Adran Premier Preview | Cardiff City vs. Aberystwyth Town
Cardiff City Women return to Adran Premier action with the first Phase Two fixture, hosting Aberystwyth Town.
The fixture will take place at Cardiff International Sports Campus on Sunday, March 10th, with a kick-off time of 2pm.
MATCHDAY GUIDE
Tickets are now on sale for Sunday’s fixture and are available to purchase online, with prices as follows:
- Adult: £5
- U16: £1
Alternatively, tickets will be available to purchase on arrival at Cardiff International Sports Campus on Sunday.
The sat-nav postcode for Cardiff International Sports Campus is CF11 8AZ.
The ground is located an 11-minute walk away from Ninian Park Station and a 32-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station.
Parking on matchday is free outside Cardiff City Stadium, with parking also available for £1 outside Cardiff International Sports Campus.
Hot drinks and food are available to purchase on matchday at Cafe2U, which is by the ground’s main reception.
ADRAN PREMIER | SEASON SO FAR
The Bluebirds head into this weekend's fixture currently sitting at the top of the Adran Premier table, with a five-point lead over Swansea City Women in second.
Iain Darbyshire's side have recently had success in domestic cups, reaching the Final of both the Adran Trophy and the Bute Energy Welsh Cup with wins over Aberystwyth Town and Swansea City Women respectively.
Last time out, City claimed a 3-1 win over the Swans at the SDM Glass Stadium, with Mikayla Cook, Molly Kehoe and Megan Bowen all getting on the scoresheet.
Sunday's opponents, Aberystwyth Town secured their place in the top four with a 3-3 draw against The New Saints on the final day of Phase One.
In 14 matches so far this season, the Seasiders have recorded 17 points, with four wins, five draws and five defeats.
PRE-MATCH NOTES | IAIN DARBYSHIRE
Head coach Darbyshire shared his thoughts ahead of returning to league action.
“We’re really excited. We’ve had some great results in the last few weeks and have got into two Finals, so there’s a lot of positivity in the camp. We’ve got a lot of players coming back to fitness now, so we’re looking forward to these next six league games. We want to make sure that come the end of the season, we’re lifting that title.
“Every game against Aberystwyth is difficult. We played really well in the last game against them, but I fully expect them to regroup and make it difficult for us. We know we’re going to have to be at the top of our game and match them physically. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re feeling positive.
“We’ve built a really strong squad. The Swansea game last week was the first time in a long time that we’ve had a fully fit squad to choose from. We’re very grateful that players are coming back into fitness now. We stress every week to the players that it’s not about the starting XI, it’s about the 16 players in the matchday squad. We need everyone to be ready. I’m very pleased with how the squad have been performing and hopefully, they can continue that now.
“It’s massively important that we start Phase Two well. We’ve got a five-point lead, but we don’t that to come down to two and it becomes nerve-racking. We’ve got to be fully focused on each individual game. As long as we perform to our strengths, we can build momentum week by week.”
CITY MEMORIES | ELIZA COLLIE
In our meeting with Aberystwyth Town at Park Avenue earlier this season, the Bluebirds claimed a brilliant 5-0 victory.
Taking centre stage in that win was striker Eliza Collie, who netted a fine hat-trick to continue her impressive campaign.
The standout goal was her third, as she calmly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Margot Farnes, before tapping into an empty net.
Recalling her memorable hat-trick, Eliza said: "I think that was one of the best games I've played. To get a hat-trick away from home was a great feeling."
Turning her attention to Sunday's clash, she added: "Aberystwyth are a tough side to play against. We know that they'll make it difficult for us, but we're going into it with a lot of positivity after last week's win against Swansea.
"It's always good to win in a derby and to get through to a Final. We have two chances now to win Cups and we're hoping to get the league title as well.
"We want to start Phase Two positively. The week off came at a good time for us, but we want to keep pushing on and keep winning now.