Wrexham’s riches hope to tackle Cardiff’s dominance in the FAW Women’s Cup Final. 

 

There is a lot on the line when Cardiff City women face Wrexham AFC in the FAW Women’s Cup final on the 5th of May.

It is first time since Wrexham reformed in 2018 that they have reached the final, while the Bluebirds are looking for the final piece in an historic treble, having already claimed the Adran Premier title and the League Cup.

The Bluebirds have won the trophy in the last two seasons, beating Briton Ferry Llansawel 4-0 in the 2023 final.

Cardiff right wing back Lisa Owen has been at the club since 2014 and has seen the rise of the club, from coming third consistently behind Swansea and Cardiff Met, to league champions in the last two years.

“At one time we’d expect to be beaten by Swansea every game,” says Owen.

“We’d lose 7-0, 5-0 and it shows how far we’ve come to beat them 4-0 to clinch the league, it’s such massive achievement for us especially for the girls who have stayed by the team, the development has been crazy.”

Owen balances football, training three times a week, with her role as a residential support worker, working nights, whilst she is also a new mum to daughter Rori who was born in September 2022.

“I won’t lie, I don’t sleep!” says Owen.

“Some training sessions I’m there and I’m dizzy and the legs are dead, but I just want to play football until I can’t.

“I’ve got loads of support from my partner, we’ve always known I wasn’t ready to give up football when we were trying for Rori so it’s just a case of adjusting really.

“It does come with a lot of sacrifices, especially last year with the Champions League, I missed her first steps but when she’s older she’ll think it’s amazing and I want her to look up to me and think ‘Well done mam’.”

Kerry Walklett signed for the Bluebirds in January and is already looking forward to joining Owen in the Champions League this summer.

The former West Brom player balances her life at Cardiff with that of an international futsal player.

“They’ve just launched an England futsal squad that will go to the World Cup Qualifiers in October,” says Walklett.

“We’ve got a couple more sessions and then they’ll cut more again before our final World Cup squad.

“I play and train for both, alongside working with my football coaching company, I’ll be training futsal on Friday and playing that on a Saturday, it’s a bit mental but I’m used to it now.”

Their opponents on the 5th of May were promoted at the end of last season and both Walklett and Owen are glad to see the investment Wrexham’s Hollywood owners have put into the club.

“The more clubs that invest then the better,” says Walklett.

“You saw that in England when WSL2 opened its doors to teams being able to buy places and teams like Manchester United bought their way into the Championship.

“There is a conversation to be had around the money side of things but the more that invest, and the more fans they bring in, overall, I think it’s probably a good thing.” 

This season, owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have provided extra investment with semi-professional contracts for some of the women’s players.  

One of those to benefit is 21-year-old Amber Lightfoot who signed for Wrexham in 2021, initially to be part of their u19s team but has since risen to the senior ranks.

“I was at Liverpool’s academy, and it was my mum actually who suggested making the move to Wrexham,” says Lightfoot.

“She’d seen that Rob and Ryan had come over and emphasised they wanted to improve the women’s team, so I got in touch with the head of women’s football Gemma Owen, the progression in the team from then to now is crazy.”

Lightfoot currently balances a Business degree with Airbus in Chester, studying, working, and finding time to train three times a week.

“On Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s I’ll leave the house at 7AM for work and get back at 10PM after training,” says Lightfoot.

“It’s tough and hard work but I do it because I love playing football. When I was at Liverpool, I struggled to balance my education with my football, but I’ve learnt that you need to keep both as you never know what’s around the corner.

“I’d love to be professional but that’s not the case at the moment, it’s massive for girls in this situation to not just give up their career and education.”

Del Morgan is another who has received a semi-professional contract.

The now 28-year-old goalkeeper was part of Wrexham Ladies as a teenager before the team folded, joining Liverpool’s academy before she returned to Wrexham in 2021.

“Semi-pro status brings a little bit more pressure, because we have to perform and earn the contract we’ve been offered,” says Morgan.

“We want to fight for the right to have a contract but also, as the club has invested in us, we need to give back to the club as it’s an honour to be paid to play.

“If I’d have been semi-pro younger, I’d have been a different player, all the youngsters are so lucky, and I hope they don’t take it for granted as soon it’ll be all they ever know.

“Hopefully, they take it with two hands and work hard to keep it.”

Wrexham finished third in the Adran Premier this season, behind Cardiff and Swansea, Morgan sees that achievement in their first season back in the top-flight as only the beginning.

“We set out at the start of the season to finish in the top four and to win a trophy,” says Morgan.

“We’re on track to do that and it’s going to be tough game, but we fully believe we can win it and spoil Cardiff City’s treble hopes.

“This is only the start for us, I knew three years ago Wrexham was on the up. When Cardiff lifted the league in the stadium this year, we gave them a guard of honour and I said one day they will be doing that for us.

“Wrexham are winning the league in the next two or three years.”