Genero Adran Leagues roundup: Matchday 2
Barry, WALES - 13 March, 2022: Alana Murphy of Pontypridd Town celebrates scoring her sides first goa Pontypridd Town v Cardiff Metropolitan University in the FAW Welsh Women's Cup Semi Final at Jenner Park on the 13th March 2022. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
After last week’s postponements, the Adran Leagues were back this week, with four games in the Adran Premier and one game in the Adran North.
Rivalries were renewed and there were some great goals from this weekend’s action, and we start our roundup in the Adran Prem.
Adran Premier
We start with the team on top of the pile after two games, and that’s Cardiff City. They travelled to newly promoted Abergavenny Town and prevailed 5-0. Danielle Green got proceedings going with two goals in the first half, before Danielle Broadhurst and Siobhan Walsh made it four twenty minutes after half time.
Rhianne Oakley bagged her first Bluebirds goal in the latter stages of the game to wrap up all three points. The game also proved to be the last for Abergavenny manager Craig Morgan-Hill, who has stepped up to be the Head of Club Development. Josh Anderson has been put in charge, and his first game will be against Barry away from home this weekend.
Level on points with the Bluebirds are Swansea City who beat Barry Town United 1-0. A first half penalty from Stacey John-Davies was enough to separate both sides. From a Barry point of view, they suffered two 5-0 defeats to the Swans last season, so a 1-0 defeat here shows how far they’ve grown and what their intentions are for this season.
For the Swans, it’s two from two, and they will travel to the capital to take on Cardiff City on Sunday, in what promises to be a barnstormer.
Elsewhere, Pontypridd United grabbed their first victory of the season away to Aberystwyth Town. Liv Francis put the Dragons ahead in the first half before Anais Trinci doubled the lead in the second half.
The Green and Black Army got one back ten minutes before the end with a penalty scored by Tania Wylde, but James Fishlock’s team held out for the victory. With these two teams finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the league last season, there is sure to be more fascinating and close battles between them this season.
The final game in our Adran Prem roundup takes us to Cyncoed, where Cardiff Met gained their first points of the season with a 3-0 win against TNS. New signing Robyn Pinder got her first goal since returning to the club in the first half, before Ellie Preece capitalised on a defensive error to make it a two-goal lead before half time.
Substitute keeper Libby Rubin then couldn’t deal with a cross into the area by Elianna Chavez, allowing Preece to tap in to get her second of the game. While the scoreline may say otherwise, the Saints put in a really good performance and had chances to score throughout, but Met will be thankful that goalkeeper Amelia Forkings was in fine form to preserve the clean sheet.
Adran North
Only one game took place across the Adran North and South this week, and that was at Cae Seilo, as Connah’s Quay Nomads got their season up and running with a 6-0 victory away to Y Felinheli. There was no doubting who the star of the show was, Nomads striker Kirstie Kural. After two goals in the first half, Kural completed her hat trick in the 71st to put the game beyond doubt.
Three goals followed Kural’s hat trick to take the Nomads’ scoring spree up to six. One each for Emily Luke, Jennifer Haynes and Polly Wild-McGregor sees Connah’s Quay join Llandudno and Wrexham at the top of the table.
There will be no games in the Adran North or South this upcoming weekend, as teams will be taking part in the opening round of fixtures in the Adran Trophy.
