Saints fall to a first defeat of the season in the capital

Match Report

Substitutions: Gibbs for Teare (4), Jones for Lewis (76), Baker for Webb (76)

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

The New Saints Women suffered their first defeat of the season at Leckwith Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Kieran Lee-Birch’s team lost 1-0 to Cardiff City in the Genero Adran Premier.

Gillan Keelan scored the only goal early in the match to give the Bluebirds three points.

Sunday’s result means The New Saints drop to second in the Adran Premier table behind Wrexham on goal difference.

It was Cardiff City that dealt the opening blow of the encounter, as in the 4th minute, Mackenzie Olden played a through ball to Gillan Keelan, who scored off the post and past Mackenzie Haydn-Jones’ bottom-right corner from inside the box.

The Bluebirds continued their fine start not long later with a Lily Billingham effort from outside the 18-yard area just going wide of the net.

A first shot for The New Saints came in the 12th minute. A good run was made from Abbie Iddenden into the penalty, and the striker shot, but hit the ball over the crossbar.

Mia Malone took Cardiff back on the front foot soon after, when the 21-year-old shot from distance, and Haydn-Jones stopped the danger by making the catch.

The Saints were not far off from finding an equaliser in the first minute of added-on-time, when Fiona Barry was denied in the box due to a Daniela Kosinska stop.

A few minutes into the second-half, Mackenzie Olden came inches away from making it 2-0 as the forward rattled the crossbar with a powerful attempt not far away.

Iddenden came close to getting a goal for Saints in the 62nd minute, as a strike from close-range was stopped by Kosinka following a Barry cross.

Another good chance came in the 69th minute, when Hannah Snape whipped in a corner, and found Club Captain, Lia Lewis, in the box, who hit the ball over the bar from a few yards out.

Just under 10 minutes later, Barry came close for Kieran Lee-Birch’s team once again, as the former Cardiff City player forced Kosinski into a decent save.

It proved to be the last chance of the game, as the winning start to the season came to an end in South Wales.

TNS are back at Park Hall Stadium next week (October 25th) to play Aberystwyth Town in the Genero Adran Premier.