Emily Marchant (right)              Photo by: Kirsty Lloyd

Marchant who played in 2009, the last time Swansea had won the varsity match, was obviously delighted following the match.

“To score the winner in the Welsh Varsity match has to be one of the best feelings of my life,” she said.

“Scoring the first equaliser was amazing but I think at that moment we all could sense that this game could be ours.

“The great atmosphere helped as well, we had great support from our supporters and from those players in the club who didn’t get a chance to play themselves.

“Just having them all there was fantastic and really lifted the spirits of the team as we went for the win.”

Cardiff went ahead first through Hannah Mills’ cool finish from open play in the first minute and then Emily Dunne’s header from a corner.

However, they were pegged back twice, the second time through a wonderful lob from outside of the box by captain Ria Llewellyn.

Emily Marchant was the scorer of Swansea’s other two goals, including the late winner.

Her first came when she made a well-timed run behind the Cardiff defence before coolly slotting
home.

And she scored what proved to be the winner with a similar goal.

Captain Llewellyn is set to leave the club this summer and praised the team’s efforts following her final match for the club.

“The result just shows the true grit and determination which every single player was willing to give,” she said.

“I’m proud of the effort that was given by the players, it made it an enjoyable game for us all.

“This win is the result of all the hard work the club have put in throughout the year.

“It’s been an amazing three years for me to be a part of this club.

“And to go out as a winning captain is the best feeling ever.’’

Swansea lost 7-2 in 2012.

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY 3-2 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

The match had originally been scheduled to take place at Pontcanna but was switched due to a waterlogged pitch.

“I thought we played our hearts out to be honest,” said Llewellyn.

“We came here with not ever having played a game on astro and considering that, everyone tried their absolute best.”

Vice-captain Stacey Carey echoed Llewellyn’s thoughts on their performance.

“We can go away from here proud, knowing we did everything and tried our best,” said Carey.

“We had a slight lapse at the beginning but we fought until the last second.”

Cardiff started strongly, scoring in the opening minute thanks to a close range effort from Emily Davies.

Swansea’s passion was there to see with captain Llewellyn fired up and leading by example with some strong tackles.

Cardiff’s Ellie Davies scored their second in the 25th minute before Hannah Mills made it 3-0 a few minutes later.

Lauren Walker got a goal back for Swansea, beating the offside trap and powering home, before Cardiff’s Suzie Davies struck on the stroke of half-time.

Swansea took control at the start of the second half thanks to the midfield pair of Emily Marchant and Reagan Healy who kept the ball well under pressure.

But Swansea were finally broken down again with goals from Clare Couzens and Davies.

Carey was then perhaps fortunate to remain on the pitch following a handball which the referee failed to spot.

Walker scored Swansea’s second shortly after from just inside the area.

She was through again shortly after but failed to convert Marchant’s cross.

Couzens scored again before the end but was denied a third by some fine saves from Rebecca Thomas in the final few minutes of the game.

Llewellyn was pleased with the fine support Swansea students showed to her team throughout the match.

She added: “There were a lot of people who turned up today, we are very thankful for their support.”

Swansea University 1sts 2-7 Cardiff University 1sts

The squad is in its final preparations for the game, and despite a narrow defeat to Cardiff back in March they are more than a match for the capital
side.

“We are confident and we shall go into that game with the right attitude knowing that we have as much chance as Cardiff,” said Llewellyn.

“We have the players, the correct attitudes and the sheer determination to give it our all.”

The women’s side have constantly evolved throughout the season in preparation for the showdown in May.

Llewellyn added: “Since the start of the season there have been a few adjustments in terms of working out which position players excel in.

“We have now worked out the positions which work best for the team, playing a 4-1-4-1 rather than the original 4-4-2.

“This allows us to play a more attacking game and create chances which will be needed for Varsity.”

Swansea’s willingness to win at all costs has reflected in their results this season, with five wins, four defeats and no draws.

Llewellyn believes there are several second team players that are performing beyond expectations this season, with some in contention to make the Varsity squad.

She added: “There have been a handful of the second team players who have proven their point and shown that they deserve a shot in the first team.

“Such as Alex Lusty, Amy Rowe and Sophie Titcombe in defence, as well as Sue Fitzpatrick and Natasha Mitchell up front.”

Llewellyn wished to add her admiration for her team mates who have continued to give everything for the side under her leadership.

She added: “The effort and dedication which everyone has shown has been a real delight to watch, it is a great team to be part of.”

The squad recently took part in a European tour in preparation for the main event in Cardiff.

Swansea will look to break the trend of the previous two years in which they have been on the end of two heavy defeats to the team from the capital.

Captain Bethan Rudge admits the step up to 2B Division has been a challenge for her side but is hoping to avoid an instant return to 3A Division.

“It’s always difficult after you get promoted, especially this league as it’s such a big difference to the 3A Division,” said Rudge.

“But we knew our must-win games were against Swansea Met and so far we have beaten them when we needed to.

“The final game against the Met is definitely the biggest game of my captaincy, but I’m confident that we are good enough to stay up.”

