Just a single point separates Abergavenny and Cardiff Met in the Orchard Welsh Premie League, and the margins are expected to be just as close when the two sides meet at Leckwith Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday (2pm) to decide which club will be crowned as the new League Cup champions.
Cardiff Met head into the match with the psychological advantage after defeating Abergavenny 2-0 in the league last November, and repeated the result when the two sides met in the Welsh Cup earlier this month. However, both managers were in agreement this week that the past will count for little on Sunday, and with both teams playing second fiddle to Swansea City at the top of the league table, each are desperate to make sure they add their name to the trophy. The finalists also headlined the individual awards for January with Abergavenny captain Ceri Hudson being named Player of the Month and Cardiff Met manager Dr Kerry Harris collecting the Manager of the Month award.
Both teams have found progress in the competition pretty comfortable this season, but Abergavenny manager Richie Jeremiah has seen a distraction in his side since their 4-0 semi-final victory over Port Talbot Town last month. “Since the semi-final it’s been hard to keep the girls focused,” explained Jeremiah. “We we’re 1-0 up at half-time against Cyncoed last weekend but the second half wasn’t an Abergavenny performance and we lost 4-1. It wasn’t what we have come to expect as we set our standards high and I expect a reaction on Sunday. The girls know what is expected of them. They are really excited though, as this really is the biggest game of our season.”
However, Jeremiah was optimistic about his team’s chances on Sunday, even though they have to travel to the capital to take on the students. “We know that on our day we’re capable of beating anyone in the league,” he added. “A cup final is all about what happens on the day. We’ve lost to Cardiff Met twice this season but that won’t have any bearing on Sunday’s match. We’re expecting a good crowd to get behind us, even though we would have preferred a different venue. The final message to the girls will be to play to their ability and to stick to our tactics and game plan. It’s also important that we don’t let the occasion get to us, but we know what were capable of if we play to our strengths.”
Meanwhile, Cardiff Met warmed up for the final with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Cardiff City FC last weekend, a victory that moved the side above their opponents and also Abergavenny into second place. However, manager Dr Kerry Harris is too wise in her approach to let recent league form convince her that her side have any advantage on Sunday. “It was a good result, but we were quite poor in the first half,” reflected Harris. “But the second half showed that we can bounce back so it was great preparation for us ahead of the final. Anything can happen in a cup final though.”
Despite two victories over their cup final opponents, Harris will not be letting her side take anything for granted on Sunday. “They are a good side and I expect it to be a very competitive cup final,” she added. “We’re absolutely thrilled to be in the final and the girls are really looking forward to it. However, we have to stay focused on the task ahead, and we can’t allow ourselves to get too caught-up in the whole occasion. It’s a case of getting out there and getting the job done, but we are very mindful of what a good side Abergavenny are, and although we have beaten them twice, both games were very close.”
Source / Image – welshpremierwomensleague.co.uk
