Ten greatest memories from 10 seasons of covering women’s football in North Wales

On International Women’s Day 2023 I pick out my top 10 memories from reporting on female football since 2012-13

1 LLANDUDNO CROWNED FIRST GENERO ADRAN NORTH CHAMPIONS 2021-22

All the pain of past seasons which eventually caused them to resign from the Welsh Premier Women’s League was wiped away in one afternoon as Llandudno clinched the first-ever tier 2 North title at Maesdu Park with a 3-2 win over chief challengers Wrexham.

Needing just a draw to seal top spot, Tudno trailed 2-1 at half time and had been very much second best.

However, the tide turned in the second half as two goals from New Zealander Indie Hassall secured the hosts a 3-2 win and the greatest prize in their history.

A highly emotional afternoon at Maesdu with the ecstasy so visible on some of the more experienced home team’s faces the abiding memory.

2 KATIE BOWE SCORES WONDER GOAL IN 2016 WELSH CUP FINAL

In front of the live S4C cameras at Latham Park, Newtown, Katie Bowe livened up everyone’s Sunday afternoon by scoring a stunning goal to put Llandudno ahead.

Following a slick, four-pass move down the left, Katie let fly with her trusted left foot from around 20 yards and the ball flew past the keeper to put underdogs Tudno 1-0 up against Cardiff City FC Women.

Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the North Wales side as City eventually won 5-2, but Katie’s magnificent strike did make her the first woman to be nominated for the Sgorio Goal of the Month award.

The goal was typical of a remarkable season for the midfielder where she netted 21 times in all, the majority of them from long range.

3 YNYS MON WOMEN WIN SILVER AT 2019 INTER GAMES

Before the one-off football tournament staged on Anglesey four years ago, Ynys Môn’s women had no record to speak of at past Island Games.

However, on home soil the team flourished, making it all the way to the final where they lost 2-1 to Isle of Man.

In the group stages a hat-trick from Lexi Crawley, whose birthday is on International Women’s Day, had earned a 3-1 victory over Western Isles. In the semi-final, Crawley struck again with her fifth goal of the tournament in a 1-0 beating of Jersey.

Since 2019, women’s club football on the island has flourished, with Llangefni Town, Amlwch Town and Trearddur Bay all competitive in the North Wales League. Four years ago, Amlwch were the only women’s senior team operating on Anglesey.

4 CAERNARFON TOWN DOMINATE NORTH WALES LEAGUE IN 2016-17

The Caernarfon ‘dream team’ of 2016-17 is possibly the greatest to ever win the North Wales Women’s League to date.

Packed with players who have shone at Welsh Premier level, the Canaries won 18 out of 20 matches, scoring 120 goals and finishing way clear of the rest.

Town also lifted the Betty Pickering Cup to make it a double, beating Pwllheli 5-1 in the final.

Catrin Thomas was top-scorer with 38 goals in all competitions – 37 in the league – while Ffion Owen, future star of Ynys Môn, Amlwch Town and Llandudno, netted 33 times.

Midfield general Anna Jones, who has since featured for Llandudno, Chester and Tranmere Rovers, scored 16 times, while Heledd Evans and Danielle Barnfield, now of CPDM Bangor 1876, hit 13 and 9 respectively.

5 CPD Y RHYL 1879 INVINCIBLES OF 2021-22

Newly-formed 1879 had a debut season never to forget as they lifted the North Wales League title having not suffered a single defeat throughout 2021-22.

Their final league record was: Played 18 Won 16 Drawn 2 Lost 0 Goals For 118 Goals Against 13.

Six players reached double figures in the goal stakes. Leading scorers were: 29 – Candice Nellist, 19 – Emily Bentley, 18 – Rachael Thomas, 16 – Becca Bannister, 12 – Tegan Crockett and Niomi Taylor and just bubbling under on nine was the evergreen Laura Williams. Goalkeeper Loz Jones was phenomenal too, as was the rest of the defence.

6 NORTHOP HALL DOUBLE WINNERS 2017-18

This was a team and a half as well.

