Wrexham AFC Women continue to silence doubters – now can they hook the biggest fish?

GENERO ADRAN PREMIER – MARCH 2

Wrexham 3 (Suckley 25 & 27, C Jones 56)
The New Saints 1 (Havard 37)

Wrexham are doing more than their share of silencing the doubters lately.

Four days after a stunning midweek win at Swansea City to clinch a top-four place in the second phase of the Adran Premier season, Steve Dale’s side kicked off part two of the campaign with a superb 3-1 success over Genero Adran Trophy winners and Welsh Cup semi-finalists The New Saints.

The Park Hall outfit have not been shy in flagging up their improvements this season, but were put in their place on Sunday by a Wrexham outfit which has now won four out of five league meetings with Saints since the start of 2023-24.

While the Red Dragons needed a massive recovery mission to secure an upper-half berth for a second season running, their results against the higher-place sides this term are on an upward curve.

Swansea and TNS have both been seen off, now the next big target has to be champions Cardiff City, who the pride of North Wales visit this Sunday.

It won’t be lost on the Dragons that they have suffered defeats in all eight league and cup tussles with Cardiff since joining the Adran Premier in 2023-24.

But Wrexham can travel to the capital this weekend with confidence, on a run of five successive wins and undefeated in six.

One of the biggest pluses for the team has been the emergence of Ava Suckley, the sadly now injured Olivia Fuller and Abbie Iddenden as leading net-busters, lessening the reliance on Rosie Hughes for the bulk of the goals.

After Sunday’s double against TNS, Suckley has netted 14 times in 2024-25, Fuller has pocketed 11 and Iddenden 8, Hughes is also on eight, three in league combat.

Following that epic triumph over Swansea on Wednesday, manager Dale elected to make one change at The Rock, as midweek match-winner and captain Keren Allen returned to the starting XI.

TNS posed the first major threat, Liz Craven called into action after just nine minutes as she made a brilliant fingertip save to deny Lexi Jones.

Despite the visitors’ early pressure, Wrexham broke the deadlock after 24 minutes as Suckley produced an outstanding finish from an acute angle.

Three minutes later, Suckley took advantage as she dispossessed keeper Mackenzie Haydn-Jones before firing into an empty net to double her tally.

TNS halved the deficit on 37 through Molly Havard, whoslotted home from Grace Dunkerley’s cross.

Half-time: Wrexham 2-1

Carra Jones made it 3-1 in the 56th minute, lashing brilliantly from distance into the top-corner.

Iddenden saw an effort saved by Haydn-Jones just six minutes later.

Both sides battled it out in the closing stages, but the hosts showed great maturity to manage the game superbly and claim all three points in their opening match of phase two.