After a very good BUCS season, CULF lost to our bitter rivals Swansea at Llanrumney. As CULF walked onto the pitch, the crowds were cheering loudly, which is always nice to see at Welsh Varsity. The fans were right behind the team throughout the match. In the first five minutes, CULF were dominating. CULF’s Number 9 Libby Friel made some incredible runs and had a great attack. Swansea’s backline struggled to keep her out of the box. The first shot for CULF came from Friel. It went just wide of the right post.
It was clear that Swansea were not expecting Libby to press high up the pitch. Swansea got their wake-up call early on and their attack was strong. CULF struggled to keep Swansea out of the box. In the 13th minute Swansea’s Number 10 went for goal—they hit the post and tried to go for a rebound, but CULF’s goalkeeper Sofia Pittortou made an incredible save to keep the goal out the back of the net. CULF’s lucky escape was no more, as in the 16th minute Swansea got the vital opening goal. CULF were desperate for an equaliser. CULF’s Number 16 Libby Veitch made an immediate impact as she went for goal and it went just wide. Jemima, the Number 20 also went for goal, but once again it went narrowly wide. The Number 2 and Number 21 Ellie and Luana were incredible, forcing Swansea to kick the ball out of play numerous times. In the 30th minute, Swansea’s Number 7 made a very dangerous tackle on CULF’s Number 16 Libby Veitch. The fans did not like that at all—and neither did the referee, as she got yellow carded.
When Swansea’s Number 7 went to get the ball for a throw-in, she was continuously booed by the Cardiff fans. In the 31st and the 34th minutes, Swansea scored two goals. The Greens completely rubbed salt into the Reds’ open wounds. Going down 3–0 at half-time was definitely not the plan, but Cardiff did the absolute best they could have done.
The second half kicked off with Freya coming on for Luana. Freya, the Number 11 for CULF, made an immediate impact. In the 47th minute, Freya got taken down in the box by Swansea’s Number 3. The referee pointed to the spot and it was a penalty for CULF! The captain and Number 10 for CULF Hannah Foulkes stepped up to the spot and put the ball in the back of the net. The score was 3-1.
CULF picked up momentum but Swansea’s defence were very strong, in particular their Number 15. Unfortunately, the Swansea side were just better.