Ahead of Sunday’s Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final, head coach Iain Darbyshire and wing-back Amy Long spoke to Cardiff City TV.
The Bluebirds will take on Wrexham in a repeat of last year’s final, in which City claimed a 2-0 victory to win the competition for a third consecutive year.
“I’m incredibly proud of the season so far. We’ve overcome a lot of challenges and I think the resilience, character and determination to win that the group have shown, that has really shone through and has translated into success on the field, so I’m very proud of all the players and the staff.
“Last year’s final was a really tight game. Wrexham really pushed and challenged us. We scored a good goal early on and Emma [Beynon] popped up with a worldie at the end of the game to seal it for us.
“It was a great day for everyone involved. The facilities are fantastic at Rodney Parade, the effort that goes into the game is huge. We’re relishing it, we’re ready and we want to end this season on a high.”
City have had great success in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup, with wins in the final over Cardiff Met, Briton Ferry Llansawel and Wrexham in recent years.
Iain continued: “As I’ve said many times, it’s the competition that started everything for us. This run of trophies that we’ve had over the last three to four years, it started with this cup.
“We’re very proud to be the holders, we’re very proud to defend it on multiple occasions recently and we’ll be looking to do the same.
“We know Wrexham will pose a real test for us, they’ve beaten us a couple of times recently, but we have a plan and we’re going to aim to deliver that plan on the day and have a successful result.”
A huge part of the Bluebirds’ success in both the cup campaign and the Adran Premier season has been the support of the fanbase, both home and away.
“I just want to say a big thank you. Over the last few years, we’ve targeted a consistent fanbase of people returning for every game and we’ve certainly got that.
“They come home and away, putting in some serious mileage to follow us and we’re so proud that they choose to do that. I thank them with everything I can.
“The players really respond to it. We have one more big day against Wrexham now where we know that they will give us that extra bit of motivation for the game.”
Since signing for the Club in January, wing-back Long has made a significant contribution to our success.
Reflecting on the campaign, she said: “It’s been a really challenging and competitive season, so for us to win the title is massive. Personally, it’s the first league title of my career, so it’s a huge achievement.
“I’ve played in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final a few times and it’s a great way to end the season. It’s always a special day. The FAW always put a lot of effort into it and it’s great for the fans to come and watch. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating at the end of it.”
In the four league meetings between the Bluebirds and the Red Dragons this season, both sides have come out victorious on two occasions.
Amy continued: “We’ve had very tough games against Wrexham this season. They’ve improved a lot this campaign and have some fantastic players, so I’m sure they’ll be confident going into the game. We’re going to have to stay switched on, because they’re capable of punishing us. At the other end, it’ll be about putting our chances away.
The last two games that we’ve played against Wrexham, we’ve not put our best performances in, so I think it’s an excellent opportunity for us, on a great stage, to put that right and come out with the trophy.”
The City wing-back concluded with a message to the fans ahead of Sunday.
“First of all, thank you for supporting us at CCS against Britton Ferry Llansawel. It meant so much to us and it was great to celebrate with them after.
“Hopefully it will be the same again on Sunday. We love hearing them in the stands and we know that it pushes us on to hopefully get the win.”
Watch the full interviews with Iain and Amy on Cardiff City TV!