Saints Women defeated by Wrexham at The Rock

Match Report

Goals: Chapman (28)
Yellow cards: Harrison (30), Webb (45+1), Richardson (48)
Substitutions: Dunkerley for Webb (84), Edge for Baker (84), Buckland for Teare (84)

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: F28.Online

The New Saints Women suffered a 4-1 defeat at The Rock against Wrexham at The Rock in the Genero Adran Premier Championship Conference.

Maria Francis-Jones gave Wrexham the lead before Caitlin Chapman equalised, but it was the Red Dragons from then on as Zara Gibbs had an unfortunate own goal and Katie Barker grabbed a brace.

The result means The New Saints stay fourth in the Adran Premier on 23 points.

Wrexham started off brightly, as the Cefn Mawr-based team opened the scoring in the 8th minute, as former player of The New Saints, Maria Francis-Jones, hit the ball past Orla Howard’s left and into the net from inside the box.

The New Saints equalised later in the half before the half hour mark, when Gibraltar international, Caitlin Chapman, turned and effort from inside the box, and found a goal past Craven’s bottom-left corner.

Moments after the restart, Kieran Lee-Birch’s team were on the attack again. Chapman crossed a ball into the box that found Chantelle Teare at the near post, who got a shot towards the net, but Craven was there to make the stop.

Soon after, Faye Knox had a a shot from outside the 18-yard area that Tiggy Webb tried to head out, but the ball hit the crossbar before the danger was cleared.

It was the hosts that retook the lead in the 39th minute, when an attempt from Knox hit the near post, before the ball unfortunately hit Zara Gibbs on the rebound and went into the net.

Not long before the break, Kelsey Richardson had a long-range effort that was safely gathered by Craven.

At the start of the second 45, Saints had an opportunity to equalise through a Teare cross that found Lexi Jones in the middle, who could not hit the target as the ball went out of play.

At the other side of the pitch in the 51st minute, a free-kick was whipped into the penalty area that found Ava Suckley, and the forward connected well with a powerful header, however it went past the post.

In the 67th minute, Jenny Sugarman’s Wrexham went seeking for a third, as substitute, Natalie Clark, had a shot from 20-yards away that powered off target.

Wrexham got a third in the 73rd minute, as Rosie Hughes played a through ball to Katie Barker, who slotted the ball past Howard from a few yards out.

Chapman worked hard to get another goal back in the 77th minute, when the number 17 dribbled the ball in and out of the defence and got a shot away in from close-range but it was saved by Craven.

Seconds on, Wrexham ran up the other end of the pitch, with Barker running in and scored 12-yards away for a brace.

Pakistan International, Mariam Mahmood, had one last effort in the match for Wrexham, as the ball went over the crossbar, with the final white blown shortly after.

TNS play Wrexham once again next week in the Adran Premier Championship Conference (March 22nd), in the reverse fixture at Park Hall Stadium.