Report | Apollon Ladies 3 Swansea City Ladies 0

Swansea City Ladies put in a brave performance as they suffered defeat in their Champions League first qualifying-round tie against Apollon Ladies in Cyprus.

The Welsh Premier Women’s League champions had been handed a tough assignment against an Apollon team who had run away with the Cypriot title last season, and had previously reached the last 32 of the elite competition on seven occasions.

The visitors trailed in the fifth minute when Rio Hardy, once of Blackburn Rovers, opened the scoring.

But Ian Owen and Colin Staples saw their side battle to keep themselves in the tie, only to suffer misfortune on the brink of half-time.

Kelly Adams was adjudged to have committed a foul in the area and, while Krystyna Freda struck the woodwork with the spot-kick, the ball deflected into the net off keeper Gemma Border.

Freda then sealed the win for the hosts early in the second half, as the Swans bowed out after a valiant effort.

Swansea City Ladies: Gemma Border; Ellie Lake, Alicia Powe (captain), Shaunna Jenkins, Ria Hughes; Emma Beynon, Tija Richardson, Sarah Adams; Chloe Chivers, Stacey John-Davis, Katy Hosford.

Substitutes: Jemma Parfitt, Nieve Jenkins, Chloe Tiley, Kate Searle, Phoebe Ware, Brooke Llewellyn, Laura Davies, Jess Williams.

*Team line-up taking from tournament website.