Adran Premier Report | Cardiff Met 1-4 Cardiff City
City Women recorded a convincing 4-1 away win to Cardiff Met to extend an unbeaten run to seven games across all competitions.
A Fiona Barry brace either side of Eliza Collie’s goal put the Bluebirds 3-0 ahead before India Shanahan pulled one back for Met. Ffion Price’s late converted penalty ensured the win.
The opening exchanges saw early chances, as Lily Billingham and Mikayla Cook had efforts early on for the defending champions, however were unable to keep their efforts on target.
Shanahan had a huge opportunity for the Archers to open the scoring, but her shot from distance drifted wide. City reacted well, as Barry picked up the ball in the box and superbly slotted into the far corner.
Met goalkeeper Charlotte Smith made a fingertip save to deny Barry a second on the stroke of half-time to keep the difference at just one.
After the break, Collie played a through ball towards a surging Price, who was in behind the defence, but her effort went straight at Smith. It wasn’t long after that City added to their tally, as Collie brilliantly struck low into the corner and Barry added her second just a minute later, chipping the ball over the keeper.
Shanahan pulled one back just before the hour mark, after she was played through and cooly converted to give hope for the hosts. Just four minutes later, Cook came agonisingly close to restoring the three-goal lead via a long-ranged effort which crashed against the post, with substitute Laura Curnock goin close with the rebound.
Curnock won her side a penalty shortly after, being brought down in the box running onto Billingham’s pass, which was ruthlessly converted by Price for her seventh league goal this season.
City remain top of the Genero Adran Premier, two points clear of The New Saints who sit in second, while Met remain bottom of the league after losing seven of their opening eight games.
FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF MET 1-4 CARDIFF CITY
Cardiff Met: Smith, Houghton, Davidson, Dziminowicz, Garton, Pinchard ©, Shanahan (Grimm 62’), Kilby (Colleton 53’), Jones (Chapman 59’), Cochrane, Mulenga.
Cardiff City Women: Phelps (Olsen 83’), Owen (G. Evans 54’), Bowen ©, Jenkins, Price, Walklett, Kehoe, Billingham, Barry (Malin 79’), Collie (Curnock 54’), Cook (Bull 79’).
REACTION | IAIN DARBYSHIRE
After the full-time whistle, head coach Iain Darbyshire said: “I thought we did really well considering the conditions, it always has an impact on the game and it was acknowledged that we were going to make some mistakes at times as a result of it, but we had to make sure we reacted well to them. I thought we controlled the ball really well, off the ball there’s a few things we needed to tweak in the first half but in the second half we did that excellently and I thought we thoroughly deserved the win.
“It’s been a really good week in training, and I think we’re getting to a point where the big games are coming thick and fast so we need to make sure we are on it from the start and I thought we were today.
“Not winning for a couple of weeks at the start of the season was a bit new to us but I think we needed it, I think it’s allowed us to grow. There’s so many new faces around the place for us, we need to learn what makes them tick and how to get the best out of them which we’re getting there now and I’m really proud of the group.
“Big day for Grace Olsen today, coming on for her debut. I think she has such a bright future, and a real well done to Anna Phelps today too. We were without Ceryn today and they both deserve a lot of credit.”