Wrexham and Swansea City play to six-goal thriller in thrilling Adran Premier opener

Wrexham drew with Swansea City in a six-goal thriller in their Adran Premier debut at The Rock.

Captain Katy Hosford came to the rescue as she scored in stoppage time to guide the ten women of Swansea to a point.

Rebecca Pritchard and Rosie Hughes gave Wrexham a two-goal lead but then Robyn Pinder and Chloe Chivers got the Swans back on level terms. Hannah Keryakoplis gave the hosts the lead and Ellie Lake’s red card had given them a boost but Hosford’s looping effort saw the spoils shared.

The first chance of the game went to Swansea as Chloe Chivers delivered a cross to the back post as Stacey John-Davis had her header cleared off the line by Louisha Doran.

Wrexham had their first chance of the game from Amber Lightfoot as her tame effort was saved by Claire Skinner.

Tonicha Dickens tried her luck from distance seconds after Lightfoot’s chance as it was comfortably saved by the Swansea keeper.

Chivers and John-Davis linked up again as Chivers delivered a perfect ball into the box as John-Davis flicked the ball over her head as her volley rattled the crossbar from close range.

In a moment of history, Wrexham broke the deadlock, and in doing so scored their first goal back in the top tie. Halfway through the first half a pitch-perfect pass from Keren Allen found Rebecca Pritchard who fired her effort into the bottom left corner.

Swansea controlled most of the game before the goal a moment of magic from Pritchard shaped the game for Wrexham.

A break was in play as Lightfoot went shoulder to shoulder with John-Davis as she was forced to go off as she hit the fence behind the goal. John-David was later replaced by Pinder, who would go on to have her own say on the match.

Katy Hosford had an effort from distance saved by Delyth Morgan as Swansea looked to grab a goal back.

Jessica Williams ran down the right wing as she crossed the ball to Pinder, she couldn’t get a solid connection to the ball as it went just past the post.

A stoppage of eight minutes was given as Chivers had an effort from a distance but it was fired straight at the goalkeeper.

Swansea rattled the crossbar again during the match as Chivers had her free-kick hit the woodwork as Swansea looked to draw things level.

Sophie Brisland-Hancocks received a yellow for a foul on Allen as that was the first booking of the game.

Wrexham doubled their lead as Lili Jones intercepted a pass from Alicia Powe as Jones ran to just outside the area and gave the ball to Hughes as she tapped it home.

Phoebe Davies received a yellow card for a foul on Robyn Pinder. Wrexham thought they made it three as Pritchard had the ball in the back of the net but the linesman flagged it up for offside.

Wrexham could have further increased their league when Hughes found herself in space. She went one-on-one with the keeper as her chipped effort went wide.

Swansea hit the crossbar for the third time in the game as Lake had her cross hit the woodwork. The away side could see themselves unlucky as the woodwork was their enemy throughout the game.

Swansea grabbed one back as Lake put the ball into the middle, the keeper fumbled the ball which went straight to the feet of Pinder who took her chance. It would be her first goal since making the move from Cardiff Met.

The visitors having trailed for a considerable chunk of the game, completed their comeback as Chloe Chivers scored a brilliant half-volley from outside the box.

Swansea wouldn’t be level for long however as they fell behind late on. Rosie Hughes laid the ball to substitute Keryakoplis and fired an effort into the bottom left corner for a potential winner.

After Swansea conceded just minutes earlier Ellie Lake was dismissed as she reacted to Pritchard and Swansea was left with 10 players on the pitch.

As Swansea went down to 10 players, Katy Hosford tried an audacious effort from distance as it found the back of the net in stoppage time. A wicked deflection off the head of Doran sent the ball the other way.

Neither side could find that all-elusive seventh goal that would have clinched it, but the match for sure made for a good advertisement for the league.

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Wrexham AFC

Delyth Morgan (Charlotte Bolland, 77), Phoebe Davies, Erin Lovett, Louisha Doran, Rebecca Pritchard, Rosie Hughes, Tonicha Dickens, Amber Lightfoot (Carra Jones, 65), Mari Gibbard (Hannah Keryakoplis, 72), Lili Jones, Keren Allen

Subs

Libby Mackenzie, Carra Jones, Charlotte Bolland, Katie Sharp, Hannah Keryakoplis

Goals: Rebecca Pritchard 23, Rosie Hughes 56, Hannah Keryakoplis 89

Yellows: Phoebe Davies 57, Hannah Keryakoplis 81, Keren Allen 89, Louisha Doran 90+3

Swansea City

Claire Skinner, Alicia Powe , Lucy Finch (Stephanie Turner, 70) , Ellie Lake , Nieve Jenkins (Samantha Wynne, 60 ), Chloe Bull, Chloe Chivers, Katy Hosford, Stacey John-Davis (Robyn Pinder, 34) , Sophie Brisland-Hancocks (Monet Legall,70), Jessica Williams

Subs

Chelsea Herbert, Stephanie Turner, Robyn Pinder, Samantha Wynne, Monet Legall

Goals: Robyn Pinder 75, Chloe Chivers 84, Katy Hosford 90+4

Yellows: Sophie Brisland-Hancocks 48, Katy Hosford 80, Robyn Pinder 85

Red: Ellie Lake 90

(Pic by Nik Mesney/FAW)