Wrexham women lose cup final but take another step forward

Wrexham AFC's Season Ends with Loss to Cardiff City

NEWPORT, Wales -- Wrexham AFC's season ended with a loss to Cardiff City. They lost 2-0 in their first match of the Adran Premier in September. On Sunday, they fell 3-1 in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final.

It was a gloomy day for the Red Dragons. They lost their second consecutive final at this venue against the same team. Wrexham is still searching for their first major trophy.

The final started quickly, with three goals in the first half-hour. Lily Billingham scored first for Cardiff with a long-range strike. Shannon Evans added a second goal from an excellent Ffion Price delivery. Abbie Iddenden responded for Wrexham, scoring from the penalty spot just a minute later.

Cardiff led but Wrexham gained momentum after that goal. The turning point came when Wrexham received another penalty at the hour mark. Ava Suckley took this penalty but missed as Cardiff's Ceryn Chamberlain saved it easily.

Despite this setback, Wrexham kept fighting. Minutes later, Lili Jones won the ball and hit the bar with her shot. However, it seemed like luck was not on Wrexham’s side that day.

Fifteen minutes before full-time, Cardiff counter-attacked swiftly and scored again through Fiona Barry. Losing to Cardiff, who are recent champions of Adran Premier, is no shame for Wrexham. However, they were not underdogs this time after strong performances recently.

Wrexham had previously beaten Cardiff twice this season and secured their first win over Swansea City in 11 years during the quarterfinals. Coach Steven Dave will reflect on how far his team has come this season and how much further they need to go.

The women's team has made significant progress recently. They were promoted to Adran Premier League in 2023 and finished third in their debut season there. Although they placed fourth this year after losing their first three games, they showed resilience throughout the season.

Their rapid growth has raised expectations but also highlighted challenges ahead. Winning trophies will be their toughest hurdle yet.

In Sunday’s final, Wrexham displayed spirit but lacked composure at times. While they pressed hard against Cardiff, the opponents remained calm under pressure. Barry’s third goal illustrated that composure perfectly as she rounded goalkeeper Liz Craven to score.

Cardiff's Amy Long noted that her team controlled most phases of play despite some mistakes. She acknowledged that Wrexham didn’t capitalize on those errors effectively.

Most of Wrexham's squad lacks professional experience; gaining it will be crucial moving forward. Targeting experienced players like Iddenden could help strengthen the team during transfers.

The winners of Adran Premier qualify for Champions League rounds next year. With UEFA licensing granted last March, playing in Europe may attract players from higher leagues or teams seeking new opportunities.

Wrexham can fill gaps through both transfers and learning experiences from losses like Sunday’s defeat. This second cup final loss will ultimately make them stronger as a team moving forward.