sykes swindled himself into possession from distance before sending a tempting, looping effort right over the head of goalkeeper Anton Robinson. However, in the perilous conditions at Leckwith in this Professional Development League Cup bout, a strong gust of wind caught the ball in it's flight, allowing it to bounce harmlessly short of the goal-line to allow Foye an ever-so fortunate chance to get back and clear the danger.

Thankfully, in Cardiff's case, this wasn't a chance for them to decide the outcome of the game - The Bluebird's were leading 5-1 at the time. Former Liverpool midfielder Hayden Allmark had handed Cardiff an early lead with a sixth-minute strike, which was soon followed up on by forward Riley Hilaire-Clark, and then again by Sykes with his first of the afternoon just before the half-hour mark, meaning a rocket from Swindon midfielder Kian Larkins was rendered obsolete.

Hilaire-Clark and Sykes would be on the scoresheet once again in the second half to put the game beyond doubt, but the latter would be forgiven for, quite literally, cursing the skies above that he was unable to secure a hat-trick following a cruel denial by wind itself.