After 22 weeks of hard-fought football, Phase 1 of the Adran Premier has drawn to a close, and it has been anything but predictable. The league has delivered dominant performances, surprise packages, and a few shocking struggles along the way. After a 14-game double round robin, the league now splits into two halves as the top four enter the Championship Conference, chasing glory and a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League preliminary round, whilst the bottom four head to the Plate Conference, fighting to avoid relegation. With points from Phase 1 carrying over, every game in Phase 2 will feel like a cup final, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. At the top, Cardiff City Women remain the favourites, chasing their fourth consecutive title, while Wrexham Women and Swansea City Women are looking to close the gap. At the other end of the table, survival will be brutal. Nowhere is this clearer than for Pontypridd United Women, who enter Phase 2 without a point and facing a monumental task to stay in the Adran Premier. Cardiff City Eye Fourth Straight Title as Wrexham and Swansea Wait in the Wings If Phase 1 has told us anything, it’s that Cardiff City Women remain the benchmark of the league, topping the table by one point. The defending three-time champions have blended tactical discipline with individual quality, and their +40 goal difference demonstrates both attacking flair and defensive solidity. Laura Curnock’s 11 goals not only put her third in the race for the golden boot, but underline City’s quality in attack, with the side only failing to score in their opening day defeat to TNS. With points carrying over into Phase 2, their lead, however slim, gives them the psychological edge as they enter the Championship Conference. However, Wrexham Women sit just one point behind the reigning champions, having produced one of their most impressive Phase 1 campaigns in recent memory, and with two more opportunities to face off with City the story is far from written. The rivals first faced off in October, with a 1-1 draw at The Globe, a late penalty from Barry allowing City to equalise, after Katie Barker’s first half chip over their keeper. In the return fixture at Cardiff’s International Sports Campus, Fiona Barry was the hero again, as her stoppage time goal earned City a 2-1 win over the Red Dragons. Katie Barker leads the league in goals with 15, a sum that has kept Wrexham competitive even whilst the side has struggled to control possession. She will continue to be crucial in Phase 2, as Wrexham eye their first title. Swansea City Women, historical heavyweights with six league titles, tied for the most in the Adran Premier’s history, trail Wrexham by four points. Chloe Chivers and Aimee Deacon, with 12 and 10 goals respectively have spearheaded their attacking line, and Phase 1 showed the Swans’ capacity to both grind out and dominate results. The side inflicted the season’s biggest win in October, putting ten past struggling Pontypridd. Whilst their historic experience in title races could prove vital, they have failed to defeat either of their title rivals across home and away ties this season. The New Saints, sitting seven points behind Swansea in fourth, have experienced a solid, if less explosive campaign with a +12 goal difference. Whilst TNS consistently find themselves mid-table following the league phase, they are yet to win a title and Phase 2 provides them a chance to cement themselves as genuine top four contenders. However, they face a steeper climb to overcome the attacking firepower of Cardiff, Wrexham, and Swansea. The Plate Conference: A Relegation Dilemma The other side of the split offers a grimmer reality. Briton Ferry Llansawel top the Conference with 16 points, whilst Aberystwyth Town and Barry Town United follow closely behind, both on 13. Pontypridd United sit bottom of the division with no points and face an uphill battle to avoid relegation in a six-game Phase 2. Pontypridd’s struggles are stark, promoted from the Adran South last season, they have yet to claim a point and with just 11 scored in 14 and a -60 goal difference, most would argue they have little to play for. The pressure at the bottom of the Adran Premier for Pontypridd is compounded by ambitious challengers waiting in the wings. The Adran North and South, the second-tier Welsh leagues contain several sides eager to make the step up. Currently Connah’s Quay Nomads top the North Division on 18 points, with Llanfair United and Flint Town United following on twelve. In the South Division, previously illustrious Cardiff Met top the proceedings with 21 points. However, Pure Swansea and Carmarthen Town are close behind on 18. Met have enjoyed historic success in Welsh football’s Premier Division, holding six titles, equal at the top with Swansea City. At the conclusion of the league campaign, the leader of each Division will face one and other, with the winner claiming promotion. For Pontypridd United, the coming weeks of competition aren’t only a test of endurance, but question whether they can withstand both the pressure within the league and the looming threat of ambitious newcomers.
Is There a Growing Gap?
For Welsh Women’s Football, 2025 marked a year of tremendous growth, as the Senior National Side qualified for their first major tournament, competing at the 2025 UEFA Women’s European Championships in Switzerland. Whilst results were underwhelming, and the side failed to win a game during the tournament, Rhian Wilkinson’s side rounded off the year with a 1-1 draw against the Korea Republic and 3-2 win against Switzerland in friendlies. However, domestically, concerns are rising. The 26-player squad for that final camp didn’t include a single player from the Welsh league, which is yet to become a professional set- up. Instead, 22 of the squad came from different divisions of the English domestic pyramid, with other players competing in the United States, Australia, and Sweden. Phase 1 of the Adran Premier also highlighted a stark reality, as the gap between the league’s top and bottom teams is widening. While Cardiff, Wrexham and Swansea consistently collected points in alignment with increasing investment and professionalisation, teams at the other end are struggling to keep up. A +40 goal difference for league leaders Cardiff City compared with a staggering -60 for Pontypridd United tells the story of a league where the gulf in quality can be glaring. Even teams like Barry Town United and Aberystwyth Town, who have steered well clear from the relegation spot, frequently found themselves on the back foot, consistently conceding goals against sides with sharper attacking instincts. Whilst the Championship Conference becomes increasingly competitive, the Plate Conference promises to be a brutal slog. For teams such as Pontypridd, who have been unable to adjust to the demands of top-flight football, the consequences of decreasing competitiveness loom. As the divide becomes harder to ignore, Phase 2 of the league will show whether dominance is entrenched, or whether resilience can still rewrite the script.