Cardiff City Women beat TV-famous Wrexham AFC after a tense battle to win the Genero Adran League Trophy. Not only did they claim the trophy, but they finished the Welsh Premier League in first place against the infamous Wrexham-based squad. Wrexham has made headlines around the world after Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the team together a few seasons ago.
The purchase of the little-known Welsh club led to the famous Netflix series, ‘We Are Wrexham’. After becoming a household name around the world, the women’s side also gained a much-deserved notoriety in the series due to their player’s commitment to training and games. Despite viewers wishing the fairytale story came true to win the trophy, Cardiff City Women had other plans in mind.
Cardiff City Women vs. Wrexham AFC – How It Happened
PREVIEW | Cardiff City Women vs @WrexhamAFCWomen
The Red Dragons finish their 2023/24 league campaign at the CCS tonight ??
?? #WxmAFC
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) April 7, 2024
Let’s see a minute-by-minute breakdown of this tense match. How did Cardiff City edge out the potential favorites to lift some hardware in front of their home crowd? Cardiff City had a huge task in front of them, as Wrexham hadn’t lost a match for the entire season. Despite the pressure on both teams to perform, it would be Cardiff City that could withstand the 90-minute-long intense battle.
But, it didn’t start that way. Wrexham AFC came out swinging, with Rhianne Oakley scoring at the beginning of the match. Despite numerous other chances by Wrexham, a lack of clinical finishing let Cardiff City Women get back into the game. Siobhan Walsh and Mikayla Cook both scored before halftime, scaring Wrexham AFC and intimidating the players.
And there was no stopping Cardiff City once they got started. Cardiff City Women scored 5 goals against the Welsh Premier League leaders, deservedly earning the trophy to add to their cabinet at their stadium.
What Now in the Welsh Premier League?
The Welsh Premier League has come to a close, with the final game ending yesterday in the small United Kingdom country. The Cardiff City Women smashed Wrexham, The New Saints pulled one out against Pontypridd Town, and Cardiff Metropolitan Ladies edged out Barry Town United Ladies for a 2-1 win.
Cardiff City claims the play-off championship, whereas Swansea hopped above Wrexham to earn a second-place spot to end the year. Aberystwyth Town ended up in fourth place, which sees them safe from any threat of relegation.
However, the same can’t be said for the bottom four teams in the league. The New Saints, Cardiff Met, Barry Town, and Pontypridd Town all had to play one another. The loser faced inevitable relegation to the second division in Wales. Pontypridd Town earned only 7 points from 20 matches. They will be relegated to the second division for the 2024-2025 season.
It was great to see Welsh athletes, notably the Cardiff City Women, on full display in this game. We hope the Wales national team will continue to impress in the Euros qualifiers.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.