The Genero Adran Trophy has been produced many a great storyline in its history, and yet another chapter is being written this season.
This year’s wildcard team are Cambrian United of the third tier. Last season, the club were in the fourth tier and finished strongly, but over the summer, they’ve put together a squad with a tremendous blend of experience and youth, and now they are a side with a lot of potential, according to Danielle Goodenough.
“We have a really good mix in this team,” Goodenough says. “We have a blend of some really experienced players who are coming back to play football after a couple of years away from the game, and we’ve also got some young and fresh upcoming players, and the third tier is giving them a good taste of competitive football.
“We had a really successful year last season where we finished second in tier four, and we had a really positive outlook on the team, and we wanted to drive forward and develop women’s football in the upper Rhondda area. It’s always been a bit of a struggle in our area to promote and engage women’s football, so we wanted to push to a higher level and get more people involved.”
After Pontardawe Town withdrew from this season’s Genero Adran Trophy, it was announced that they would be replaced by a wildcard team. Multiple third and fourth tier sides put in an application, but it was Cambrian who won that golden ticket.
“We have an amazing coach in Sophie Dando who I’ve had the honour of playing with for a number of years,” Goodenough says. “Her ambition has always been to grow and qualify for competitions like the Adran Trophy, in order for us to test ourselves against more experienced teams. When we put in our wildcard request, we didn’t think much of it, it was more hopeful than anything else.
“When we were confirmed for the wildcard, we were shocked and thrilled that we had the opportunity to play against these fantastic teams, but also it’s a chance to prove to ourselves that we can compete against these sides and push our development on even further.”
Now the team are able to test themselves against some quality opposition, especially in their first game last weekend.
If anything, Cambrian’s first fixture was a baptism of fire, as they played recently relegated Pontypridd United. The Dragons ran out 4-0 winners, but despite the defeat, Goodenough claimed the team could learn a lot from the game.
“Last season, in games we were able to discover our strengths, but also see where our weaknesses lied. In pre-season, we wanted to focus on areas that weren’t just our weaknesses, but how we can push through and change our play and how we can change a game on a weekend.
“It has to be said, Pontypridd were fantastic. The way they moved the ball and the way they were set up and their whole team environment was a real outlook to see what we as a club want to push and aim for. It was disappointing to lose 4-0, but we did play some good football at certain points, but the better team did win on Sunday.”
This weekend, Cambrian face a very different challenge, as they take on newly-promoted Penybont, who themselves won their first game in the competition against Cwmbran Celtic.
Goodenough and her teammates are under no illusion that Sunday’s game will be another tough one, but says they’ve been working hard in training.
“We know Penybont have got a solid team and structure, and we’ve been able to see that when we’ve had a chance to see them during preseason. They’re a team who know what to do when they get forward, so we’re focusing on our defensive line and how we push through from there. Training this week has been strong, and we’re hoping to see the results of that on Sunday.”
While the results may not go their way, this competition is about more than just the points on the board for Goodenough and Cambrian United.
This is a chance for them to show what they can do, while also showing to the Rhondda community that they can be a beacon of hope to young women and girls.
“We want to put our club out there and show our strengths whilst challenging these higher tier teams. We wanted to set a benchmark for ourselves, to see where a small group of women from the Rhondda area can reach. When you’ve got a good base and family set up around you as a club, anything is possible. We want to show we are good enough to play at this level. We want to get on the map, and this competition is giving us some great experiences as a group of players.”
