This isn't new territory for the Racecourse Ground and it’s certainly not for Rosie Hughes. The Wrexham striker knows this spectre: wheeling away to one of the Stok Cae Rae’s corner flags, arms akimbo, smile full, a tad rebellious.
Almost 12 months to the day the 28-year-old was doing the very same, celebrating her 24th goal of a scintillating Invincibles campaign on the way to historic top-flight promotion with Wrexham Women.
History repeats but rarely in the same vein. Despite Hughes ostensibly playing the saviour with 10 minutes remaining and a bevy of other chances for Wrexham to secure a much-needed win, it was Swansea’s Ellie Lake whose last-gasp injury time goal crashed into the back of the net in front of the Stok Cold Brew stand, igniting the small travelling Swansea contingent into celebrations on Sunday afternoon.
Perhaps there’s no better match to encapsulate the ongoing evolution of Wrexham Women. Twelve months on from a record-breaking crowd of 9,511 -- including owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds -- watching Hughes clinch the Adran North title in the game's dying minutes with an immaculate record of 12 wins from 12, just over 2,000 fans sat in the Wrexham Lager Stand reconciling a cruel loss in stoppage time as Wrexham battle to keep within touching distance of the league's top sides.
There are two things to come out of Wrexham Women’s 3-2 Adran Premier defeat to Swansea on Sunday. One is the sensational rivalry which has brewed between Swansea and Wrexham since the latter claimed a point off the six-time Welsh champions in September.
Fan fury after just four of Euro 22 winning Lioness squad given New Year honours
Since, temperatures have been fiery. Goal celebrations turned territorial. Swansea keeper Chelsea Herbert was heckled mercilessly as she attempted to wind down the clock. There was a gleeful demand to “stick that in your documentary”, and Swansea interim boss Chris Church needed no urging to indulge in animated full-time fist pumps.
Which leads to the second thing: Where Wrexham Women stand in their first season in the Adran Premier (Wales’ top-flight), and how far away they are from upending the status quo, their mission since gaining promotion.
WREXHAM, WALES - 24 March 2024: Chris Church First Team Manager of Swansea City Women in the Genero Adran Premier fixture between Wrexham AFC and Swansea City Women FC at the Stok Cae Ras Stadium in Wrexham, Wales. (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW) (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW)A top-four finish was the sensible ambition since promotion, a feat achieved since the league’s splitting two weeks ago. Wrexham finished third, losing only to reigning champions Cardiff and former champions Swansea. They face the duo and fourth-placed Aberystwyth for the season’s remainder, battling for the top spot and a chance at Europe.
Reigning champions Cardiff City remain easy favourites for the title. But for a team revelling the trajectory Wrexham is, ambitions rise. The sense of disappointment which collided between the stands and the pitch at full-time was testament to the fact that a top-four finish will now only satiate this club so much.
“From an outsider’s point of view, top four was minimum for us but from the inside, we wanted to be competing with Cardiff and Swansea,” says Lili Jones, who caught Herbert off her line to open the scoring after 20 minutes. “Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten any points from them other than one from Swansea but I don’t think we’re miles off Swansea.
"We’re trying to get there, we’re not miles away. I think once it all comes together, we will blow them away.”
WREXHAM, WALES - 24 March 2024: Lili Jones of Wrexham AFC Women celebrates scoring the opening goal in the Genero Adran Premier fixture between Wrexham AFC and Swansea City Women FC at the Stok Cae Ras Stadium in Wrexham, Wales. (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW) (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW)For large periods on Sunday, things seemed to be coalescing. Wrexham's play was slick, their defence proactive and their game plan solid. The result was rare dominance in a contest they have managed only a draw from despite four meetings.
Early on Hughes saw a cheeky back heel cleared off the line. February recruit Brooke Cairns, formerly of Wolverhampton Wanderers, was hellbent on instigating something spectacular. The 20-year-old had the opportunity to do so shortly after the interval, only for the slightest hesitation to scupper it.
Later on, it was Amber Lightfoot with the chance, then TJ Dickens who scraped the inside of the far post with a corner. Finally Annie Small, whose chance looked so executable that parts of the stadium erupted into premature applause.
It’s these margins which make the difference, or as women’s football director Gemma Owen said simply after the fact, “mistakes get punished here”. A botched clearance and a poor challenge led to Swansea’s equaliser as Robyn Pinder converted from the spot in the first-half. Monet Legall’s goal to put Swansea 2-1 was equally avoidable, as was Lake’s winner in stoppage time shortly after Hughes headed home Annie Small’s pinpoint cross to salvage a point. Wrexham had their chances. Swansea had theirs. The latter took them.
Hayes sends parting message as Beth England completes record WSL transfer
Lili Jones, 18, scored her first goal at the Racecourse Ground on Sunday (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW)If there are themes to be gleaned from this season, avertable mistakes wreaking big consequences are one of them. As is, importantly, learning curves, a theme that can feel like a cop out but that's appropriate given the setting of the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham could've won and probably should've. This is the next step: honing the craft, crisping passes, committing to the transition, finding the angles and improving decision-making.
The stats read glumly at the moment. Three defeats in three matches since the split. But a glance 12 months back brings some necessary perspective.
“We’re on a different level and I think anyone watching will see that,” says Jones. “Then we were unlucky not to get a goal. But compared to 12 months ago, the quality of football is much better but we still have so much more to give. I hope everyone sticks with us because there’s definitely more to come from Wrexham Women.”
Monet Legall celebrates scoring Swansea City's second goal (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW)Jones is keen to point out that evolution takes time, and perhaps no one is better suited to argue the point than the 18-year-old. A childhood fan of the club, the midfielder smashed home her goal at the Racecourse in front of the very stand she has watched the men’s team play her entire life, where she is still watching them attempt to win promotion to League One.
That the stand was empty this time around, or that the ground didn't feature the club's famous owners, meant little to Jones. “It’s a big deal,” Jones says of the crowd.
“Last year was a different occasion. Rob and Ryan were here, they bring people in, it’s different. But to organically bring 2,000 people to a ground to watch a women’s football game, if someone said that to me before last year, I’d have told them where to go. Putting on a display like that will only make people want to come back.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
