It was a pivotal weekend in the Adran Premier, as many sides played their final matches before phase one ended.
Along with games in the Adran North and Adran South, there was drama across the country.
Adran Premier
Our roundup begins at Park Hall. Cardiff City have been the standard bearers of the league so far; unbeaten and running away with it at the top of the league. On Sunday, they came up against a TNS side who had ambitions of finishing in the top four. The Saints couldn’t compete with the Bluebirds, as Cardiff returned to the capital with a 5-1 win.
From the off, City were knocking on the door through Phoebie Poole, but TNS keeper Sarah Parkes was handling her attempts well. But with half an hour on the clock, City broke through the Saints barricade. Siobhan Walsh continuing her scoring streak with a header.
Their second would come three minutes later, Danielle Broadhurst with a composed finish after a ball through by Rhianne Oakley. They went in three goals ahead 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 stunning strike six minutes from time, an effort well worth seeking out on Twitter.
Helen Evans did pull one back, but there was a heart-warming moment in stoppage time, as Catherine Walsh, who had been out for ten months, scored on her return to the side, as City remain unbeaten and favourites for the title.
With the leaders continuing their winning streak, a victory for fellow capital side Cardiff Met was vital against bottom of the table Abergavenny. But in a result that sent shockwaves through the league, the Archers could only muster a 0-0 draw at home to the Pennies.
Met threw the kitchen sink at the away side, but some heroic defending and interventions from the frame of the goal restricted them to a goalless game.
Met stay second and are now nine points off the top. Abergavenny stay bottom, but are now eight points from safety, could the great escape be on?
With Met dropping points, there was an opportunity for Swansea City to keep up their hopes of retaining their title away to Aberystwyth Town, but they too could only draw, as both sides played out a 2-2 thriller at Park Avenue.
It was the Seasiders who took the lead half an hour into the contest, as Emily Thomas’ effort fizzed past the keeper and into the far corner. But a quick double jab from Swansea meant they went into the break ahead.
Stacey John-Davies executed a looping effort over Elen Valentine, before Laillah Muscat, making her debut for the club, powered in a header from a Katy Hosford cross.
But Aber responded with a sucker punch of their own three minutes into the break, as Amy Jenkins kept up her red hot form in front of goal.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but neither could find that crucial goal as they shared the spoils. The Swans are now ten points off Cardiff City, while Aber remain in sixth.
With TNS’ defeat, there was a chance for Pontypridd United to take pole position in the race for fourth, and they duly obliged with a 6-1 win over Barry Town United.
Emily Bayliss got the opener within the first ten minutes, in what was a quick start for the Dragons, before first half goals from Liv Francis and Holly Broad had the home side in a comfortable position going into half time.
Wonderkid 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 Quay Nomads hammered bottom of the table Airbus 10-0.
While the scoreline 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 force went into overdrive in the second half.
Kural added another five goals to make it six for herself on the day, and there were goals too for Shannon Hobbs, Tegan Hewitt and two for Elana Harvey. A dominant win for the new table toppers.
Adran South
It is certainly looking like a two horse race for the Adran South title, and both championship chasers were in action this weekend.
Briton Ferry are the current leaders, and they remained there after a 2-1 win over a resilient and tricky Swansea University side.
It was the students who went ahead in the first half, as Angelika Barris staged a magnificent chip over Courtney Young in 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 took them into the lead to keep Ferry on top of the pile.
Their lead is only two points, however, as Cascade YC kept up the pace with a 5-0 win over Caldicot Town.
Annaliese Lewis got two goals in the first half to take her league tally up to eight for the season, before their task was made slightly more difficult with a red card to captain Katie Davies.
The visitors weren’t going to let the sending off affect 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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