Saints Women lose at Leckwith as Bluebirds retain Adran Premier title

Match Report

Goals: Teare (80)
Yellow cards: Davies (11)
Substitutions: Jones for Edge (46), Chapman for Havard (71), Jones for Francis-Jones (88)

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: Lewis Mitchell/FAW

The New Saints Women suffered a 3-1 loss away at Leckwith Stadium against Cardiff City in the Genero Adran Premier Championship Conference as the Bluebirds retained the title.

Goals from Eliza Collie, Fiona Barry, and Mackenzie Olden for City in the second-half is what separated the two teams in South Wales. A consolation for Shauna Duffy’s team came from a Mia Davies header.

The result means that The New Saints remain fourth in the Adran Premier Championship Conference on 27 points.

Cardiff City were awarded a penalty early on in the game, as Mia Davies brought down Mackenzie Olden in the box. The Bluebirds’ top scorer this season, Ffion Price, then stepped up and took the penalty, but The New Saints goalkeeper, Mackenzie Haydn-Jones was there to make the save tov her left.

The Saints came narrowly close to opening the scoring at the other of the pitch in the 22nd minute, when Molly Havard played a good ball into the six-yard area that found Chantelle Teare, who managed to get a connection with the cross, but the effort went wide.

Moments on, Saints had another attempt, this time Helen Evans had a shot from range that went inches over the crossbar.

City took the lead not long into the second 45, as in the 47th minute, Cayman Islands international, Molly Kehoe, played a through ball to Eliza Collie, who scored past Haydn-Jones’ left from close-range.

Seconds after, Kehoe came close to another for the hosts, with a shot from the 20-year-old on the edge of the penalty area being fired over the net.

City got a second goal in the 51st minute, when Olden hit the ball into the TNS net from a few yards away inside the box.

A few exchanges later, Haydn-Jones made a good save from close distance to deny Olden.

Shauna Duffy’s team got a goal back in the 8oth minute, when Gibraltar international, Caitlin Chapman, played a corner into Teare, who headed the ball in from a few yards away.

The two-goal lead for City was restored in the 87th minute, as substitute, Fiona Barry, ran through on goal, before netting past Haydn-Jones’ bottom-left, which was enough for Iain Darbyshire’s team to secure the win, and retain the Adran Premier title.

TNS are on the road again next week, with a trip to Old Road Welfare Ground to take on Briton Ferry Llansawel.