After failing to win the Genero Adran Trophy last season, Cardiff City are aiming to make amends this time around.
Iain Darbyshire’s side have been serial trophy winners for a number of seasons, but they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of this competition last year – an unusual feeling.
“Due to how we’ve been performing for the last three or four seasons there has always been that pressure on us,” defender Megan Bowen says. “After the first year [of winning a trophy], it was a question of can we do it again? Then it was, can we win the treble? There’s a pressure every year.
“The Adran Trophy is one we want to go and win. The Bute Energy Welsh Cup is something we’ve won four years on the bounce, but we haven’t done that with the Adran Trophy. The challenge for us now is, can we start winning that on a yearly basis, and we hope we can.”
The Bluebirds head into this weekend’s semi-finals off the back of a last-minute win over top of the table Wrexham in the Genero Adran Premier last Sunday.
Bowen believes that winning under pressure is something the team can build on heading into this weekend and beyond.
“Wrexham are up there with us at the top of the league, so it’s always good to get a win against a team like them, especially in Phase One. I think a lot of people overlook Phase One, but every game matters and every point matters.
“Overall, we probably feel like we could have won by a couple more last Sunday because we were in control from minute one, but knowing we can perform when the pressure is on is something we can use as a driving force going forward.”
And performing under pressure is something Cardiff have done in this season’s Genero Adran Trophy.
After defeating Genero Adran North side Flint Town United 7-0 in the Round of 16, the Bluebirds hammered fierce rivals Swansea City 6-0 at Llandarcy in the quarter-finals
“We’re all confident in our own abilities, and that means we know we can go out and not only score but also keep clean sheets. Putting six past Swansea is something we know we can do.
“With the likes of Fiona [Barry], Mackenzie [Olden], Laura [Curnock], Mikayla [Cook] in our attack, we’re more than capable of scoring plenty of goals against any team in any competition. It’s a testament to the hard work we put in in training.”
The only thing standing between Cardiff City and another final are The New Saints, the team who defeated them in last season’s quarter-finals.
TNS will have new manager Kieran Lee-Birch in the dugout for the first time on Sunday, but Bowen is eager to show the new coach just what City can do.
“TNS are a good team and have been for a number of seasons. They’ve got some good young players who want to drive at you which is something you don’t often see in football. We lost to them on the opening day of the season and then had an entertaining game against them down at our place.
“We know what problems they can pose, but we also know their weaknesses and how we can capitalise on them. It’s an exciting time for them with a new manager, but we want to show the calibre of team they need to be competing against.”
Despite reaching a number of finals in the past, Bowen and the rest of her Cardiff teammates are eager to reach another.
“It would mean a lot to us to reach another final. It shows that the hard work that you put in in training late at night, and in the cold weather we’ve had recently, is all worth it. If we execute our gameplan and play the way we want to, then we believe we can win.”
