Wrexham AFC Women’s great start to the 2023-24 season continues to flourish

Third in the Adran Premier, into the Welsh Cup semi-finals and quarters of the Genero Adran Trophy – not a bad first three months of the season for Wrexham AFC Women!

Back in the top flight of Welsh women’s football for the first time since 2014-15, the Red Dragons are better equipped than ever to make their mark in Tier 1.

To date they have won five out of eight league games, with prolific striker Rosie Hughes current Adran Premier top-scorer on 10 goals.

Wrexham currently sit third, behind just Swansea City and Cardiff City to whom they have suffered their only defeats so far.

Steve Dale’s side have advanced to the Welsh Cup semis, where they take on The New Saints on neutral territory in the new year aiming to reach just a second final in the club’s history.

At the weekend, Wrexham progressed to the Genero Adran Trophy last eight, where a tough home clash with Cardiff City awaits.

In 12 matches in all competitions, Wrexham have won nine, drawn one and lost two, notching 40 goals in total.

Hughes is leading markswoman on 12, but the team is not just relying on their No 9 to find the net with 20-year-old Ava Suckley on eight goals so far and Carra Jones with seven since joining this term from Stoke City.

WREXHAM AFC WOMEN STATS 2023-24

SEP 17: Swansea City (h – Adran Premier) 3-3 (Rebecca Pritchard, Rosie Hughes, Hannah Keryakoplis)
SEP 24: Pontypridd United (a – Adran Premier) 3-0 (Amber Lightfoot, Lili Jones, Rosie Hughes)
OCT 1: Barry Town United (a – AP) 5-1 (Rosie Hughes 5)
OCT 8: Cardiff City (h – AP) 0-3
OCT 15: Pwllheli (a – Welsh Cup) 13-0 (Ava Suckley 6, Carra Jones 2, Rosie Hughes, Libby MacKenzie, Lili Jones, Libby Whitefoot, Mari Gibbard)
OCT 22; Aberystwyth Town (a – AP) 2-1 (Rosie Hughes, Rebecca Pritchard)
OCT 29: The New Saints (h – AP) 3-1 (Carra Jones 2, Rosie Hughes)
NOV 5: Cardiff Met University (a – AP) 3-0 (Rosie Hughes, Mari Gibbard, Ava Suckley)
NOV 12: Llandudno (h – WC) 1-0 (Katie Sharp)
NOV 19: Swansea City (a – AP) 1-2 (Carra Jones)
DEC 10: Briton Ferry Llansawel (h – WC) 2-0 (Rosie Hughes, Libby MacKenzie)
DEC 17: Briton Ferry Llansawel (h – Genero Adran Trophy) 4-0 (Carra Jones 2, Tonicha Dickens, Ava Suckley)

LEAGUE
Played 8 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 2 Goals For 20 Goals Against 11 Points 16 Position 3rd
GOALSCORERS
10 – Rosie Hughes; 3 – Carra Jones; 2 – Rebecca Pritchard’ 1 – Mari Gibbard, Lili Jones, Hannah Keryakoplis, Amber Lightfoot, Ava Suckley

CUP
Played 4 Won 4 Goals For 20 Goals Against 0
GOALSCORERS
7 – Ava Suckley; 4 – Carra Jones; 2 – Rosie Hughes, Libby Mackenzie, 1 – Lili Jones, Libby Whitefoot, Mari Gibbard, Katie Sharp, Tonicha Dickens

TOTAL GOALS
12 – Rosie Hughes; 8 – Ava Suckley; 7 – Carra Jones; 2 – Mari Gibbard, Rebecca Pritchard, Lili Jones, Libby MacKenzie; 1 – Amber Lightfoot, Hannah Keryakoplis, Libby Whitefoot, Katie Sharp, Tonicha Dickens.

MATCH REPORT
Genero Adran Trophy round one
Wrexham 4 (C Jones 55 & 59; Dickens 90+1; Suckley 90+2)
Briton Ferry Llansawel 0

Briton Ferry have probably had just about enough of Wrexham for now.

On Sunday, Llansawel lost to the North Walians for a third time in 2023, a 1-0 success for Wrexham in last season’s Adran Premier play-off promotion final followed by 2-0 and 4-0 triumphs for the Red Dragons in the Welsh Cup and Genero Adran Trophy this term.

The first half of Sunday’s tussle was goalless, but Wrexham went on to take control in the second period against a much-changed opposition from the previous game.

In the opening half Wrexham could not find the opener despite having all the chances, and suffered a further blow just before the interval when top-scorer Rosie Hughes was forced off injured to be replaced by Ava Suckley.

Briton Ferry started the second half the better, Del Morgan forced to save from Lowri Baker before Lowri Ridings’ header then crashed off the crossbar.

On 55 minutes though, Wrexham were in front, Carra Jones’ fierce shot proving too hot for keeper Jo Nowak-Allum to handle as it trickled in.

After 59, Jones had her second, racing onto Mari Gibbard’s perfect pass to prod the ball beyond the onrushing Nowak-Allum.

Further Wrexham chances came and went before on 90 minutes Dickens added a third goal, curling a free-kick into the top corner.

And Suckley lashed in a thunderbolt fourth in added time.

GENERO ADRAN TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Swansea University v The New Saints
Swansea City v Cardiff Met
Wrexham v Cardiff City
Felinheli/Barry Town United v Aberystwyth Town
The quarter-final ties will take place on Sunday 7 January 2024.