Preview | Cardiff City Women v Swansea City Women
Swansea City Women will be looking to secure their first piece of silverware in four years as they face Cardiff City at Rodney Parade in this evening's Bute Energy Welsh Cup final (5pm kick-off).
The Swans are aiming to lift the Welsh Cup for the first time since 2018, when they defeated today’s opponents 2-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium, while victory would secure a first trophy of any sort since 2022.
Swansea reached the final with victories over Aberystwyth Town, CPDM Llanystumdwy, Llandudno and Cwmbran Celtic; conceding just one goal en route to the showpiece.
Cardiff City, meanwhile, are seeking to lift the Welsh Cup for the fifth season in a row, and the Swans will need to turn the tables on their rivals, who have won all five previous meetings between the sides over the course of the campaign to date.
Swans head coach Yzzy Taylor is no stranger to success in this competition, having lifted the Welsh Cup three times during her time with Cardiff Metropolitan, and the Swans have the added motivation of seeking to give Stacey John, Steph Turner and Lucy Finch a winning farewell as they play their final game before retirement.
In contrast, Cardiff manager Noah Bushby, who stepped up from his role as assistant, will be aiming to secure his first piece of silverware having taking charge following the departure of Iain Derbyshire at the end of the league campaign.
Pre-match views
Head coach Yzzy Taylor: "Finals are always special, but with it being the Welsh Cup and against Cardiff City, it adds that extra edge. The whole squad is really excited and we’re ready to get out there.
"It’s our first Welsh Cup final since 2018, which is a huge motivation for us. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, and to bring the cup back would mean everything to the group. We want to make our mark and do it for the club.
"The game against Wrexham was a big occasion with a big crowd, and I think it showed our mentality. We handled the pressure well and performed, and hopefully we can take that into the final because it’s going to be another big occasion.
"It’s important that we stay composed and stick to what we know. Finals can be scrappy and emotional, but the teams that stay disciplined and take their chances are usually the ones that come out on top.
"A south Wales derby always has a different edge. There’s a real rivalry there, which makes it even more exciting, but at the end of the day we know we’ve got a job to do and we’ll stay focused on that.
"The fans will be massive for us. The Jack Army always bring energy and backing, and in big games like this it can really make a difference, especially in tough moments. We’ll need them right behind us.”
Flashback - 15th April 2018
Swansea City Women came from behind to defeat Cardiff City 2-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium and claim the third Welsh Cup in the club’s history back in 2018.
Goals from Jodie Passmore and Katy Hosford secured the turnaround after Alana Murphy had given the Bluebirds the lead.
Swansea created the better chances in the first half, with Passmore forcing Ceryn Chamberlain into a save from a free-kick, while Hosford and Ellie Lake were also denied by the Cardiff goalkeeper before the break.
The Swans continued to threaten after the interval, with Hosford seeing a chipped effort loop over the bar and Lake firing narrowly wide of the post.
However, it was Cardiff who broke the deadlock, winning possession at the halfway line before sending Murphy through on goal, with the forward slotting past Gemma Boarder.
The lead did not last long, as Swansea found an equaliser 10 minutes later when Passmore was brought down in the box. The Swans’ number 10 stepped up and confidently converted the penalty, powering her effort beyond Chamberlain despite the goalkeeper diving the right way.
Swansea completed the turnaround with 18 minutes remaining, as Hosford picked up the ball on the left side of the area and delivered a dangerous ball into the six-yard box, which Chamberlain fumbled into her own net.
That proved enough to secure a memorable victory.
Prime numbers
3 – Swansea City Women have won the Welsh Cup three times, first lifting the trophy in 2011 with victory over Caernarfon Town.
25 – The Swans are the second-highest scorers in this season’s competition, netting 25 goals in just four matches.