The Genero Adran Premier top two meet at Park Hall on Sunday evening as The New Saints host Cardiff City (KO 17:10), live on Sgorio.
TNS start 2025 as leaders of the pack after winning their last four league matches, heading into Christmas with a 1-0 victory at home against Swansea City thanks to Lexi Jones’ stoppage-time strike.
Cardiff missed the chance to go top of the table last Sunday as they were beaten 3-1 away at Briton Ferry Llansawel – their first league defeat to anyone other than Swansea City since March 2022 – leaving them one point behind the Saints with 10 games played each.
The Bluebirds won 2-0 in the reverse league fixture at the Cardiff City Stadium in September thanks to goals from Lisa Owen and Laura Curnock, but TNS stunned Iain Darbyshire’s side with a 1-0 triumph in the Genero Adran Trophy quarter-finals last month – their first ever victory against Cardiff.
While most clubs enjoyed a break over the festive period, Briton Ferry Llansawel have played on the last two weekends and earned stunning back-to-back home wins against Swansea City and Cardiff City.
It means that the Reds now sit third in the table, five points adrift of top spot with a game in hand over the two sides above them. They are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions and have scored 21 goals in that run.
Rhys James’ side now travel to the Swans, who find themselves fourth in the table – one point behind Ferry – after suffering consecutive league defeats for the first time in nearly two years.
Goals from Lucy Powell and Alison Witts proved decisive in Ferry’s 2-0 victory over the Swans at Old Road a fortnight ago.
Cardiff Met begin life under new manager Jonathan Nash on Sunday as the Archers host Wrexham at Cyncoed Campus.
Nash is tasked with leading a major turnaround as Met currently sit bottom of the table with just one point to their name from their first nine matches of the campaign. A trip to seventh-place Aberystwyth Town – also on one point – later this month could prove crucial.
Sixth-place Wrexham headed into the Christmas break off the back of consecutive victories over Barry Town United – a 3-1 win in the Genero Adran Trophy quarter-finals and a thrilling 4-3 triumph in the league. Nonetheless, their hopes of claiming a top half spot remain slim as they are five points adrift of fourth-place Swansea City.
Liv Fuller, Abbie Iddenden and Rosie Hughes all found the net in Wrexham’s 3-0 win in the reverse fixture in October, while Hughes also found the net in both meetings between the two sides last season.
Aberystwyth Town and Barry Town United will both hope to start 2025 in better fashion than they ended 2024 when they meet at Park Avenue.
The Seasiders are yet to win in the league this season and have just one point to their name, leaving them above bottom side Cardiff Met on goal difference only. They did however sign off for Christmas with an improved showing against Briton Ferry in the Genero Adran Trophy quarter-finals, when only a late own goal proved to be their undoing.
After a promising start to the campaign, Barry are now winless in their last five league matches – a run which has seen their top half hopes take a hit as they sit four points adrift of fourth-place Swansea.
Aber had won five matches in a row against Barry coming into this season, but the Linnets thrashed the Seasiders 4-0 in September at Jenner Park as Erin Murray, Jasmine Turner, Ingrid Ådland and Ellie Preece all found the scoresheet.
