Saints Women advance in Adran Trophy following nine-goal thriller at Mount Field

Match Report

https://Twitter.com/tnsfcwomen/status/1987507422328487950?s=20

Goals: Francis-Jones (10), Jones (14), Crees (28,56), Harrison (74)
Yellow cards: Haydn-Jones (70)
Substitutions: Webb for Baker (59), Richardson for Buckland (59), Chapman for Francis-Jones (69), Edge for Lewis (81), Gibbs for Thomas (81)

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: Craig Thomas / FAW

The New Saints Women advanced to the quarter-finals of the Genero Adran Trophy with a thrilling 5-4 win over Llanfair United in the Round of 16 at Mount Field.

In a back-and-fourth match, the holders scored through a Charlotte Crees brace, and strikes from Maria Francis-Jones, Lexi Jones, and Lexie Harrison. Llanfair fired back in the encounter through a Tania Wylde hat-trick, and a Sophie Cook goal.

The tie was certainly a tight affair that The New Saints were happy to get through.

In the opening exchanges of the match, Paris Schofield had a long-range attempt for Llanfair United that went wide.

The New Saints went top the other end of the pitch and took the lead in the 10th minute, as Lexie Harrison crossed in a great ball that found Wales international, Maria Francis-Jones, at the back post, and the full-back scored underneath the legs of Ffion Davies.

The was no messing around from the holders, as in the 12th minute, Francis-Jones played in a corner that found Harrison at the back post, and the winger headed wide.

Moments on, Lexi Jones played a through ball to former Birmingham City player, Charlotte Crees, who’s effort was chased down and stopped by Ffion Davies.

Lexi Jones got a goal in the 14th minute, when the ball fell down to the 18-year-old in the box, and the number 11 successfully slotted a shot past Ffion Davies’ bottom-right.

Straight after the restart, Harrison had a shot from distance that was caught by Ffion Davies.

The hosts got a goal back in the 17th minute, as a mishap at the back meant the ball fell to former Aberystwyth Town player, Tania Wylde, who scored into an empty net.

Not long on in the game, Emma Williams tried her luck for a Llanfair equaliser from the edge of the box, with the attempt going narrowly wide of the post.

In the 24th minute, Harrison blasted an effort at goal from inside the 18-yard area which went inches off target.

The Saints regained a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark, as Lexi Jones played a through ball to Crees, who smashed the ball past Ffion Davies’ top-right and into the net.

In the 32nd minute, Wylde almost got a brace and Llanfair’s second of the game when a strike from just inside the box fired just wide of the post.

A couple of minutes on, Francis-Jones played a quick free-kick that found skipper, Lia Lewis, who shot from a few yards, but was matched well by a good palmed save from Ffion Davies.

In the 39th minute, Schofield put in a fine cross for Dan Booth’s team that found Sophie Cook, who powered the ball at goal from close-range, but was met by a brilliant save from Mackenzie Haydn-Jones.

The Powys side scored at the following corner, as a Wylde corner went all the way into the net.

Before the break, Llanfair almost had an equaliser. Cook played a pass across to Williams, and the number seven shot straight at Haydn-Jones, with the ball eventually being cleared away.

At the start of the second 45, 16-year-old, Grace Thomas, almost made it a four for Saints through an effort that hit the post from a few yards out.

Saints got a fourth of the game in the 56th minute, as Kay Baker chipped a ball across the box to Cress, who had a header that went in off the crossbar for the forward’s brace.

Llanfair got third goal in the 71st minute, when Jodie Carswell played a pass through to Cook, who netted past Haydn-Jones from a few yards out.

TNS got a two-goal lead back once more in the 74th minute, when a great Harrison run was finished off by a brilliant strike into Davies’ top-right corner from just inside the penalty area.

In the 84th minute, the hosts got a fourth through Tania Wydle, as the number ten claimed a hat-trick through a strike that was powered in from 20-yards out.

There was enough done by the holders to keep at Llanfair at bay to move on from what was a dramatic encounter at Mount Field.

The Oswestry based-team are back to Genero Adran Premier action on Sunday, November 16th, as Briton Ferry Llansawel visit Park Hall Stadium.