Saints beat Swans in seven-goal thriller

Match Report

https://Twitter.com/tnsfcwomen/status/2104179674553413972?s=20

Goals: Barry (13, 90+4), Iddenden (35, 56)
Yellow cards: Webb (53), Lewis (59)
Substitutions: A.Davies for M.Davies (66), Harrison for Teare (66), Jones for Webb (87)

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

It was a dramatic 4-3 win for The New Saints Women at Park Hall Stadium in the Genero Adran Premier.

The match started off well for The New Saints, who went 2-0 up following goals from Fiona Barry and Abbie Iddenden. The game turned on it’s head due to a Chloe Chivers brace an Aimee Deacon strike. Iddenden got a second goal to level proceedings up at 3-3 two minutes on before a Dramatic winner from Barry claimed three points for Kieran Lee-Birch’s team.

Saints’ victory means the 2025 Genero Adran Trophy champions move up to 12 points after four matches ahead of a top-of-the-table clash against Wrexham.

The New Saints Women started the game off quick as the hosts took the lead in the 13th minute. A corner ball led to a scramble in the ball box, and Club Captain, Lia Lewis, flicked the ball onto Fiona Barry, who scored into Amelia Forkings’ bottom-right corner.

Swansea City looked to hit back in the 16th minute, when Chloe Chivers hit a powerful free-kick from 20-yards out that went inches over the crossbar.

It was the Oswestry-based team that were back on the front foot not long later, following a corner that was whipped into the box by Hannah Snape, and combined with her former Wrexham colleague, Abbie Iddenden, who headed the ball towards goal from close-range, but it was cleared away by the Swansea defence.

Another great chance came in the 23rd minute once more from a corner. This time, Helen Evans directed the ball into the 18-yard area that found Tiggy Webb, and the centre-half hit the target, and Forkings managed to get down to make the save.

The New Saints were on the attack again seconds later, as Barry played a cross into Iddenden who shot, however Forkings made another save.

Barry then tested the goalkeeper from distance in the 25th minute, once again Forkings stopped the effort.

It should have been 2-0 just past the half hour mark in the 31st minute. A glorious over-the-top-cross ball from Barry found Caitlin Chapman, and the Gibraltar international ran the ball into the penalty area and shot, but the effort went narrowly wide of the post.

In the 35th minute, it was 2-0. A Chapman cross found Iddenden in the box, who scored with a first-time attempt on the volley at the near post.

The Swans looked to fight back in the 37th minute, as an over-the-top ball found Aimee Deacon, and the forward ran through on goal, and shot, but Mackenzie Haydn-Jones managed to make a fine save.

There was a goal for the visitors moments later thanks to a Chivers strike from 35-yards out that went into the top corner.

In the 40th minute, Lewis tried her luck from just outside the box that forced Forkings to palm the ball away as the Saints seeked to regain the two-goal advantage.

The Swans went after an equaliser at the start of the second-half, as Deacon hit a ball from inside the “D” that went wide.

Yzzy Taylor’s team found their leveller in the 52nd minute. Chivers played the ball through to Deacon, and the number slotted a shot past Haydn-Jones from inside the 18-yard area.

Chivers gave Swans the lead in the 54th minute through a powerful free-kick from 20-yards out that went into the top of the net.

Two minutes on, Saints found an equaliser. A Snape cross found Iddenden in the box who slotted the ball into Forkings’ bottom-right corner from a couple yards out.

In the 57th minute, Saints were denied by the woodwork from going 4-3 up. Mia Davies played the ball over to Iddenden, and the forward hit the post from a few yards out.

Past the hour mark, Deacon looked the regain the lead for Swans as she managed to get a shot away from close distance but hit the side netting.

Sammy Wynne came inches away from getting a goal for Swans in the 66th minute, as the number eight had a shot that went wide.

TNS claimed a dramatic winner in the fourth minute of added-on-time, as Chapman sent a cross into Barry who scored at the back post to claim the three points.

Next up is a trip to fellow title-chasing side, Wrexham, at The Rock on Sunday, October 4th.