Faye Knox and Katie Barker both scored hat-tricks as Wrexham returned to winning ways in the Genero Adran Premier with an emphatic 8-1 win over Swansea City at the ThermaGlaze Ground on Sunday.
Wrexham took the lead in style on 21 minutes as Knox, who was called up to the inaugural Cymru U23 squad at the beginning of October, picked up a loose ball and sent a curling effort into the roof of the net. Barker then calmly converted from the penalty spot for her first goal of the afternoon following a handball from Caitlin Williams inside the area.
Wrexham were awarded another penalty late in the first half, this time for a foul on Ava Suckley at the back post. Barker was originally denied by Swansea goalkeeper Amelia Forkings, but the Geordie striker made no mistake in tapping home the rebound to make it 3-0 at the break.
Barker bagged her hat-trick 10 minutes after the restart as she met Suckley’s header down and dispatched a powerful effort into the bottom corner from close range. Knox was not far behind her strike partner in completing her treble as she watched her shot from the edge of the area deflect off Jess Williams and into the net before she tucked away the rebound from Barker’s initial attempt which was saved.
Lili Jones added her name to the scoresheet with a sweetly struck effort from Maria Francis-Jones’ cutback before Swansea grabbed a consolation through Chloe Chivers, who unleashed an unstoppable strike past Liz Craven from distance. Wrexham had the final say though, as Mikayla Wildgoose scored her first goal for the club by heading home into the top corner from Mikayla Cook’s free-kick. Jenny Sugarman’s side have now won 8-1 for the second consecutive away game.
Wrexham remain three points behind league leaders The New Saints, who maintained their perfect record with a 3-1 victory over Briton Ferry Llansawel at Park Hall.
Ferry found the breakthrough inside just six minutes as 15-year-old Maizie Stiens built on her hat-trick against Aberystwyth Town last weekend by producing a simple close range finish after Laura-May Walkley-Witts’ effort was initially blocked. Stiens thought she had double the lead when she dispossessed Mackenzie Hadyn-Jones and curled into an empty net, but she was deemed to be offside and the goal was ruled out.
However, Ferry’s lead did not last long as Fiona Barry, who has scored stoppage time winners against Swansea and Wrexham in the past three two weeks, ran onto Chantelle Teare’s square ball and fired home from just two yards out.
Teare completed the turnaround for Saints just before the hour mark by meeting Caitlin Chapman’s low cross and sending a neat first-time finish into the bottom corner. Hannah Snape quickly added a third goal for the hosts as her low driven free-kick from distance crept in off the post.
Ferry had the chance to half the deficit heading into the final 10 minutes in Oswestry as Katy Hosford stood over a penalty following Nieve Rowbottom’s foul on Jade Crofts inside the area, but Hosford’s tame spot-kick was saved by Haydn-Jones as TNS continue to set the pace at the top of the table.
Kate Oakley’s four-goal haul inspired Cardiff City to a rampant 10-0 win over Aberystwyth Town at Park Avenue.
Cardiff needed just six minutes to take the lead as Mackenzie Olden’s low effort snuck into the net via the post. Gillian Keenan then headed home from Mia Malone’s cross before Oakley’s cross-turned-shot flew over Meg Bowen to open up a three-goal lead for Cardiff by the 18th minute.
Keenan scored with another close range header, this time from Olden’s corner and Lily Billingham clinically fired into the far corner as the Bluebirds continued to be ruthless in front of goal. Kerry Walklett got in on the act after capitalizing on a mistake from Bowen before Oakley capped off a wonderful first half for the visitors as her cross was spilled by Bowen and found the net via the post.
Bowen did well to tip Billingham’s effort onto the crossbar early in the second half, but the rebound fell kindly for Oakley, who tapped in from close range to complete her hat-trick. Oakley’s fourth goal was certainly the pick of the bunch as she sent a dipping effort into the roof of the net from distance.
Malone’s low drive into the bottom corner rounded off the scoring fun, although there was slight frustration for Noah Bushby’s side late on as Thierry-Jo Gauvain was shown a straight red card. Cardiff are now up to third in the Genero Adran Premier table and remain six points behind leaders The New Saints.
Faith Mulenga scored a dramatic stoppage time penalty to rescue a point for Cardiff Met in a 2-2 draw against Barry Town United at Cyncoed Stadium.
Barry established a two-goal lead inside just 21 minutes as Erin Murray turned home Sienna Stone’s cross at the back post before an effort from Murray ricocheted into the path of Amy Long, who tapped in from close range for her second goal of the Genero Adran Premier season.
Met’s teenage substitute Gracie Howard bundled the ball home inside the area to half the deficit, but she was shown a straight red card 11 minutes later. That would have certainly made Barry favourites to go on and collect three points, but there was late drama as Mulenga powered her penalty into the top corner to salvage a point for the Archers.
Genero Adran Premier results:
Aberystwyth Town 0-10 Cardiff City
Cardiff Met 2-2 Barry Town United
The New Saints 3-1 Briton Ferry Llansawel
Swansea City 1-8 Wrexham
