Wrexham clinched a spot in the Genero Adran Premier Championship Conference in dramatic style as they won 3-2 away at Swansea City on Wednesday night, condemning the Swans to the Plate Conference in the process.
The visitors knew that they must win at Llandarcy to leapfrog the Swans into the top half and both sides had chances early on as the importance of the contest was made abundantly clear.
It was Wrexham who took the lead in the 33rd minute, when Swansea goalkeeper Charlotte Haynes could only parry Lili Jones’ shot and Ava Suckley was on hand to tap in from close range.
There was an instant response from the Swans though, as Maisie Miller – making her league debut after a move from Gwalia United – lashed home in the box two minutes later after taking down Katy Hosford’s corner.
But the goals did not stop coming. It took Wrexham only four minutes to regain the lead, with Mari Gibbard playing in Abbie Iddenden to finish calmly and earn her side a 2-1 advantage at the break.
It was Swansea who started the second half brighter and they were back level in the 53rd minute when captain Hosford met Emily Thomas’ cross with a header past Liz Craven.
It remained 2-2 as the seconds ticked down, with Craven making a number of impressive saves to keep it level, before Wrexham grabbed a crucial winning goal in the 90th minute. The visitors had everyone forward for a corner, with Erin Lovett’s shot parried by Haynes in to the path of Karen Allen who tapped in to spark wild scenes of celebration.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for Steve Dale’s side, who have recovered from a poor start to the campaign to make the top four with 13 points from their last five matches. For Swansea, a first ever Phase Two campaign in the bottom half awaits.
The Genero Adran Premier Phase Two fixtures will be released at 10am on Thursday 27 February.