Steve Thomas’ Northop Hall celebrated at the double winning the North Wales League and NEWFA Cup.

Laura Pennington put away a stunning 48 goals that season. She has since gone on to star for The New Saints, Wem Town and Tranmere Rovers.

The likes of Kirstie Kural, a goal machine for Connah’s Quay Nomads over the past two seasons, Ashleigh Foster and keeper Bethan Thomas were also Hall greats in 2017-18.

7 NOMADS REACH WELSH CUP SEMI-FINALS 2019-20

Connah’s Quay Nomads stunned Welsh women’s football by reaching the semi-finals of the FAW Women’s Cup with a 2-1 win over Welsh Premier Port Talbot.

Goals from Candice Nellist and Becca Bannister saw the third-tier side come back from 0-1 down to knock top flight Port out of the national competition.

Played throughout the strong winds of Storm Dennis at The Quay 3G, Sara Hilton’s side started well but found themselves trailing via a penalty from Lauren Amor.

But before the break, Nellist found a way through the defence to coolly slot past the keeper for the equaliser.

Shortly after the restart, Nomads went ahead thanks to a quick-fire strike from Bannister.

An impressive performance followed as Nomads denied the visitors an equaliser, with stand-in keeper Rhonwen Wilde pulling off some heroic saves.

Full time sealed the cup upset, with Hilton’s Nomads making the semis in only their 11th competitive game ever.

Sadly, shortly after Covid brought a premature end to the 2019-20 season so Quay’s semi against Swansea City was never played.

8 LLANDUDNO FINALLY END ‘BIG THREE’ JINX 2022-23

Rank outsiders ahead of their long trip to South Wales, having never beaten one of the ‘big three’ – Swansea, Cardiff Met or Cardiff City – in at least 40 attempts across all competitions, this day would be the big day for Llandudno.

After a goalless first half, it was the Adran North champions who took the lead on 58 minutes.

Louisha Doran fed a long free kick straight into the box for Indie Hassall to get on the end of and lob over the keeper.

Just two minutes later the Swans would be level, Nieve Jenkins tucking home at the back post.

But underdogs Llandudno would not be denied, and on 65 minutes Kelsey Davies took on three players and sent a 25-yard beauty into the top corner.

Late pressure from the Swans brought them no reward and Tudno celebrated one of their greatest ever wins.

9 PRESTATYN WIN FAW UNDER-16 WELSH GIRLS CUP 2014-15

Rated one of the best-ever under-16 teams to lift the Welsh Cup, Prestatyn produced a fantastic performance to thrash Coed Duon Dragons 4-0 in the 2015 final at Latham Park, Newtown.

The North Wales League champions opened the scoring with a cracker on six minutes from player of the match Ashleigh Mills.

She broke down the left, beat two players and from outside the box out wide hit a fantastic strike straight into the far top corner.

Ten minutes later Shannon Hobbs slid the ball past the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Early in the second half, it was 3-0. A through ball to Mills down the left put the winger into the box and she made no mistake, burying the ball into the top of the net to make it 3-0.

On 65 minutes, captain Bannister picked the ball up outside the box and finished with a powerful shot into the bottom corner to seal a memorable victory.

This Prestatyn team also won the North Wales Girls Under-16 League title and the League Cup.

Just check out the Welsh Cup winning side and what they have gone on to achieve eight years later…

Rebecca Elliott, Jade Scott, Sammie Jo Hyland, Lily Corry, Emily Luke, Paige Williams, Becca Bannister, Rachel Lloyd, Azaria Warburton, Shannon Hobbs, Ashleigh Mills.

10 BEST GOAL EVER FROM ASHLEIGH MILLS

Cardiff City 5 Rhyl 1 – Welsh Premier League, April 23, 2017.

The result was one to forget for Rhyl. but the goal they scored will long live in the memory.

Amazing goals have been a feature of Welsh international Ashleigh Mills’s career, but the one she scored at Cardiff was something truly out of this world.

Rhyl trailed 1-0 when Ashleigh was gifted the ball in the centre circle and lobbed the keeper with a magnificent precision effort. Unbelievable.