The 1sts made the breakthrough after 10 minutes when midfielder Talitha Drennan scored from a corner, and then the flood gates opened.

Reagan Healey added three more before Victoria Bodington scored her first ever header.

The 2nds attempted to fight back with two quick counter-attacks from Rudge and Jodie Thomas, but could not find the net.

And after the break substitute Sasha Bailey increased the lead further with a hat-trick to make it 8-0 on the hour mark.

Lauren Walker, Sue Fitzpatrick and 1sts captain Ria Llewellyn scored five more between them to cap off the win.

Llewellyn paid tribute to her team. “I’m really pleased with the team’s performance,” she said.

“We particularly picked things up in the second half but attacked well throughout.”

Fitzpatrick claimed four of the goals, but the match could have ended on a sour note when goalkeeper Tasha Wilcox was thought to have suffered a serious knee ligament injury.

The game was delayed for 30 minutes while Wilcox was treated and taken to hospital for checks, but she was later given the all-clear.

Captain Bethan Rudge was pleased with her team’s spirit in the win but is cautious about the next round.

“Definitely pleased, especially in the circumstances,” she said. “We know it will be a difficult game against Cardiff, but we shall prepare and go into the game with confidence.”

Swansea took the lead early on, with Fitzpatrick firing past Met’s Steph Hill from distance.

Hill was at fault for the second when she fumbled a free kick into the path of Rudge who finished from close range.

Louisa Murphy made it 3-0 soon after with Swansea Met’s defence out of position before a nicely worked ball over to Healy was finished by Rudge on the rebound for the fourth.

Swansea Met’s Natalie Terry showed good control throughout but lacked the final ball as the hosts tried to find a way back.

And they were denied their best chance of the game when Leah Nicholas cleared off the line with Wilcox beaten. Healy then made it 5-0 before the break to add to the Met’s woes.

The second half began as the first ended with Swansea Met on the back foot.

A corner from the right was turned in by Murphy, and was quickly followed by a well composed finish from Fitzpatrick who went on to complete her hat-trick with a driven shot from the right that nestled into the bottom corner.

Natasha Mitchell made it 9-0 with a looping effort from the left which floated under the bar much to Hill’s dismay.

Healy then grabbed her second of the game, beating the offside trap to finish from distance to take the score into double-figures.

Fitzpatrick rounded off the scoring with a cool finish past Hill.

Rudge revealed she utilised the first team’s high-line tactic to see off Swansea Met.

“We play a similarly high line especially because the Met don’t seem to have very quick strikers,” she said.

“We’ve got Alex [Lusty] who does sprinting and athletics, so if we have the high line, even if they get through, I trust Alex enough to get back.”

Swansea University 2nds 11-0 Swansea Metropolitan 1sts

“We had a great training session on Tuesday for the game, and it worked really well on the pitch, I’m really pleased,” she said.

Swansea’s fortunes could be turning around following this week’s win at Fairwood.

The home side took the lead early on and this seemed to give Swansea new found confidence as they pushed for more.

Swansea felt aggrieved when Swansea Metropolitan (Met) were awarded a penalty which they duly dispatched.

Rudge and her team were fired up by the decision went at Swansea Met with added vigour.

Swansea scored two more goals to wrap up the important victory.

Rudge added: “We played really well as a team. We got the goal early on, and were on the up from then on.”

Swansea University 2nds 3-1 Swansea Met 1sts

Llewellyn said: “I think we played well, but were a bit complacent in the first half.

“I think we were a little casual, we need to understand how important these kinds of matches are.

“I am glad we picked things up in the second half.”

It was a tough, wet and windy afternoon for the teams as they faced off on a heavy, boggy pitch at Fairwood.

The conditions were not ideal but the firsts looked set for a comfortable victory after just 15 minutes.

A hat-trick in the space of five minutes for forward Lauren Walker looked ominous and the seconds looked unable to cope with the pressure they were under.

But with a show of real grit, and an impressively quick counter-attack, the underdogs showed they had something within them to possibly cause an upset, bringing the score back to 3-1 at the half hour mark.

At the hour mark Swansea firsts were comfortably in the lead as the clocked ticked down despite the best efforts of the 2nds to get back into the game.

By the end of the 90 minutes the energy levels evaporated from the second’s spirited performance and they found themselves unable to cope with the firsts attacking prowess.

The firsts forced them back and were able to finish the game with a greater superiority in the score line than the seconds would have wanted.

“Today gives us a lot of things to work on for next week, but it is good to have these sorts of matches to prepare,” added Llewellyn.

The seconds fought hard throughout the match and gave everything they could but the difference in ability shone through as they finished the match after shipping ten goals.

Second’s captain Bethan Rudge paid tribute to her hard-working side.

“I think we played the best we ever played, especially in the first half,” she said.

“To be so close at half was absolutely fantastic.

“If we can take this momentum into the next game, we can beat them.”

Swansea 1sts next game saw them face off against rivals Cardiff University away. Swansea lost 8-3 to the home side.

Swansea 2nds also had one more game to play before the Christmas break away to Swansea Met in the local derby game.

It was cancelled due to pitch condition issues at Fairwood.

