REPORT | Wrexham AFC Women 0-3 Cardiff City Women
Wrexham fall to first league defeat this season against 2022/23 champions
Wrexham AFC Women fell to their first league defeat of the season against, losing 3-0 to Cardiff City at The Rock.
A brace from Molly Kehoe and Ffion Price’s 75th minute effort meant that Cardiff jumped above Wrexham in the league standings as the Bluebirds moved up into first place.
Steve Dale made two changes to the side that beat Barry Town United 5-1 last weekend, with Del Morgan returning in goal, while Amber Lightfoot was ruled out through injury – giving an opportunity to Carra Jones on the wing.
The visitors got the match underway at The Rock, but it was the Red Dragons who controlled the opening stages in North Wales.
It took just minutes for Dale’s side to assert themselves on the match, as Carra Jones recorded the hosts’ first shot of the match after just two minutes.
Ffion Price sent the Red Dragons a stern warning in the 18th minute, as the full-back went close to breaking the deadlock for Cardiff.
Rhianne Oakley delivered a dangerous cross from the right which evaded the crowd inside the Wrexham box, but it found Price, who unleashed a powerful half-volley from the edge of the box which drifted just over Del Morgan’s goal.
Rebecca Pritchard almost broke the deadlock a minute later, firing from outside the box net with City goalkeeper Ceryn Chamberlain out of position, but Pritchard’s effort was just wide of the net.
Iain Darbyshire’s side grew into the match slowly, but eventually proved why they’re the reigning Genero Adran Premier champions with their quality throughout.
Molly Kehoe opened the scoring for the Bluebirds, with Keren Allen having lost her footing while attempting to make a challenge on the Cayman Islands international.
As a result, Kehoe had a free run at goal, forcing a save from Morgan inside the box, but the rebound fell kindly, and Cardiff’s number 15 didn’t need another invitation to smash home a powerful effort on her right foot to break the deadlock.
Lili Jones went close to providing Wrexham with an instant response, as the midfielder struck a shot on her right foot that rose just over Chamberlain’s goal in the 36th minute.
Kehoe made it 2-0 to the visitors just minutes after the restart, pouncing on a loose ball to beat the Wrexham defence before poking the ball past Morgan and eventually firing into an empty net after 46 minutes.
Despite being put under considerable pressure by Cardiff, Wrexham came close to halving the deficit just short of the hour mark.
Siobhan Walsh needed to clear the ball off the line to keep City’s clean sheet, after Rosie Hughes beat Chamberlain to a loose ball and directed a header towards goal. Allen went close from the resulting corner, as she headed just wide from TJ Dickens’ delivery.
Price made it 3-0 to the Bluebirds in the 75th minute, as Wrexham ‘keeper Morgan attempted to punch a set-piece delivery away.
The ball fell at the feet of the City defender, who fired into the net from close-range and wrapped up the victory for Darbyshire’s side, handing Wrexham their first Genero Adran Premier defeat.
Wrexham AFC: Morgan, Davies, Allen (C), Doran, Lovett, Dickens, L.Jones, Pritchard (Spearing 75’), Gibbard (MacKenzie 80’), C.Jones (Whitefoot 75’), Hughes.
Subs not used: Bolland, Sharp.
Cardiff City: Chamberlain, Owen (Green 66’), Price, Power, Walsh (C) (Adams 83’), Bowen, Oakley (Richardson 83’), Watkins, Kehoe, Benyon, Collie (Olden 75’).
Subs not used: Forkings.
