The top four places in the Adran Premier could be decided tonight: Cardiff will clinch the title with a draw against Swansea, while Wrexham can secure third place by avoiding defeat at Aberystwyth.
THE WREXHAM ANGLE
The Red Dragons know that avoiding defeat will confirm a terrific achievement: Third place in our first season in the top tier of Welsh football.
Avoiding defeat will not be the intention as Steve Dale's side travel west, though. Last Sunday's cruel defeat at the hands of Swansea City will serve as a motivation as Wrexham seek our first win in the second phase of the season.
The consistent message in the post-match interviews was a desire to translate Sunday's performance into a result on Wednesday, after a game which really ought to have treated an excellent crowd at the STōK Cae Ras to a home win.
The Swansea match wasn't all frustration, though, as Liv Fuller continued her return from a long-term injury by completing 90 minutes for the first time in two years.
If two games in four days is judged to be too much of a risk for her, Wrexham have defensive strength in depth with Erin Lovett, Katie Sharp and Ruby Jones ready to step up. Also, Dale could decide to revert to a back four, which he used in both wins over Aberystwyth in the opening phase of the season.
LAST TIME WE MET
THE VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Town clinched their place in the top 4 on the last day of the season by holding their only rivals, TNS, to a dramatic 3-3 draw.
That result followed an impressive away draw against Swansea, which showed they can rise to the occasion.
Their fighting qualities were also brought into focus through a gritty goalless draw against Cardiff at the start of the season - the only points the champions dropped in the opening stage of the season until the last round of matches.
🎙️ Amy J (@CambrianNews): "The girls never gave up and gave everything to give the home crowd something to cheer about."
— Aberystwyth Town Women FC (@AberTownWomen) March 26, 2024
⬇️ Amy J's Notebook - Read more below. #ATWFC | 💚https://t.co/reV9mC1Li5
Aberystwyth have shown fighting spirit against City in the second phase of games too. Their match against Swansea was postponed, so they've only played two games since the mid-season break, both against Cardiff. In both matches they ensured City didn't run away with the game, losing 3-0 away and 2-0 at home.
Wrexham's 2-1 win at Park Avenue in October felt like a significant result at the time, and it turned out to be a key moment in our season.
Seeking to find our place in the top division, a controlled away win, earned despite going behind to an absolute screamer early on, felt like an indication that a place in the top four was well within our grasp.
We reeled off a couple of comprehensive wins straight afterward to ensure we built on the result, and have been in the top three ever since.
