Genero Adran Premier leaders Cardiff City began Phase Two with a convincing 5-1 victory over The New Saints at Park Hall.
Madison Lloyd nearly gave Cardiff the lead after just three minutes as she cut inside and rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike. However, the Bluebirds were rewarded for their bright start in the seventh minute as Mackenzie Olden’s corner was flicked on by Lloyd to Shannon Evans, who drilled home into the bottom corner.
Cardiff doubled their lead just two minutes later and it was another Olden corner which paid off again as Maddison Perrott headed in from the striker’s delivery. Lily Billingham rounded off an electric opening 16 minutes from the visitors as she received Lloyd’s pass and curled into the top corner from close range for her first goal since November.
Olden came agonisingly close to scoring twice later in the first half as she latched onto Billingham’s long ball, drove forward and struck the post with a low effort before she rounded Orla Howard and tried to finish from a tight angle, only to see cleared off the line by Mia Davies. However, Cardiff did have their fourth goal just before the hour mark as Lloyd received Olden’s short pass and poked the ball past Howard for her 10th league goal of the season.
TNS pulled a goal back on 68 minutes as Caitlin Chapman ran onto Lexie Harrison’s through ball, drifted down the byline and found the bottom corner from a tight angle. However, Cardiff restored their four-goal cushion six minutes later as Ffion Price’s free-kick was headed into the bottom corner by Evans, whose last three league goals have now all come at Park Hall.
Iain Darbyshire’s side are now four points clear of second-place Wrexham, who have a game in hand after their visit to Swansea City was postponed.
Barry Town United climbed up to sixth in the table with a 3-0 win over Aberystwyth Town at Jenner Park.
Both teams went into the break goalless, but Jasmine Turner put Barry ahead just one minute into the second half with a stunning strike from distance.
Genero Adran Premier
An own goal from Tirion Sedgwick saw the Linnets double their advantage with 65 minutes on the clock before a dipping effort from Sienna Stone into the top corner late on ensured James Fishlock’s took home all three points and leapfrogged Aberystwyth in the process.
Genero Adran Premier results
Barry Town United 3-0 Aberystwyth Town
Swansea City P-P Wrexham
The New Saints 1-5 Cardiff City
