Preview | Cardiff Met v Swansea City Ladies
Swansea City Ladies kick-off their Welsh Premier Women’s League campaign at the home of defending champions Cardiff Met this Sunday (2pm).
Ian Owen’s side head to Cyncoed Campus looking to upset Met, who beat the Swans in the race for the league title while they also came out on top in the League Cup final.
After a busy summer of reshaping the squad, Owen has added eight new faces.
Three of them are Wales internationals in the form of Chloe Chivers, Deanna Lewis and Hannah Miles.
Emily Haywood, Brooke Llewellyn, Kate Searle, Pheobe Ware and Cerys Bevan have also bolstered Owen’s squad as the Swans look to go one better this term.
The Swans go into the game on the back of a near-perfect pre-season which has included victories over Penybont (14-0), Swindon (3-1), Exeter (3-1), Weston Mendip (9-0) and Merthyr (15-0) along with a 3-3 draw against Buckland.
Owen said: “Pre-season has gone really well - not only have we been unbeaten but we played some fantastic football.
“The commitment from all players and staff has been first class and everyone is excited about the opening game against Cardiff Met.
“We are under no illusions - this game will be a tough challenge and we will need to be at our best, but hopefully we can make a good start to this season’s campaign.
“The new signings have given us more depth to the squad and all of them have settled in nicely. Every played in the squad is pushing for a place in the starting 11.
“Chloe Chivers is nearing full fitness now after recovering from an AVL injury and will prove to be a fantastic signing as will Hannah Miles with her experience at international level.
“Last season was disappointing in terms of gaining silverware but the team played some great football, so with the new additions and the promising development through the summer we will strive for success this year.”
Vice-captain Emma Beynon can’t wait to get the season started. She said: “As a team we’re really looking forward to the season. The league is looking strong this year and we’re ready to get started.
“We’ve had a good pre-season run with new players playing their part, and I’m looking forward to see how well we can do this year.”
