PREVIEW: Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final – Can lightning strike twice in the most extraordinary way?

BUTE ENERGY WELSH CUP FINAL 2023-24
Cardiff City v Wrexham
Sunday, May 5, at Rodney Parade, Newport, kick off 5.25 pm

Do you believe lightning can ever strike twice in the same place?

Do omens mean anything or nothing? 

Could the same set of six UK national lottery numbers be drawn on two separate occasions?

How about this one?

Can a team which has lost five times to the same team in one season then beat them in a major cup final?

It happened last weekend in Wales….the question is, can it occur once more this Sunday?

Before last Sunday’s JD Welsh Cup Final saw Connah’s Quay Nomads stun The New Saints 2-1, the Deesiders had lost all four Cymru Premier clashes with Craig Harrison’s side in 2023-24 and exited the Nathaniel MG Cup at their hands.

Saints had won five out of five versus the Quay, scoring 19 goals and conceding just five.

Surely, the full-timers from Oswestry were going to make it 6-0, complete another treble and win the country’s biggest national knockout competition for a fourth time in a row?

Not a bit of it. Nomads produced a fantastic performance to defeat TNS 2-1 and end Saints’ run of 53 domestic games unbeaten.

This Sunday’s Bute Energy Women’s Welsh Cup Final throws up so many similarities to last weekend’s stunner it’s uncanny.

Not only is it taking place at the same venue – Rodney Parade, Newport, it also features a Cardiff City team, like TNS, pursuing a treble, the Adran Premier title and Adran Trophy already under lock and key.

In the Welsh Cup final, they will take on Wrexham, an opponent they have won all five tussles with this season – exactly the same statistic as TNS v Nomads carried before last weekend.

Goals for and against one another this season are quite similar to TNS v Nomads too – Cardiff 20 Wrexham 3.

On paper, Cardiff City are massive favourites, but Wrexham cannot be under-estimated.

In their debut season in the Adran Premier under the name Wrexham AFC Women, they finished a magnificent third – the joint best-ever national league position achieved by a representative of North Wales in the women’s top-flight.

Last weekend, Neil Gibson had a masterplan to see off TNS and it worked – much to the delight of North Wales football.

Can Wrexham coach Steve Dale achieve the same feat? It would be another massive boost for football in North Wales if they do.

No doubt, such an occurrence might also just catch the eye of new Wales women’s coach Rhian Wilkinson.

Wrexham are aiming to become the first North Wales team to lift the Women’s Welsh Cup since Bangor City landed the trophy for a third time in 2001/02.

Can the Red Dragonesses do it? The form book suggests no, but the omens are certainly good.

For evidence, just look back to last Sunday!

Last weekend, TNS were brought down a peg. We could do with the same happening to Cardiff City for the sake of Welsh football.

Come on Wrexham!

CARDIFF CITY v WREXHAM HEAD-TO-HEAD 2023-24

May 5: Cardiff City ? Wrexham ? (Welsh Cup Final)

Apr 7: Cardiff 5 Wrexham 1 (Adran Premier)

Mar 17: Wrexham 1 Cardiff 6 (AP)

Jan 21: Cardiff 3 Wrexham 0 (AP)

Jan 7: Wrexham 1 Cardiff 3 (Genero Adran Trophy)

Oct 8: Wrexham 0 Cardiff 3 (AP)

Played 5

Wins: Cardiff 5 Wrexham 0

Goals: Cardiff 20 Wrexham 3

THE NEW SAINTS v CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS HEAD-TO-HEAD 2023-24

Apr 28: Connah’s Quay Nomads 2 The New Saints 1 (Welsh Cup Final)

Apr 21: The New Saints 2 Connah’s Quay Nomads 0 (Cymru Premier)

Mar 8: Nomads 1 TNS 5 (CP)

Dec 31: Nomads 1 TNS 4 (CP)

Aug 11: TNS 6 Nomads 2 (CP)

Aug 5: TNS 2 Nomads 1 (Nathaniel MG Cup)

Played 6

Wins: TNS 5 Nomads 1

Goals: TNS 20 Nomads 7

FAW Women’s Welsh Cup list of finals

1992-93: Pilkington (Rhyl) 1-0 Inter Cardiff
1993-94: Pilkington (Rhyl) 2-2 (4-2 pen) Inter Cardiff
1994-95: Inter Cardiff 1-1 (4-3 pen) Bangor City
1995-96: Newport Strikers 1-0 Bangor City
1996-97: Bangor City 3-0 Newcastle Emlyn
1997-98: Barry Town 3-0 Bangor City
1998-99: Barry Town 3-0 Newport Strikers
1999-2000: Barry Town 2-2 (3-0 pen) Bangor City
2000-01: Bangor City 3-0 Newport Strikers
2001-02: Bangor City 4-2 Newport County
2002-03: Cardiff City 1-0 Bangor City
2003-04: Cardiff City 4-0 Newtown
2004-05: Cardiff City 4-1 Cardiff City Bluebirds
2005-06: Cardiff City 11-0 Pwllheli
2006-07: Cardiff City 6-1 Caernarfon Town
2007-08: Cardiff City 9-0 NEWI Wrexham
2008-09: Cardiff City 3-0 Caerphilly Castle
2009-10: Cardiff City 6-0 UWIC
2010-11: Swansea City 3-0 Caernarfon Town
2011-12: Cardiff City 1-1 (4-2 pen) UWIC
2012-13: Cardiff City 3-1 Cardiff Met
2013-14: Cardiff Met 4-0 Swansea City
2014-15: Swansea City 4-2 Cardiff City
2015-16: Cardiff City FC Women 5-2 Llandudno
2016-17: Cardiff Met 2-2 (5-4 pen) Swansea City
2017-18: Swansea City 2-1 Cardiff City
2018-19: Cardiff Met 2-0 Abergavenny

2019–20: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 Cardiff City 2-0 Cardiff Met
2022–23: Cardiff City 4-0 Briton Ferry Llansawel

2023-24 FINAL

Match officials

Referee: Cheryl Foster
Assistant Referee 1: Ceri Williams
Assistant Referee 2: Michelle Portelli
Fourth Official: Charlotte Carpenter
Reserve Assistant Referee: Katie Hannah