Swansea firsts and Glamorgan took to the field on the back of successive wins in the league.

Talitha Drennan was denied early on by the offside flag, before Glamorgan also came close with Swansea defender Colette Bailey denying Alannah
McLaughlin.

After half time Glamorgan took the lead, Lucy Edwards reacted first to a parried shot.

Swansea battled back and equalised through Lauren Walker whose powerful strike beat the keeper.

Glamorgan’s striker Linsey Mochan was an ever-present problem for the home side and scored the winner five minutes from time.

Swansea University  1st 1-2 Glamorgan University 1st

Swansea seconds faced the prospect of being bottom of the table come the final whistle as they faced Gloucestershire away.

Swansea were on the back foot from the start, conceding five in the first half.

The away side failed to create many clear cut chances, with captain Bethan Rudge often left isolated up front.

Swansea had one great chance in the opening half, but were denied by a tight offside decision by the assistant referee.

Midway through the second half, Swansea’s keeper Tasha Wilcox collided with the home side’s striker, forcing each side into a change.

Swansea showed spells of good passing but failed to profit from possession, and despite a strong display by left back Amy Rowe, Swansea’s defence
could not cope.

Gloucestershire 2nd 9-0 Swansea University 2nd

Swansea 1sts have started brilliantly this season with captain Ria Llewellyn leading her side to three points from top.

Bethan Rudge’s 2nds have had contrasting results with the newly promoted side finding it hard to adjust to life in the 2B division.

How long have you been playing football?

RL: I started playing football when I was about eight, and have been playing for teams since really.

BR: Since I was about ten, probably younger than that, because my friend’s dad taught the boys team and I used to go along.

Who are your inspirations?

RL: One of my old coaches, he was one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. He gets into you that football is more than a game and you should take every game seriously.

BR: My friend’s Dad was one of them. Another one was a girl in my school, and she played for England a couple of times. She took me on and coached me quite a lot.

What is your favourite moment as a Swansea player so far?

RL: Varsity the atmosphere is wicked, obviously the result didn’t go our way, but like I think it’s the games, you’re so close that you pip them at the post which are the best to play.

BR: It’s probably got to be the seconds getting promoted last season. The whole season last season we played so well as a team and before that we only really won a game a season. To build it up and get promoted was probably the best moment.

How did you two become captain?

BOTH: Every year people put themselves forward and you have to give a little speech and then it’s down to the girls to vote.

Do you enjoy being responsible for leading your team out every week?

RL: Yes, when your team is having a good game you feel like you’ve done a good job and you are quite proud of your players. Like last week’s game I was very proud of them regardless of the result.

BR: It’s great actually. Especially when you see how much they enjoy it. So being able to take people out and they come off the pitch, they have smiles on their faces.

You put so much effort in for your sides; do you think being captain inspires you to give more for the team?

RL: Yes it does, it shows every other player has no excuse to not play their hearts out.

BR: Yes, when your captain it gives you an extra push to work hard. You want to be on the pitch for every single second and trying your hardest because you don’t want to let anyone down.

What does the future hold for you?

RL: See how it goes down the season, we are getting results but hopefully we get more goals.

BR: Hopefully we as a club can win Varsity.

What would winning the league mean to you?

RL: Oh it would be a massive achievement, Varsity is a big thing that everyone wants to win every year. But like the league is the effort you put in every single week. I still see the league as more important because it shows you are working hard every week.

What would staying up mean to you following last year’s promotion?

BR: It would be amazing. We are going to have two massive games against the Met who are probably the team most close to us, as they got promoted last year too.

Does playing the second team put more pressure on your team to perform?

RL: Yes, I think it does. I think it’s a bit of healthy competition; we are going to take it as serious as a normal game. We need the win, because the  top of the league is very close, it will be a good game to play.

Does playing the first team give you more determination to try and pull off an upset?

BR: It does. It would be amazing, even to be close to them in that game, we are going to have to approach it seriously, because they need goals and we need to not let in goals. There will be enough of a competitive edge to make it a good game.

Will Tasha Wilcox be fit to play against the 1sts after her injury away against Gloucestershire?

BR: She should be yes. She’s fine and her leg is fine.

It started with a 10-0 demolition of Swansea Metropolitan University.

The goals came right from the off with Sasha Bailey firing home after just two minutes and a second goal from Talitha Drennan came after a well worked cross from the left.

Victoria Bodington then capitalised on hesistant defending before Drennan helped herself to a second nine minutes later with a well hit volley.

Bodington then completed her hat trick with two quick fire goals to take Swansea’s total up to six.

Amy Sheppard bundled the ball into the net 25 minutes into the second half, with Sheppard, Natasha Mitchell and Stacey Carey completing the rout.

They followed it up with a 4-0 win over Gloucestershire 2nds the following week.

Drennan calmly dispatched her shot to open up the scoring, after getting herself one on one with the keeper.

Bodington scored the second after she fired her shot from the edge of the box past the keeper a minute later.

Emily Marchant, Swansea’s club captain, scored to make it three after her first effort could only be parried away from goal.

Substitute Natasha Mitchell grabbed her second in two games to wrap up the three points.