WHU Cup Semi-final

18th May  v UWIC   5 - 0 Win

Swansea put behind them the shaky display in the first half of the previous day’s semi final against Howardians to dominate this Cup Final game from start to finish in a thoroughly professional manner. The class and experience of the Swansea players shone through and, as a result, the game was a rather one sided affair. UWIC had given everything to beat a very good Welshpool side the day before and seemed not to have very much to offer in the face of Swansea’s superior tactical and skills based approach. Swansea immediately flooded into the UWIC half of the pitch from the first whistle and applied controlled pressure. In the third minute Kat Budd made a long run down the left channel, cut in sharply and was fouled in the circle. From the injection Sarah Sloane repeated her drag flick of the day before and this time the ball looped into the goal way beyond the reach of the UWIC keeper. Nia Fowler then caused UWIC real problems with a dribble down the right and a cross which the defenders just managed to clear. A lone breakaway by UWIC got them a penalty corner on 9 minutes but they failed to capitalise on the opportunity. Swansea then won a penalty corner of their own and Clare Halliday tipped the ball just over the bar. Sian Fowler had a number of runs down the right channel and from one of her hard crosses Nia’s deflection brought off a stunning save by the keeper with the ball goal bound. Swansea were winning penalty corner after penalty corner with the ball worked down the right but somehow UWIC managed to cope with the corner moves. Then Robyn Wilford dribbled skilfully into the D and was badly obstructed. This time, from the corner, Natalie Blyth swept the ball cleanly into the goal on 18 minutes. Angharad Griffiths had little to do in defence but was finding Nia well with long passes. One such pass on 20 minutes found Nia with Sian steaming up on the overlap. Nia rolled the ball into her path but as she shaped to shoot a defender got a stick in to deny her in full flow. Swansea were firing in cracking crosses time after time and one from Kat saw Clare again just tip the ball over the bar on 28 minutes. Following this, Sian and Robyn combined well for Robyn to get the ball to Nia on the far post where she was clattered by a defender. From the penalty corner, on 29 minutes, Natalie again stepped up to slot the ball home with a clinical straight strike to make the score 3-0 to Swansea at half time.

Swansea began the second half with Kat making a great run up the left, driving into the D and making the keeper work hard to save her shot. The clearance fell to Robyn and she switched to Sian who hit the ball in hard for Nia to push just wide – a great statement of intent from the off. Huge pressure now came from Swansea and after 43 minutes Emily Scudamore came dribbling through on the left, passed to Sloaney in the D and Sloaney hit a tremendous reverse shot into the goal. Swansea had one scare a few minutes later when there was a mix up in defence and Llian Trew dealt well with the clearance as UWIC strikers bore down on her. From the hit out Angharad set Clare free on goal with Sloaney outside her. Clare drew the keeper but a defender got back to hustle Sloaney and concede a corner on 52 minutes. Yet again the ball skewed high over the bar from Clare’s deflection and then Nia put one over the bar with a tip from Angry’s pass. With ten minutes to play Nia forced another corner as UWIC defended desperately and this time Nia was able to deflect the ball into the goal from the strike for goal number 5. The whole squad were given pitch time as the game petered out with stalwarts Gemma and Beth being joined by newcomers Abi, Jennie and Jenaya.

The Welsh Cup has come back to Swansea and the successful outcome to this weekend has been due once again to great skills, great team spirit and a will to win.

Thanks to Rob Fowler for the report