Page 21 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.26 2022-23

n what’s so far been a near faultless season, Cardiff City Women have been crowned Genero
Premier Champions. Cardiff hosted The New Saints knowing a win would take them over the line;
the opening goal was one worthy of taking the title, Ffion Price hitting from just outside the box to
drop perfectly into the top corner. Beth Lewis wasn’t going to let Cardiff get their hopes up too soon,
as she hit back straight away for the visitors to see the scores level at half time. The Bluebirds came
back out with renewed determination and it paid off with captain Siobhan Walsh heading home a
second, before stepping up to take the penalty after Lily Billingham was brought down in the area.
Walsh’s two goals secured a 3-1 victory the vital three points to give Cardiff City the league title for the
first time in ten years. The trophy celebration will be at their last home game of the season against
Swansea City.
In Llandarcy, Swansea were determined not to make life easy for Cardiff, knowing that anything
less than a win for them would likely hand their crown their South coast rivals. Cardiff Met Women
meanwhile were hoping to bounce back from last week’s disappointment and find the form that had
seen them win the Genero Adran Trophy title two weeks ago. Chloe Chivers was the first name on the
scoresheet, combining with Ellie Lake to put the hosts ahead. It looked like this could be the only goal
of the game, but Nia Rees stepped up eight minutes from time to double the Swans lead. There was
still more drama to come as Rees was then taken down in the area, with Meg Saunders converting the
subsequent penalty for her first goal in Swansea colours to round off a 3-0 win. Swansea there took all
three points and secured second spot as some consolation for losing the trophy.
In the Plate conference, the race for the title is still on. Pontypridd Utd were on the road to
Penypound to face Abergavenny Women, their last visit had seen the hosts pick up their first win
of the season. Ponty hit first with Holly Borad heading home Efa Preece-Jones’ before Carys Bufton
doubled the lead. In the second half it was once again the visitors that hit first, Liv Francis adding a
third before Lauren Boyd pulled one back for the hosts. Lucy Jones took just eight minutes from
coming on to restore Ponty’s four goal advantage and Evie Hughes put a cherry on the cake to finish
the game at 5-1.
Aberystwyth Town were also on the PREMIER DIVISION P W D L F A Pts GD
road, heading to Jenner Park to face Barry CARDIFF CITY F.C. 18 15 3 0 65 11 48 54
Town Utd. With yet another penalty awarded, SWANSEA CITY 18 12 5 1 50 15 41 35
Tania Wylde put the Seasiders ahead. Barry CARDIFF MET WOMEN 18 9 2 7 34 36 29 -2
struggled to find a reply and Aberystwyth THE NEW SAINTS 18 6 2 10 36 45 20 -9
struck again through Kelly Thomas early in the PONTYPRIDD UTD 18 8 3 7 31 26 27 5
second half. Neither side could find the net ABERYSTWYTH TOWN 18 6 3 9 28 34 21 -6
again, allowing Aberystwyth a 2-0 success to BARRY TOWN UTD 18 3 2 13 16 51 11 -35
keep their hopes of the Plate title alive. ABERGAVENNY WOMEN * 18 2 2 14 14 56 2 -42
Elsewhere, it was a record-breaking day,
with Wrexham beating Cardiff’s record for Cardiff City 3 TNS 1; Swansea 3 Cardiff Met 0; Abergavenny 1
the highest ever crowd at a domestic league Pontypridd 5; Barry 0 Aberystwyth 2.
game (men or women), with 9,511 at the NORTH DIVISION P W D L F A Pts 0
Racecourse. Rosie Hughes scored a brilliant WREXHAM 12 12 0 0 70 6 36 64
individual goal to give Wrexham a 2-1 win over CONNAH'S QUAY NOMADS 11 8 1 2 39 9 25 30
Connah’s Quay Nomads, TJ Dickens’ LLANDUDNO 10 6 1 3 29 15 19 14
earlier strike being cancelled out by Ella CPDM Y FELINHELI * 12 5 2 5 25 38 11 -13
Harvey. Llandudno Ladies still have a CPD Y RHYL 1879 12 3 1 8 19 50 10 -31
chance of second, Rebecca Jarvis-Evans, LLANFAIR UTD 11 2 1 8 10 31 7 -21
Stacey Tradewell and Ffion Owen giving them AIRBUS UK BROUGHTON 12 1 0 11 8 51 3 -43
a 3-0 success at Airbus UK Broughton,
whilst Rebecca Bannister, Rachael Nattrass Airbus UK 0 Llandudno 3; Wrexham 2 Connah’s Quay 1; Rhyl 3
and Kayla Hargreaves netted for CPD Y Rhyl Felinheli 3.
1879 in their 3-3 draw with CPDM Y SOUTH DIVISION P W D L F A Pts GD
Felinheli, who replied through Jody Cain, BRITON FERRY LLANSAWEL 14 13 0 1 64 8 39 56
Yasmin Williams and Kelly Jones. CASCADE YC 15 11 1 3 37 21 34 16
Molly Chapman (2), Annaiese Lewis, Mia PONTARDAWE TOWN 14 7 0 7 36 34 21 2
Kemp, Ellie Bidhendy and Jess Pascoe scored SWANSEA UNIVERSITY 15 3 2 10 21 42 11 -21
the goals as South runners-up Cascade YC CALDICOT TOWN * 14 0 1 13 13 66 -2 -53
beat Caldicot Town 6-1. Pontardawe 0
Town won 1-0 at Swansea University with
a goal from Catryn Cook. Cascade 6 Caldicot 1; Swansea Univ 0 Pontardawe 1.
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