Defeat against Bluebirds at Park Hall for Saints Women

Match Report

Goals: Teare (2), Baker (65)
Substitutions: Havard for Chapman (90+4), Thomas for Evans (90+4)

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: F28.Online

It was a tight 3-2 defeat for The New Saints Women against Cardiff City at Park Hall Stadium in the Genero Adran Premier.

The New Saints went two goals up thanks to Chantelle Teare and Kay Baker, before City turned it around late on, as Nieve Jenkins, Shannon Evans, and Megan Bowen all found the back of the net.

Sunday’s result mens The Saints remain fourth in the Adran Premier Championship table on 27 points.

The New Saints Women took the lead in the opening exchanges of the encounter, as Maria Francis-Jones played in a beautiful cross that found Chantelle Teare inside the box, who scored a great header into Ceryn Chamberlain’s bottom-left corner.

Cardiff City almost hit back in the 10th minute, as Fifion Price whipped a corner into the 18-yard area, which Megan Bowen managed to get on the end of, but failed to hit the target with the ball going over the crossbar.

The New Saints thought they had a second goal before the half-hour, when Tiggy Webb smashed the ball into the back of the net from close-range, though there was a foul called by the referee in the build-up as he blew his whistle.

In the 34th minute, The Saints continued to come close to another. This time Teare wasn’t far away from a brace, with the number nine getting a shot away from a few yards out, however the forward was denied by a clearance off the line by Bowen.

Not long later, a corner from Gibraltar international, Caitlin Chapman, ended up in the penalty area, and found Helen Evans, who headed wide of the net.

At the start of the second 45, Amy Long had a long-distance attempt for the Bluebirds that went wide.

Saints went up the other side of the pitch, and found a second goal in the 65th minute, when Francis-Jones played in another ball that found Kay Baker in the six-yard-area, where the 28-year-old headed the opportunity in.

City got a goal back in the 87th minute of the game, as Price whipped in a corner that was connected by Nieve Jenkins, who got her head on the cross at the back post, and into the net.

An equaliser for Iain Darbyshire’s team came shortly on, when Shannon Evans netted from an effort in the “D” that went into Megan Bowen’s bottom-left.

The visitors got a winner in the second minute of added-on-time. Bowen collected a Price delivery  inside the box, and fired the ball into the goal for the defending Adran Premier champions to leave Park Hall with three points.

TNS are next in action away at Cardiff City in the Adran Premier on Sunday, March 30th.