The title challenge continues without a star player.
The Wrexham Angle
While the 3-1 win at Barry Town United last Sunday kept us comfortably on track in the league after we regained top spot the weekend before, it was also a glimpse of the shape of the rest of the season in attack.
The extent of Katie Barker’s injury is now public, and it’s not good news. Losing last season’s golden boot and top scorer in the division this time round, is an awful blow and we can only wish her the very best in her recovery.
It certainly doesn’t make the defence of the title any easier, but at least we have a terrific amount of fire power in the squad. Natasha Thomas is already on a tremendous scoring streak, and Ava Suckley, Evie Sadler and Maryam Mahmood will now get more opportunities to add to their tallies.
Mahmood made her first start of the season at Barry after an excellent stint off the bench against Cardiff Met, a game in which Sadler got her first start for the club. Jenny Sugarman’s squad building gives up plenty of options, not to mention the option to vary our shape: the likes of Mikayla Cook and Mille Davies could also come into the reckoning if we play three up front.
Of course, goals are coming from all parts of the pitch: Faye Knox is in fabulous form and her numbers from midfield are spectacular, even if her starting position has been a little deeper since the injury suffered by Josie Smith. Maria Francis-Jones keeps chipping in with goals, while Lili Jones is already enjoying the most prolific season of her career.
Jones matches the club record for appearances if she plays, as she’ll pull level with Rosie Hughes, a superb achievement for a player in fine form. With Smith also out injured, her maturity and all-round game is incredibly important for Sugarman, as is the consistency alongside her of Bella Reidford, who was one of the four players up for nomination for the club’s player of the month award (the others were Phoebe Davies, Knox and Francis-Jones)
Known injuries: Liv Fuller, Josie Smith, Katie Barker.
Suspension: –
Possible debuts: –
Previously…
The View From The Other Side
Briton Ferry bounced back superbly from the 8-1 loss they suffered at our hands four rounds ago…until last weekend.
They went some way to addressing the goal difference disaster we inflicted upon them by winning 7-1 against Aberystwyth in their next game. Although they then lost to TNS, they certainly put up a good fight: Maizie Stiens gave them an early lead at Park Hall, and Hannah Snape didn’t score the goal which put the home team ahead until the last 20 minutes. It was 3-1 soon afterwards but Briton Ferry might have still fought their way back into the game but for a 79th minute penalty miss by Katie Hosford.
They then went to Swansea and confirmed that they are most certainly in a scrap with The Swans for fourth place before the league splits at the end of the first phase, doling out a 3-0 thumping.
However, the visit of Cardiff City to Old Road last weekend was a c hastening experience. They could have been ahead in the first ten seconds as Cardiff gave possession away from the kick off and Freya Peyton hit a shot from the edge of the area which had to be tipped over the bar. Cutting in from the right, Peyton was Ferry’s greatest threat and she drew a superb save from Olsen after half an hour. The problem was, they were already three goals down by then. Mackenzie Olsen’s direct pace caused massive problems and Halie Richards came off the bench early on to be similarly problematic.
Regardless of that loss and the 8-1 defeat at our hands, Briton Ferry are never a side to be taken lightly. An aggressive, physical front foot side which wouldn’t park the bus, they have a true togetherness born from a remarkable consistency in their squad building – the majority of their players were with them in the Adran South – and an excellent youth set-up. With the fire and experience of Laura-May Walkley and Katie Hosford in the squad, and Lowri Riding, who has often been inspirational at the back against us but was missing from the 8-1 match through injury, there’s plenty of character in a side which will look to meet the challenge we present head-on.
Stiens, a 15-year old prodigy who is already attracting a lot of attention and showed quality against us in that 8-1 beating was absent for the Cardiff City match and will not be available at The Rock because she has been representing the Wales Under-17s in the qualifiers for the 2027 European Championships in Georgia. She’s enjoyed a very successful week, playing the full ninety in all three matches: she scored twice in a 3-0 win over Luxembourg, then grabbed another two in midweek as the hosts were beaten 3-2. While she didn’t hit the net on Saturday, she played her part in a 3-3 draw with North Macedonia which ensured Wales won the group and go through to the final qualifying stage for a place in the finals in Northern Ireland.
Known injuries:
Suspension: –
Potential Milestones
Lili Jones equals the club appearance record, 113, currently held by Rosie Hughes.
Jones also needs one more assist to become the first Wrexham player to make 25 assists for the club.
Ava Suckley needs 2 more goals to become the second player to score 50 goals for Wrexham. Only Rosie Hughes has scored more.
Natasha Thomas can extend her club record of scoring in her first six league games for Wrexham.
Wrexham have never been involved in a goalless draw.
Wrexham’s record against Briton Ferry: P11 W8 D1 L2
Biggest win against Briton Ferry: 8-1 2026
Biggest loss against Briton Ferry: 0-3 2024
Biggest home win against Briton Ferry: 6-0 2026
Biggest home loss against Briton Ferry: 1-3 2025
Biggest attendance for game v Briton Ferry: 2,121 2025
Smallest attendance for game v Briton Ferry: 153 2025
Wrexham have won our last four games against Briton Ferry.
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