Heartbreak for Wrexham as champions grab a 94th minute winner

GENERO ADRAN PREMIER – SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026

Cardiff City 2 (Lovett OG 17, Barry 90+4)
Wrexham 1 (Hillier-Knox 60)

Heartbreak for leaders Wrexham as they were denied what would have been an outstanding point away to the champions by a 94th minute decider.

On the whole, Cardiff deserved the win based on chances created, having hit the goal frame four times as well as missing a host of other opportunities, but the visitors fought so hard to wipe out a half time deficit and could easily have claimed the victory themselves before the last-gasp drama.

While Wrexham were far from at their best, the passing lacking its usual sharpness and deliveries into the box well below the standard required, they still proved more than a match for Welsh domestic women’s football’s dominant force of the past three seasons.

In freezing conditions, there was a half time pitch inspection after concerns raised about the safety of the surface, but both sides soldiered on and produced a thrilling contest.

Chances flowed from the start, Mackenzie Olden lobbing the ball over advancing away keeper Liz Craven only for brilliant covering by Red Dragons captain Jodie Bartle to avert the danger.

Bartle produced a perfect challenge to foil Cardiff’s best player Lily Billingham when she looked set to score, before Carra Jones skewed wide at the other end.

City should have done better when Laura Curnock beat Craven to a loose ball, delivering into the middle where Mikayla Cook fluffed her lines with the goal gaping.

In the 14th minute, the Bluebirds’ Ffion Price lofted a cross-come-shot against the post and from the rebound Cook badly missed the target on the turn.

Lili Jones’ 20-yarder was held by home keeper Ceryn Chamberlain before the deadlock was finally broken in the 16th minute.

Cook was allowed far too much space out wide to deliver a low cross into the six-yard box where unlucky Wrexham defender Erin Lovett deflected the ball past her own keeper.

Billingham hit the crossbar twice with rockets before the break, while Faye Hillier-Knox missed Wrexham’s best chance of the half when she lashed over following fine work by Mariam Mahmood.

HALF-TIME: Cardiff 1 Wrexham 0

Wrexham started the second half the better and Cardiff were indebted to Lisa Owen making a near post block to deny Mahmood from an angle.

Cook was clean through for the hosts on 52, but was stopped by a well-timed Craven tackle. The ball ran to captain Hannah Power whose effort was a goal all the way, but Bartle was impeccably positioned on the line to head clear.

Then on the hour came the equaliser.

Hannah Snape lifted the ball into the box from near midway and Hillier-Knox stole in ahead of the defence to nod forward and then head in.

From here, Wrexham began to look the far more dangerous team in attack.

Top-scorer Katie Barker worked wonders on the right before laying it on a plate for Hillier-Knox who blasted wildly over.

Sub Barry fired straight at Craven, while Barker did the same at the other end when a cross into the middle would surely have led to a goal.

In the 94th minute came the clincher.

Defender Nieve Jenkins launched from the back over the Wrexham defence, Barry was quickest to pounce and Craven left the substitute far too much room to slot into the net.

Still the drama was not ever. Wrexham sub Ava Suckley connected with a header from a free kick which looked certain to find the net, but the ball hit a nonplussed Megan Bowen and went out for a corner.

Hard to take for Wrexham, but there is a long way to go in the title race yet.