After being involved in three Adran Trophy finals that ended in heartbreak, Cardiff City can finally call themselves champions.
After going into half time one down, a blistering second half display saw the Bluebirds score five goals to secure themselves the Adran Trophy for the first time in their history.
But what did we learn from the final? Here are four talking points to discuss.
City’s Four Pillars
We’ve seen it unfold over the whole season, but yesterday, I think we saw that Cardiff have four pillars in their squad, pillars that they can build around for seasons to come. There is a lot of experience in the Bluebirds team, and we will come onto that later, but there are young talents who have really shined this season and yesterday in particular.
Meg Bowen. A Wales U19 international, but she came on yesterday and helped to change the course of the game. Molly Kehoe. Someone who has come in this season and has taken to the league and Welsh football like a duck to water. Mikayla Cook. Made the left wing-back spot her own this season and looks fearless on the pitch. Eliza Collie. Always in the right place at the right time and has been unbelievable in the second half of the season.
All of these players are under 20 and all could get even better than what they already are. This young core at the heart of the City team is something to behold. Of course, like captain Siobhan Walsh says, there are still a good handful of older heads in the team, but she thinks the confidence of the young players can take them a long way.
“We’ve still got bags of experience in this team as well as youth coming through. It’s nice blend of players we’ve got here at the moment, and that’s what you need in a team.
“You still need that experience in big games like this to lean on sometimes and it takes away pressure from the youngsters. Having said that, the youngsters went and got the goals today and that’s all we can ask from them.”
Captain. Leader. Legend.
But what of the captain? If I was a manager of a team in a big game, Siobhan Walsh would be one of the very first players on my team sheet.
Even in a difficult first half, Walsh was electric. Putting in slide tackles in the first ten minutes, being the last line of defence; she was putting everything on the line. In the second half, you saw more of her non-defensive capabilities. We all know she’s a threat from set-pieces, but the way she can bring the ball out from the back and find the right pass is incredibly unique.
She’s of course not the only ‘old head’ who has done well this season. Hannah Power, her ever reliable defensive partner, has excelled once again this season. Emma Beynon has come in and added so much to the midfield. Kelly Adams has been an excellent player to call on in any circumstance. But Walsh is the one constant, and manager Iain Darbyshire was full of praise for his captain at full time.
“I just know week in and week out, Siobhan is going to give 150%. She’s an unbelievable player; her aggression, her physicality, the way she sets the tone for the team is amazing. But she can play football as well, and I think some people forget that sometimes about her.
“She’s been unbelievable this year, I’m glad she’s made it through the season without injuries and we managed her through, and hopefully she’s got one more game in her now.”
One step too far
If you didn’t watch the game, the scoreline would tell you it was a Cardiff performance of the highest quality and Swansea couldn’t handle them. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
In the first half, Swansea were absolutely outstanding. The way they pressed was impossible to stop, and the energy was matched from the bench, who were kicking every ball with the players. Whenever they made a tackle, they celebrated like a goal had been scored. It’s the best I’ve ever seen a team play against the Bluebirds in two seasons.
But, in the second half, you could see a thin squad was harming them. Katy Hosford and Stacey John-Davis are two massive goal scoring threats, and to not have them is such a blow. Alicia Powe and Lucy Finch were missing, meaning players were out of position. For example, striker Robyn Pinder was filling in at left-back.
I would have loved to see a full-strength Swansea team yesterday, because if they played like they did in the first half, you feel they could have got something from the game. Alas, football is a cruel game, and this was one step too far for the Swans.
The treble?
All eyes now from a Bluebirds perspective are on May 5th at Rodney Parade.
When I spoke to City players at the start of the season, they had their eyes on the treble. After missing out last season, they were desperate to not miss out this year. The Adran Premier they strode to. The Adran Trophy they had to fight for, but the finally got over the line.
Now, the Welsh Cup awaits. They have beaten opponents Wrexham in all five meeting this season: scoring 20 and only conceding three.
A look at those stats alone would suggest Wrexham are in for a tough afternoon. But Steve Dale’s side will have a full month to prepare for this game. Will they get something out of their sixth meeting? Who knows.
However, who would back against Cardiff City right now? They’re confident, they’re aggressive, they’re clinical. They do seem unstoppable, and they are now only one game away from reaching their goals.
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