Wrexham moved two points clear at the top of the Genero Adran Premier with a 4-0 victory over Briton Ferry Llansawel at The Rock on Sunday.
The reigning champions needed just 11 minutes to find the breakthrough as Cymru U23 international Faye Knox tucked away the rebound from her initial shot which was blocked by Brooke Llewellyn.
Knox’s opener remained the narrow difference for virtually half of the contest, but eventually Wrexham pulled away from their opponents with two quick goals early in the second half as Lili Jones curled a dipping strike over Courtney Young from the edge of the area before Knox met Natasha Thomas’ square ball and clinically sent a low drive in at the near post to make it three.
Maria Francis-Jones capped off yet another high-scoring win for the Red Dragons late on as the ball ricocheted off both Wrexham captain Jodie Bartle and Ferry captain Lowri Ridings, allowing Francis-Jones to apply a simple finishing touch from just two yards out.
Wrexham’s two-point lead at the top of the table was established as The New Saints dropped rare points in a 1-1 draw with Barry Town United, who claimed their first point at Jenner Park this season.
Barry forward Sienna Stone was denied an early goal after she was deemed offside when finishing from Amy Long’s through ball, but it was not long before the hosts did make their pressure count as Ellie Gunney headed home from Erin Murray’s corner to open the scoring on 17 minutes.
Zara Gibbs missed a glorious chance for Saints from close range, but Kieran Lee-Birch’s side found their all-important equaliser shortly before half time as Abbie Iddenden met Fiona Barry’s pinpoint cross and headed in her eighth goal of the campaign.
Iddenden found the net again midway through the second half, this time from Hannah Snape’s corner, but she committed a foul inside the area and therefore the goal was ruled out. A solid defensive display from a resurgent Barry ensured they came away with a point and moved two points clear of the relegation zone.
Third-place Cardiff City maintained pressure at the top of the table as they came from behind to beat South Wales derby rivals Swansea City 3-1 at the CIS Stadium.
Cardiff applied early pressure, with Kate Oakley, Maddison Perrott and Ffion Price forcing crucial saves out for Amelia Forkings, but it was in fact the Swans who took the lead in tremendous style on 19 minutes as Taite Trivett retrieved the loose ball after Aimee Deacon dispossessed Perrott and fired a stunning strike into the roof of the net, leaving Grace Olsen hardly any chance of the save.
Chloe Chivers squandered a great opportunity to double Swansea’s lead when she shot wide of the post when one-on-one Olsen. Cardiff forward Gillian Keenan watched two of her efforts fly over the crossbar from close range, but the Bluebirds eventually found their equaliser three minutes before half time as Swansea captain Jess Williams turned Oakley’s cross into her own net.
The contest remained all square for the majority of the second half, but Eilish Mitchell’s foul on Haile Richard’s inside the area gave Cardiff the chance to complete the turnaround from the penalty spot with seven minutes remaining. Richards herself stepped up to take the penalty and she clinically found the bottom corner.
Cardiff captain Shannon Evans ensured her side would be earning the derby day bragging rights as she headed home from Price’s corner two minutes after Richards’ penalty. Noah Bushby’s side have now won their last seven Genero Adran Premier matches and are only three points behind leaders Wrexham.
16-year-old talent Gwen Jones marked her Genero Adran Premier debut in the best way possible as she scored the winning goal to give Cardiff Met a 1-0 win over Aberystwyth Town at Park Avenue.
Jones’ winning moment arrived with just five minutes of normal time remaining as the teenage substitute fired home from Lily Moralee-Hughes’ low cross at the back post. A first clean sheet and first away win of the season for the Archers takes them a healthy seven points clear of bottom-of-the-table Aberystwyth.
Genero Adran Premier results:
Aberystwyth Town 0-1 Cardiff Met
Barry Town United 1-1 The New Saints
Cardiff City 3-1 Swansea City
Wrexham 4-0 Briton Ferry Llansawel
