A brace from Danielle Green gave Cardiff City a routine win over Pontypridd Town at USW Sport Park.
Ffion Price open the scoring for The Bluebirds after 16 minutes with another long-range strike. Catherine Walsh added the second after 56 minutes and Danielle Green then added two more in the 63rd and 90th minute.
Cardiff remain in third level on points with Cardiff Met and four points off leaders Swansea. Pontypridd are still in fifth and are three points behind fourth-placed Aberystwyth with one game remaining before the league splits.
The match was a cagey affair at the start but Cardiff City started to control the game after the opening ten minutes.
Ponty had the game’s first chance as Alison Witts broke down the right side. She sent a cross into the box that looked to be going into the net but it struck the bar and went out.
An early corner from Price was met by the head of Catherine Walsh but she could only find the roof of the net.
Cardiff soon started to take control of the game. Moving the ball across the pitch and both full-backs pushing forward pinning Ponty back.
Price got the Bluebirds in front with another stunning goal for her collection. Lacing the ball from almost 30 yards out she found the top corner of the goal after the ball had clipped the post and gone in.
Cardiff went close as Danielle Green and Catherine Walsh both have shots blocked. Ponty cleared but only to Price who went for goal again but hit it high and over.
A good run from Lisa Owen saw her get through on goal, firing a close-range shot at Jones, but she made a good reaction save.
Cardiff had two early chances in the second half as Amy Williams shot wide after being set up by Danielle Broadhurst. Soon after Williams met Lisa Owen’s cross but headed wide.
City got that insurance goal that they had been searching for. A Seren Watkins cross from the right missed the head of Green but with the goalkeeper already committed, the ball fell kindly to Catherine Walsh to stroke the ball into the empty net.
Just after the hour and Cardiff were three up and it was no more than they deserved. Green, receiving the ball from Billingham, used some clear footwork to get the ball in a position hit a shot into the top corner.
Maisie Jones was called to action again as she pulled off a double save. First saving from Zoe Atkins shot then being in the right place to stop Lily Billingham’s follow up.
As the game drew to the end of regulation time, Green got her second late on in a similar fashion to her first. She comfortably dribbled past the defenders and fired another shot into the top corner.
Pontypridd Town: Maisie Jones (G), Clare Daley-Smith, Holly Broad (C), Alana Murphy, Renee Day, Ellie Gunney (Carys Bufton 61), Robyn Pinder, Alison Witts (Jessica Osborne 83), Anais Trinci, Efa Preece-Jones (Carys Minton 61), Olivia Barnett.
Cardiff City: Zara Mujica, Lisa Owen, Ffion Price Siobhan Walsh (C), Seren Watkins (Hannah Daley 78), Danielle Broadhurst (Zoe Atkins 73), Danielle Green, Amy Williams (Emily Bayliss 87), Hollie Smith, Lily Billingham
Goals: Ffion Price 16, Catherine Walsh 56, Danielle Green 63, 90.
Leave a Reply