As Swansea City prepare for their second consecutive Genero Adran Trophy final, Jamie Sherwood is hoping to go one step further than last year.
Former WSL manager Sherwood joined the Swans in May last year, and less than a season in the role, the manager believes everything is on track so far in his Swans journey.
2025 Genero Adran Trophy Final
“I think we’re in a good place. The challenges have changed and the way that you manage has changed and we’ve had many challenges, but we’re in a good place. I’m confident that the goals we have set out to achieve, that we will achieve them, and it everything that we’re doing will be worth while in time to come.”
Swansea reached this stage with a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Wrexham. The Rock is known for being a difficult place for any team to go, but Sherwood was pleased with how his side dealt with various aspects of the tie.
“It was really impressive the way we came through the semi-final. Wrexham made it feel like a cup final, the fans made it a hostile atmosphere, and it was really pleasing to see the way we controlled parts of the game to go two up at the break. It was a little sloppy towards the end when Wrexham put seven up front, but we’re in a cup final.”
Sunday is set to be yet another exciting chapter in Swansea’s history, but for Sherwood, it’s going to be a very special moment.
“For me personally, this is going to be my first final with the girls, but for the girls, it’s a return after they got to the final last year. They’ve got some bits they want to rewrite from last season, but we’re all looking forward to it. We’re in a good place, the squad is as healthy as it can be, and we’re excited to be going up against TNS, who have been one of the thorns in our side this year.”
And the Saints have been a rather big thorn for Swansea. After winning 5-0 at Llandarcy, Shauna Duffy’s side made it two wins from two this season over the Swans with a 1-0 triumph at Park Hall.
Sherwood believes his side have shown good glimpses against Sunday’s opponents but is hopeful they can go one better this time around.
“The first game, we were the better team between the two boxes, but unfortunately, they were better in both boxes. They defended better, they attacked better, and they took their opportunities.
“Performance wise in our second game against TNS, we didn’t get what we deserved, and that was evident to everyone on the day. We lost our goalkeeper after 20 minutes, meaning one of our defenders had to go in goal, and we conceded a goal in the 92nd minute, when we could have maybe taken a couple of chances before that.
“We know the challenge TNS will pose, we know what they’re going to bring, and hopefully, we’ll be in a position where we can counteract it and maximise our potential.”
If Swansea are to emerge victorious on Sunday, they would end a two-year trophy drought, a run that the serial trophy winners aren’t used to. Sherwood knows how big the game is and believes Sunday could be the start of a successful period in the club’s history.
“Swansea are renowned for winning silverware in this country. The club with a heritage and tradition of winning trophies. For the girls who have been here for a long time, it’s been difficult for them these last couple of seasons, and difficult for the club as a whole. It’s our job to go out and give everything in this cup final to make sure we come away with silverware. Hopefully, it’ll be the first piece of the jigsaw that we’re trying to put together here.”
