Welsh Football Roundup – January 29th

It was a pivotal weekend in the Adran Premier as many teams played their final games before phase one ended.

Along with games in the Adran North and Adran South there was drama across the country.

Adran Premier

Our finish starts at Park Hall. Cardiff City have been the standard-bearers of the league so far; unbeaten and running away at the top of the league. On Sunday, they came up against a TNS side that had ambitions of finishing in the top four. The Saints were no match for the Bluebirds as Cardiff returned to the capital with a 5-1 win.

From the off, City knocked on the door through Phoebie Poole, but TNS keeper Sarah Parkes handled her efforts well. But with half an hour on the clock, City broke through the Saints barricade. Siobhan Walsh continues her scoring streak with a header.

Their second would come three minutes later, Danielle Broadhurst with a composed finish after a through ball by Rhianne Oakley. They led by three goals at the break as Oakley again turned provider, this time for Poole, who grabbed her 12th goal of the season.

The hosts held out well and restricted the Bluebirds for much of the second half, until Seren Watkins unleashed a superb strike six minutes from time, an effort worth searching for on Twitter.

Helen Evans did pull one back, but there was a heartwarming moment at half-time as ten-month-out Catherine Walsh scored on her return to the side as City remain unbeaten and favorites for the title.

With the leaders continuing their winning streak, a win for fellow capital side Cardiff Met was essential against bottom of the table Abergavenny. But in a result that sent shockwaves through the league, the Archers could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to the Pennies.

Met threw the basin away, but some heroic defending and interventions from the goal frame limited them to a goalless game.

Met remains second and is now nine points off the top spot. Abergavenny remain bottom but are now eight points from safety, could the great escape be on?

Cardiff City v Abergavenny Town Women in the FAW Women’s Cup at Leckwith Stadium on the 11th December 2022. Credit: Perry Dobbins

With Met dropping points, there was an opportunity for Swansea City to keep their hopes of retaining their title alive away to Aberystwyth Town, but they too could only settle for a draw as both teams drew a 2-2 thriller played at Park Avenue.

It was the Seasiders who took the lead half an hour into the game, when Emily Thomas’ effort fired past the keeper and into the far corner. But a quick double whammy from Swansea meant they went in before the break.

Stacey John-Davies headed home a rebound over Elen Valentine, before Laillah Muscat, making her debut for the club, powered home a header from a Katy Hosford cross.

But Aber responded with a brace of their own three minutes after the break as Amy Jenkins continued her red-hot form in front of goal.

Both sides pushed for a winner but neither could find that decisive goal as they shared the spoils. The Swans are now ten points clear of Cardiff City, while Aber remain in sixth place.

With TNS’ defeat there was a chance for Pontypridd United to take pole in the race for fourth place, and they duly obliged with a 6-1 win over Barry Town United.

Emily Bayliss got the opener inside the first ten minutes in what was a fast start for the Dragons, before first half goals from Liv Francis and Holly Broad had the home side in a comfortable position going into the break.

Prodigy Francis got her second of the game five minutes into the second half, but Taite Trivett scored a fine solo goal to reduce the deficit.

But the lead was stretched again in the closing moments of the game as goals from Carys Bufton and Alison Witts made it six on the day for Ponty. An important win for them.

Adran North

We have new leaders in the Adran North as Connah’s beat Quay Nomads at the bottom of the Airbus table 10-0.

Although the scoreboard may not reflect it, the Wingmakers made life incredibly difficult for the Nomads in the first half, and it took a first half stoppage time goal from Kirstie Kural to put the visitors ahead. Despite this, the Nomads’ attacking power went into overdrive in the second half.

Kural added five more goals to make it six for herself on the day, and there were also goals for Shannon Hobbs, Tegan Hewitt and two for Elana Harvey. A dominant victory for the new table toppers.

Credit: NCM Media

Adran South

It certainly looks like a two-horse race for the Adran South title, and both championship drivers were in action this weekend.

Briton Ferry are the current leaders, and they stayed there after a 2-1 win over a resilient and tough Swansea University side.

It was the students who took the lead in the first half as Angelika Barris played a magnificent chip over Courtney Young into the Ferry net.

But Ferry responded well after the break to take the three points. Meg Kearle got the equaliser, before Lucy Powell’s clever free-kick put them ahead to keep Ferry on top of the post.

However, their lead is just two points as Cascade YC kept up the pace with a 5-0 win over Caldicot Town.

Annaliese Lewis grabbed two first-half goals to take her league tally to eight for the season, before their task was made slightly more difficult by a red card to captain Katie Davies.

The visitors did not want to let the sending off get to them as they scored three more goals in the second half to seal a solid victory; one each for Jess Pascoe, Chrystella Moreton and Amelia Mills.

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