Saints top four hopes knocked back after defeat against league leaders at Park Hall

Match Report

Goals: Helen Evans (85).
Substitutions: Gresham for Platt (58), Teare for Staley (58), Ashworth for Ridge (89).

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: Brian Jones

The New Saints Women suffered their first loss of 2023 in a 5-1 defeat against Cardiff City at Park Hall Stadium in the Genero Adran Premier.

Three goals came in the first 45 through Siobhan Walsh, Danielle Broadhurst and Phoebie Poole. In the second-half, Seren Watkins and Catherine Walsh found the net for the away side. Helen Evans got the consolation for The New Saints late in the second 45.

Defeat against Cardiff sees The Saints slip to fifth in the Adran Premier.

The first big chance of the game came in the opening moments of the encounter, Wales youth international, Phoebie Poole shot from distance, but Sarah Parkes made a good save to keep out the no.14.

City had another attempt in the 12th minute when Poole shot over the crossbar from outside the box.

The New Saints had their first opportunity moments later. Helen Evans played a through ball to Caitlin Chapman, who hit the ball straight into the hands of Ceryn Chamberlain from close range in the box.

Cardiff City took the lead in the 31st minute. Seren Watkins put in a cross that found Siobhan Walsh, where the skipper found the back of the net through a deflected header.

The lead was doubled for the away team three minutes on. Rhianne Oakley passed to Danielle Broadhurst and the no.10 scored from the edge of the six-yard area.

On the stroke of half-time the Bluebirds made it three. Oakley squared the ball across the The Saints box and Poole tapped it in from point-blank range.

At the start of the second 45, Poole had an effort from close distance that deflected wide as TNS looked to keep the score down.

Iain Darbyshire’s team came close again in the 53rd minute when Captain Siobhan Walsh headed wide from a corner.

Late on, City got a fourth in the 84th minute. Seren Watkins netted a fine strike from 25-yards away which went into the top corner.

TNS got a consolation moments on when Emily Ridge got a ball across to Evans in the box and the no.18 scored into Chamberlain’s bottom-left corner.

The league leaders got a fifth in stoppage time through a Catherine Walsh set-piece header from inside the six-yard area.

Greg Draper’s team are next in action on Wednesday (February 1) at Swansea City Ladies in the Adran Premier.