2024 has finally come around and with it, the first bit of action from the Adran Leagues.
The new year got underway with three of the four quarter finals in the Adran Trophy being played.
Let’s take a look back at the week that was.
Adran Trophy
We begin this year at The Rock. Revenge was certainly on the cards for Wrexham. While they have taken the Adran Premier by storm, the one team they haven’t been able to get one over on have been reigning champions Cardiff City. Now, they had a chance on their own turf to beat the Bluebirds. However, it wasn’t to be for the Red Dragons, as Cardiff kept their unbeaten season going with a 3-1 win.
From the off City pushed for a goal, and Del Morgan had to be alert to stop Ffion Price. But her goal would be breached 15 minutes in, and it came in stunning fashion. A corner came out to Seren Watkins, and she leathered the ball into the back of the net. Watkins only seems to score stunning goals as of late.
As soon as they had one goal, the second would come shortly after. Molly Kehoe had scored twice in the last fixture between the two, and she would haunt Wrexham again with a fine strike into the top corner.
But Wrexham came back and began to create chances. Amber Lightfoot tested Ceryn Chamberlain in goal, as they searched for an equaliser. The second half was dominated by the visitors, but despite this, Wrexham pulled one back, as Lightfoot netted from close range.
The optimism around The Rock would dissipate minutes later, as City secured the win by bagging their third goal; Eliza Collie racing through on goal and applying a calm finish. The Adran Trophy has eluded City’s grasp over the past two seasons, is their name on the cup this year?
Next to Swansea. If league form was anything to go by, Cardiff Met had a tough task on their hands to retain the trophy they had won twice on the trot. Opponents Swansea City haven’t graced a semi-final for a few seasons and saw this as a prime opportunity to end their drought. And they ended it in perfect style, as they defeated Met 5-0.
The Swans started very strongly and were soon peppering the Met goal, but Carys Gittins in the Archers net was doing a fine job at keep the scores level. But she couldn’t do anything when Swansea did break the deadlock midway through the first half, as Katy Hosford fired home from close range.
They were then handed a perfect opportunity to double the lead, as the referee awarded a penalty after Gittins brought down Hosford. Up stepped Stacey John-Davis, and while Gittins got a hand to the ball, she couldn’t quite keep the ball out.
Three minutes later a third goal went in for the home side, and it came through a former Met star. Robyn Pinder worked open some space, and she produced a stunning strike which nestled into the top corner. All in all, the perfect half for Swansea.
More goals came on the hour mark. With Swansea’s forward-thinking players all on the scoresheet, it was only a matter of time before Chloe Chivers would find a goal, and she did so in clinical fashion, as she converted from Sophie Brisland-Hancocks’ pass.
Chivers finished off the rout and bagged her second five minutes after scoring her first, as she placed her shot perfectly into the bottom corner. A superb afternoon for Swansea, but Met’s Adran Trophy reign is over.
We stay in Swansea for the final game of the weekend. Swansea University had put together a brilliant run to reach the quarter finals for the first time. But standing in their way from a dream semi-final spot was TNS, a team who before the Christmas break had been in fine form. The students’ run would come to an end, as the Saints won 5-0.
It was the uni side who started the better as Hannah Pinney raced through, but the forward couldn’t convert from a tight angle. How they would live to regret that, as TNS raced up the other end of the field and took the lead; Chantelle Teare firing in from range.
Back came the Adran South side through Kailey Walters, and she hit a fantastic shot on goal, but Mackenzie Haydn-Jones made a fine save. But they would be dealt a blow as TNS stretched the lead once more, as Teare got her second, finishing off Caitlin Chapman’s cross.
It only took two minutes into the second half for the Saints to add a third. Emily Ridge found the bottom corner, and all of a sudden, a Swansea Uni comeback looked incredibly difficult. That challenge became even tougher when Teare added the Adran Premier’s side fourth and her third of the day.
But again, Dan Sheehan’s team fought until the end, and Katie Horsburgh tried her arm from distance, but Haydn-Jones made another good save. Ten minutes before the end, TNS brought an end to the goalscoring proceedings, as Matilda Edge scored from a rebound. That’s back-to-back semi-final appearances for TNS now. For Swansea University, it’s been a tremendous run.
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