Report | Swansea City Ladies 4 Cardiff City Women 1

27th May
Women
Swansea City Ladies

Swansea City Ladies lifted the WPWL Cup for the second time in the club’s history after they came from behind to defeat Cardiff City at Dragon Park.

Pheobe Poole gave Cardiff City the lead in the first half before Tija Richardson scored the equaliser before the break.

The Swans then took full command of the final in the second half as a Katy Hosford goal and a brace from Stacey John-Davis sealed the victory in Newport.

And the Swans will be hoping to go on to complete a league and cup double when they round off their Welsh Premier Women's League campaign on Sunday.

John-Davis had a sight of goal in the opening stages after Emma Beynon picked the striker out in the middle, but her effort drifted wide of the far post.

The Swans came incredibly close to breaking the deadlock early on after Hosford’s shot struck against the near post.

Despite Swansea creating early pressure, it was Cardiff who took the lead after Poole was on hand to turn in the rebound after Claire Skinner parried Catherine Walsh’s strike from the edge of the box.

John-Davis came close to equalising but her effort from just inside the penalty area was denied by an acrobatic save from Charlotte Hastings in the Cardiff goal.

But the Swans did level five minutes from the break as Laura Davies’ corner resulted in Richardson bundling the equaliser home at the near post.

Swansea were then in front shortly after the restart as Hosford found the back of the net with a long-distance free-kick that lobbed Hastings.

The lead increased further when John-Davis caught Hastings off her line and squeezed the ball into the far corner from the most acute of angles.

Cardiff claimed strongly for a penalty for a handball after a melee in the Swansea are, but the referee confidently waved the protests away.

And the victory was sealed with nine minutes left to be played after John-Davis remained composed and dinked the ball over the top of an onrushing Hastings.

Swansea City Ladies: Claire Skinner, Ellie Lake, Shaunna Jenkins, Alicia Powe (C), Ria Hughes (Nieve Jenkins 89), Tija Richardson, Emma Beynon, Laura Davies (Chloe Chivers 65), Kelly Adams (Jess Williams 89), Katy Hosford, Stacey John-Davis (Chloe Tiley 89).

Subs not used: Gemma Border, Kate Searle, Kelsey Thomas.

Cardiff City: Charlotte Hastings, Lisa Owen (Jasmine Simpson 63), Ffion Price, Hannah Daley, Siobhan Walsh (C), Danielle Broadhurst, Danielle Green (Michaela Major 88), Pheobe Poole, Catherine Walsh (Mikayla Cook 88), Zoe Atkins, Cerys Pinchard (Ellie Jones 90).

Subs not used: Ceryn Chamberlain, Charley Hocking, Carys Minton.