Saints Women deliver five-star performance on opening Adran Premier day

Match Report

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: Perry Dobbins

Goals: Havard (36), Dunkerley (55), Teare (65), Lewis (81) [P], Jones (88)
Yellow cards: H.Evans (58)

Substitutions: Kendrick-Jones for Havard (62), Edge for H.Evans (74), M.Evans for Teare (90).

The New Saints Women kicked off the new Genero Adran Premier season with a 5-0 win at Barry Town United.

Molly Havard opened the scoring in the first-half, before Grace Dunkerley, Chantelle Teare, Lia Lewis, and Lexi Jones all found the back of the net in the second 45.

It’s the second time Saints’ Women have come away from Jenner Park with a win.

Barry Town United had the first decent opportunity of the game midway through the first-half, as former Cardiff Met player, Ellie Preece, had an effort from just outside the box that hit the side netting.

It was Shauna Duffy’s team that broke the deadlock at the other end of the pitch in the 36th minute. Chantelle Teare played a good through ball to new striker, Molly Havard, who smashed the chance into the top of the net from 20-yards out for the Oswestry-based team’s opening goal of the 2024/25 Genero Adran Premier campaign.

Before half-time, The New Saints were not far off getting a second through another new signing, Maria Francis-Jones. The Wales international had a good effort that just went wide of the target.

Not long into the second 45, Keira Harris got around two Saints players and had an attempt for hosts, but it came to no avail, with the ball narrowly going over the crossbar.

The Saints where soon back on the attack when Wales youth international Lexi Jones crossed the ball into Havard, and Saints’ 44 shot, with the strike saved by another Wales youth international, Molly Arneson.

Saints’ next attacking move was to be a successful one. Teare hit the ball from close range that was saved, and the rebound fell to Grace Dunkerley, who netted into Arneson’s bottom-right corner.

Another attempt came just past the hour, as a great through ball from Teare found Havard, with a fine save made by Arneson.

In the 65th minute, a third goal arrived for TNS. A Barry back pass fell to Teare, who went around the keeper to score into an empty net.

Moments on, Kiera Harris almost got a goal back for the visitors, however, Becca Elliott made a great save from close range on her competitive debut in green and white.

TNS were starting to win a lot of the contests across the pitch. In the 78th minute, another summer signing, Tiggy Webb, made an excellent over-the-top ball to Teare, and the number nine ran the ball into the box and shot, but Arneson worked well to stop another goal.

Soon on, a fourth was to be added to the tally when Teare was brought down in the penalty area. Skipper, Lia Lewis, stepped up and covered into the keeper’s bottom-right corner.

Another goal came in the 88th minute, with a back pass played through to Jones, and the 17-year-old hit a fantastic strike from the “D” that found the bottom corner of the net.

It rounded off a great afternoon in Duffy’s first competitive game in charge of TNS on her birthday.