Last night will certainly be one to remember for all Cardiff City fans, as they defeated Swansea City to retain the Adran Premier trophy.
A Rhianne Oakley brace coupled with a goal each for Eliza Collie and Molly Kehoe confirmed City’s place at the top of the table, and as the best team in Wales for the second season in a row.
But what did we learn from last night’s fixture? We discuss four talking points from the game.
The team is the star
When I was picking a Player of the Match for last night’s game, I was spoiled for choice. There were so many standouts, and then it dawned on me that, this is a Cardiff City team that doesn’t really have a superstar.
If you look at previous seasons, players like Phoebie Poole or Siobhan Walsh were there in the important moments and could always be relied upon to drag the Bluebirds to a victory.
This season, it’s different. Of course you’ve got the likes of Eliza Collie, Ffion Price, and Molly Kehoe who grab the headlines, but none feel like they are the figurehead of this team. Instead, the whole squad is the star. Everyone knows their role, everyone knows their responsibility, and if one person isn’t doing it, someone is there to cover or come off the bench and slot right in.
This mantra has been there for a few seasons, but this campaign, it’s clear for all to see, and full credit has to go to everyone involved with the club. You can truly say Cardiff City are the best TEAM, and no one has performed less than a seven out of ten for the whole season.
Injuries a problem
From a Swansea City perspective, what really struck me is that injuries have really ravaged this team.
A look at the defence alone highlights this. No Steph Turner, no Alicia Powe, no Lucy Finch to name just a few. Sophie Brisland-Hancocks filled in at centre-back, and when you lose a player of her quality in the middle of the park, you do lose so many attributes that makes your team tick. Monet Legall also filled in at left-back, a position that she’s not a natural in.
The attack still looks dangerous. The likes of Katy Hosford and Robyn Pinder have had great seasons, but neither possess the electric pace of Stacey John-Davis, and as we know in this league, speed is everything.
It certainly wasn’t a performance that we’ve come to expect from Swansea, and they will know that, but injuries have hampered Chris Church’s side.
Cardiff City 4-0 Swansea City: Cardiff City lift Adran Premier trophy in style
The industrious engine room
When you look at Cardiff’s thirds on the pitch, you can pick out what they do well instantly.
The Bluebirds have an abundance of good defenders. Walsh, Price, Ceryn Chamberlain, Hannah Power, Hollie Smith, Meg Bowen, Mikayla Cook and others have looked nothing short of solid this season and have been dominant in almost every game.
The forward line has been dynamic. Collie, Oakley, Kehoe, Mackenzie Olden, and a host of youngsters from the U19 team have contributed to a lot of goals and plenty of assists.
The midfield perhaps doesn’t get the love it deserves, but I think it has probably been the best unit City have got this season. We’ve known for a while how good Seren Watkins is, but she’s gone up a level this season. She’s added goals to her game, and she seems more composed on the field, and looks like more of a leader.
Then you come onto the former Swansea players who joined right at the beginning of this season. Emma Beynon has been nothing short of sensational. The casual fan may not notice what she does on the field, but the way she can pass and the way she controls the middle is outstanding. The same goes for Kelly Adams. A player who has been there and done it, she’s added much needed experience to the middle and is a fantastic option for Iain Darbyshire.
The spectacular cup final
All three fixtures between the Bluebirds and the Swans have offered something different.
The first game was tight, but Kehoe found a way through for Cardiff. The second game, where Swansea ended the champions’ almost two-year long unbeaten league run. And then the most recent game, where Cardiff got their revenge, and how!
It’s clear that these two are the two best teams in the country, and that’s why the Adran Trophy final in which these two will meet again, could be the best game in the Welsh footballing calendar this season.
The Adran Trophy is the only cup missing from the Cardiff City Stadium trophy cabinet, and as the Bluebirds try and complete a treble, they will be going all out to try and win it. For Swansea, we’ve not seen them in any cup final for two seasons. A club so used to winning trophies, this is the only one left available to them, and they will be itching to have South Wales bragging rights at the end of the season.
These two have provided so much entertainment throughout the season, what will their final chapter give us?
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