A return to winning ways for Saints Women at Jenner Park

Match Report

https://Twitter.com/tnsfcwomen/status/1982432598665126233

Goals: Lewis (19), Gibbs (34), Crees (38), Baker (65)
Substitutions: Buckland for Gibbs (77), Baker for Dunkerley (77), Thomas for Teare (82)

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: Perry Dobbins

There was a decent afternoon for The New Saints Women at Jenner Park, as the Adran Trophy champions got back to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Barry Town United in the Genero Adran Premier.

Goals from Lia Lewis, Zara Gibbs, and Charlotte Crees gave the the Park Hall team a commanding lead in the first-half, before Ellie Preece and Amelia Herbert gave the hosts a lifeline at the start of the second 45. An excellent Kay Baker strike later on in the half meant that the three points would head back up north.

Sunday’s result means the Saints move up to 11 points in the Adran Premier table and stay fourth in the Adran Premier.

It is the Saints’ first away win of the 2025/26 season.

The New Saints started the match brightly in the 10th minute, as Lexi Jones had a shot from close-range that was blocked by Danielle Broadhurst.

It was the Oswestry-based team that continued to attack not long later through a Kelsey Richardson effort from 20-yards out that narrowly went over the crossbar.

The defending Genero Adran Trophy champions kept pressing for the opener in the 19th minute, when a ball that was put in by Wales international, Maria Francis-Jones, almost went into the net from outside the the 18-yard area, but was denied by a fine Molly Arnesen save.

Moments on, the deadlock was broken. A Richardson corner found Lia Lewis in the box, where the skipper managed to fire the ball into the net.

The Saints kept pressing following the restart, as Chantelle Teare made a great run down the right-hand side of the pitch, put in a ball that fell to Zara Gibbs seven-yards out, and a shot from the number three had an effort, however was denied by Arnesen.

It was 2-0 shortly past the half-hour, as Lexi Jones put in a brilliant ball from the right that fell to Gibbs, who headed the cross in from a couple of yards away.

A third came for Saints in the 38th minute, when a battle for the ball following a set-piece landed at the feet of Charlotte Crees, who blasted the ball into the goal past Arnesen’s left.

In the 43rd minute, Barry Town almost got a goal on the board, as India Shanahan had a shot from a few yards out, only to by a superb block by centre-half, Tiggy Webb.

Teare almost got a fourth deep into added-on-time through a wicked outside the box effort, but was to be denied by another good Arnesen save.

Barry got a goal back at the start of the second 45, as former Cardiff Met player, Ellie Preece, ran through from the halfway line, and slotted the ball in from just inside the penalty area.

It was 3-2 soon after the restart in the 51st minute, where Amelia Herbert scored on the rebound from point-blank range following a free-kick.

The Linnets looked for an equaliser before the hour, as Preece ran in the box and shot for a second time in the box, this time the shot went narrowly wide.

In the 61st minute, former Birmingham City player, Crees, tried her luck from 20-yards away for a brace, and wasn’t far off, as the attempt went inches over the crossbar.

A two-goal gap was restored for TNS not long later, when a Francis-Jones cross landed at the feet of Kay Baker just inside the 18-yard area, and the defender delivered the strike of the encounter through a left-footed effort that fired over Arnesen and into the net.

In the 72nd minute, there was almost a seventh goal in the game, when Teare ran through on goal, but Arnesen was off her line quickly to stop the attempt.

It was the last of the action with three points secured for the Adran Trophy champions.

TNS are on the road again next week as it is a trip to The Globe to take on Wrexham (Sunday, November 2nd).