Adran Trophy Match Preview | Briton Ferry Llansawel vs. Cardiff City
Cardiff City FC Women begin their Adran Trophy campaign by travelling to Briton Ferry Llansawel’s Old Road Welfare Ground on Sunday (02/10), 2pm KO.
The Bluebirds head into the contest on the back of an impressive victory over Abergavenny Women last time out, with a record-breaking attendance of 5,175 at Cardiff City Stadium.
Iain Darbyshire’s side have made a hugely positive start to the campaign, currently sitting at the top of the Adran Premier table, having recorded eight wins and one draw in the opening nine fixtures.
City had a positive run in the Adran Trophy last season, making it all the way to the final at Dragon Park, before falling to a narrow 1-0 loss to Cardiff Metropolitan University, despite a performance to be proud of.
Sunday’s opponents currently compete in the Adran South, having previously competed in the top-flight in the 2020/21 season.
“It’s been a memorable week all round for the Club as a whole, the girls and all the staff as well,” assistant manager Scott Davies began. “It couldn’t have gone any better this week and we want to continue that momentum going into a game that we know is going to be really tough on Sunday.
“We know that Briton Ferry are going to be a strong test. They’ve got some really talented players on their books and some experienced players as well. We’re not naïve, we’re fully expecting a tough game and we know we’re going to have to be at our best.
“We want to compete in every cup that we play in. Last year, in the final against Cardiff Met, we were really unfortunate to be on the losing end, but any competition we play in, we want to be competitive. We play to win and that’s the case in any competition we play in, so we’ll be looking to go far in this year’s Adran Trophy.”
Zoe Atkins, who got herself on the scoresheet on a historic night at CCS added: “Let’s mention Wednesday night! What an occasion to be a part of. On behalf of the team, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the 5,175 fans that came out to support us. It was special for us all. We are all still buzzing. But it’s essential now to refocus and understand the importance of the game on Sunday.
“All fixtures are huge to us. We had a fantastic run and were unlucky not to win it last season. It would mean a lot to us all to go that extra step and bring the cup home. I believe we should never underestimate any team, especially Briton Ferry. They are doing very well in the Adran South and potential favourites for promotion. They’ve always proven to be a very strong team so it’s important for us to focus and perform well again on Sunday.”
