Wrexham secured their place in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League first qualifying round with an emphatic 4-2 win over Armenian side FC Pyunik at the Racecourse Ground.

Jenny Sugarman made two changes to the side that faced Sporting Club Jacksonville in a friendly the previous Thursday, bringing in Liz Craven and Bella Reidford in place of Lucy Farrell and Mikayla Cook.

The Red Dragons will now face Latvia’s Riga in Saturday’s final, after the Estonian side beat Glentoran 4-1 earlier in the competition.

The visitors made the ideal start, pouncing on a loose Wrexham goal-kick when Craven’s clearance fell to Ani Karapetyan, who teed up Susanna Badalyan to loft the ball over the onrushing keeper and into an empty net.

Wrexham hit back within two minutes, and in some style.

Faye Knox burst down the left to break the lines before dragging the ball back for Katie Barker to tap home, a goal that marked the first for a Welsh club in the Women’s Champions League since 2021.

Barker remained a persistent threat throughout the half, going close again around the 20-minute mark when clever movement got her free in the box, though her effort was straight at Pyunik keeper Amber Lockwood.

Maria Francis-Jones was a consistent outlet down the right, whipping in a string of dangerous crosses, one of which almost brought a second when Josie Smith’s effort drifted just wide of the far post.

Wrexham took the lead five minutes into the second half through a moment of real quality, Lili Jones chipping a superb effort from just inside the box that gave Lockwood no chance.

The hosts doubled their advantage on 62 minutes when Jones’ follow-up shot was parried into a goalmouth scramble, and Ava Suckley showed real determination to force the ball over the line.

Pyunik responded immediately, with Luiza Ghazaryan curling a brilliant strike from distance into the top corner to keep the visitors in the tie.

Knox almost had a contender for goal of the season 15 minutes from time, turning her marker inside the box before chipping Lockwood, only to see her effort drift narrowly wide.

There was still time for one more moment of history, as new signing Natasha Thomas – on her competitive debut – won the ball cleverly in the box and wrongfooted both her marker and the keeper to seal a 4-2 win and send Wrexham through to Saturday’s final.

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