Wrexham AFC Women pass latest big test in great win at The New Saints

In their first season back in Welsh football’s top flight, Wrexham AFC Women have only found unbeaten runaway leaders Cardiff City too good for them – and that is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

Steve Dale’s side celebrated yet another impressive result in the Genero Adran Premier on Wednesday night when they recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at The New Saints.

It was the latest big test the Red Dragons have passed with flying colours.

Currently third in the table, just three points behind Swansea City in second and nine off Cardiff City, Wrexham have a great record of won seven, drawn one and lost three so far.

Two of those losses came against Cardiff City, 3-0 home and away, the other a narrow 2-1 reverse at Swansea.

Given last season’s Tier 2 Genero Adran North champions also drew 3-3 with Swansea at home on the opening day of 2023-24 shows there is very little between those two teams.

The Adran Premier top three are beginning to break away, and if Wrexham finish among the leading trio come the end of the campaign, it will be a fantastic achievement.

After 14 matches, the league splits into two sections of four teams (top four and the bottom four), with the teams playing every other team in their section twice (once at home and once away).

The exact matches are determined by the position of the teams in the league table at the time of the 14-game split.

Wrexham look a great bet for the top four.

No North Wales team has finished higher than third since the Welsh Premier Women’s League went fully national in 2012-13.

That season the top three were Cardiff City, Cardiff Met and….Wrexham.

Between 2009-10 and 2011-12, the Welsh Women’s Premier was regionalised, the South and North champions playing off for the national title.

Caernarfon Town were runners-up in 2009-10 and 2010-11, while Wrexham were beaten finalists in 2011-12.

The day is surely not too far away when Wrexham, if current progress continues, become the first ever Welsh national league champions from the north.

Perhaps not this season, but runners-up is certainly a decent possibility.

While Wrexham dished out some heavy beatings in Tier 2 last season, many of their victories this term have been more of the ‘ground-out’ variety. But these wins have been achieved showing tremendous determination and team-work, as well as skill.

Wednesday’s battle with The New Saints started badly for the visitors as the Shropshire hosts took a two-goal lead inside 12 minutes through Helen Evans and Charlotte Teare.

Having lost 3-0 to Cardiff just four days earlier, this was a big test of Wrexham’s character.

However, by half time, the Reds were level thanks to strikes from defenders Keren Allen and Katie Sharp.

Wrexham’s cause was helped in the 51st minute when Saints’ first scorer Evans was shown a red card.

And the away comeback was complete when Mari Gibbard made it 3-2 on 74 minutes.

A welcome sight for the visitors was the return to the starting line-up of goal machine Rosie Hughes after a spell on the sidelines through injury (she did appear briefly as a sub on Sunday).

Although on this occasion the remarkable Hughes – 102 goals in 52 appearances for the team – did not find the net, she remains joint top-scorer in the Adran Premier and will surely be banging them in for fun again soon.

Completing the double over TNS in the league surely gives Wrexham a psychological advantage ahead of the forthcoming Welsh Cup semi-final against the same opponent.

Sunday’s 3-0 loss at Cardiff City Stadium was not one of Wrexham’s best showings, especially at the back, but it must be acknowledged they were playing the best team in the league and the Reds squad are still adjusting to the demands of Tier 1.

The week before they edged past Barry Town United at The Rock, Ava Suckley with the winner in a game Wrexham again showed they have ample grit and determination to accompany their outstanding football.