Cardiff City produced a wonderful second-half performance to come from behind and beat Swansea City 5-1 and pick up their first Genero Adran Trophy.
The Swans were the better side in the first half and went into the break with a deserved 1-0 lead after Monet Legall’s wonderful strike at Penybont’s SDM Glass Stadium.
But second-half goals from Megan Bowen, Molly Kehoe, Rhianne Oakley and Eliza Collie’s double secured history for Iain Derbyshire’s side and moved them one step closer to winning their first-ever treble, where they will take on Wrexham in the FAW Women’s Cup next month.
Cardiff claimed the Adran Premier for the second successive season last month after beating Swansea and had the first opportunity when Mikayla Cook’s cross was cut out by Jess Williams, at the expense of the post.
The Swans were next to go close when Sammy Wynne’s ball sent Emily Thomas into the box, she pulled the ball back for Legall but she could only guide her effort over.
Moments later Oakley, with the goal at her mercy after rounding Chelsea Herbert, could only hit the side netting from a tight angle before Swansea took the lead in the 19th minute with a wonderful goal.
Legall played a one-two with Chloe Chivers before the former Cardiff City player picked up the ball and struck a beautiful first-time effort from the edge of the box into the top corner, catching Ceryn Chamberlain out as the ball nestled into the back of the net.
Chris Church’s side nearly made it two when Chivers could only drag her shot wide but the Bluebirds went close to levelling the scores when Emma Beynon’s inch-perfect ball found Oakley who could only send the ball to the wrong side of the post.
Oakley, who was a constant threat throughout, then saw her low cross turned wide by Collie. Chivers was unlucky not to score when she struck the post directly from a corner before she pounced upon a mistake by Chamberlain but could only fire over from a tight angle just before half-time.
After the break, Beynon and Ffion Price exchanged shots off target early on before the Bluebirds equalised in the 54th minute. Seren Watkins’ superb corner found the head of Bowen after the substitute was left with time and space to nod home into the back of the net past Herbert.
Bowen’s goal installed confidence for Cardiff and four minutes nearly found a second from another Watkins corner but captian Siobhan Watkins’ header was well held by Herbert.
Chivers then curled an effort just wide in an end-to-end contest in front of a record attendance for a Genero Adran Trophy final of 1,088.
After 71 minutes Watkins’s fantastic cross found Oakley but her effort was well kept out by Herbert but the league champions did find the back of the net moments later.
Rachel Cullen could only clear Oakley’s cross into the path of Collie and her tame effort was only parried into the path of Kehoe at the far post and the forward, with the goal at her mercy, tapped the ball home.
The Bluebirds grabbed a third in the 82nd minute when Price’s long ball forward was cut out by Robyn Pinder into the path of Collie, who was unselfish and played in Oakley and on her second touch the forward fired the ball past Chamberlain.
Oakley turned provided seven minutes later when her low cross was finished well by Collie before the Cup’s top goalscorer picked up Lisa Owen’s through ball to glide past Swansea captain Ellie Lake and unleash a thunderous strike past Chamberlain for her seventh goal of the competition and secure the Bluebirds their first ever League Cup.
Swansea City
Chelsea Herbert, Steph Turner, Ellie Lake (C), Rachel Cullen, Robyn Pinder, Chloe Chivers (Imogen Harris 75), Sammy Wynne (Kelsey Thomas 80), Sophie Brisland-Hancocks, Monet Legall, Emily Thomas, Jess Williams
Unused substitutes: Claire Skinner, Halle Brace, Rhian Williams
Yellow Card: Kelsey Thomas 85
Cardiff City
Ceryn Chamberlain, Ffion Price, Hannah Power, Siobhan Walsh (C), Hollie Smith (Megan Bowen 45), Mikayla Cook (Kelly Adams 82), Seren Watkins, Emma Beynon, Molly Kehoe (Lisa Owen 75), Eliza Collie, Rhianne Oakley (Olivia Basham 89)
Attendance: 1,088
Unused substitutes: Anna Phelps
Leave a Reply