Latest news with #Iddenden
Leader Live
a day ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Awesome quartet of awards over at Connah's Quay Nomads
The club secured four prizes in the FAW National League Awards, which took place in Cardiff. In the Adran North section, Nomads' unbeaten season was recognised by three awards. Jordan Parry was named as the league's manager of the season, while there was double joy for Polly Wild-McGregor. The Connah's Quay skipper, who scored 21 goals from midfield, made it a season to remember by winning the Adran North player of the season and young player of the campaign accolades. Added to this, there was also success for the club in the men's awards. Former Wales U21 international Rhys Hughes was the standout performer for Connah's Quay Nomads over the course of the campaign and his impressive displays earned him the Cymru Premier player of the season award. Hughes joined the Nomads from Tranmere Rovers last summer and he featured in every league fixture. He scored 15 goals for Connah's Quay and Hughes also helped Nomads to reach the final of the Welsh Cup for the second consecutive season, where they were pipped 2-1 by league champions The New Saints. Former Wrexham striker Louis Lloyd, the league's joint-top goalscorer, claimed the young player of the season accolade and The New Saints' Craig Harrison was named as the manager of the season. Wrexham duo Abbie Iddenden and Lili Jones missed out on Adran Premier awards. Iddenden, who scored nine goals and supplied nine assists as the Reds finished the season in fourth place, was a nominee for player of the season, which went to Cardiff City's Shannon Evans. Midfielder Jones, who finished joint-third in the assists chart with seven, lost out to Cardiff's Fiona Barry for the young player prize. Rhys James, of Briton Ferry Llansawel, took the manager of the season nod. Iddenden and Jones were named in the league's team of the season, while a special recognition award went the way of Cheryl Foster. Earlier this year, Foster brought the curtain down on a playing and refereeing career that broke down boundaries and made history in both the Welsh domestic game and on the international stage. Now overseeing refereeing pathways with the English FA, Foster's achievements were celebrated with this award. Four Nomads players - Molly France, Wild-McGregor, Evie Chard and Ella Jones - were included in the Adran North team of the season. Also in the line-up is Flint's Taylia Chaloner. Airbus were acknowledged in the Cymru North awards, with Kaiden Cooke being named as young player of the season. The teenager scored seven goals in 28 games for the Wingmakers to establish himself as an important part of Mark Allen's side. Striker Danny Warren picked up the Cymru North top scorer award, while Colwyn Bay chief Michael Wilde claimed the manager of the season accolade and the player of the season nod went to Seagulls' captain Sam Hart. Three Airbus players - Jordan Evans, Warren and George Peers - are included in the Cymru North team of the season. They are joined by Buckley Town's Adam Smith and Holywell Town's Jamie Breese.
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Cardiff City beat Wrexham to win women's Welsh Cup
Cardiff City secured the Bute Energy Welsh Cup for a fourth successive season with a 3-1 victory over Wrexham in the repeat of last season's welsh women's final, goals from Lilly Billingham, Shannon Evans and Fiona Barry were enough to complete the league and cup double for the unmarked in midfield, rifled in a 30 yard screamer to open the scoring at Rodney added a second, heading in from a looping Ffion Price the restart Wrexham won a penalty as Abbie Iddenden, the Dragons' biggest threat, was tripped by Ceryn Chamberlain. Iddenden slotted in the spot kick to halve the deficit with her 17th of the the interval Iddenden had a second penalty attempt, but this time her poor effort was easily saved by Chamberlain and Lili Mai Jones saw her thunderbolt come back off the put the result beyond doubt when Barry slid in her team's third with 15 minutes remaining, leaving Wrexham to wait for a first Welsh Cup triumph continues.
Leader Live
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Abbie excited as Wrexham tackle Cardiff in big cup final
It's been a campaign of ups and downs for Steve Dale's Reds, but they have been in excellent form since the turn of the year and they will be hoping to continue this trend against Cardiff City in Sunday's Welsh Cup final. Newport's Rodney Parade will play host to the match-up, which sees Wrexham coming up against the league champions for the second consecutive season. Asked what a cup final win would mean, Iddenden told the club's YouTube channel: 'Everything. I think every player, whatever team you're at, you want to win some silverware. 'But, Wrexham's a special club and to come here and have the chance of winning some silverware with the season like we have would be incredibly special and I think for everyone that's played a part in it, it just shows the kind of character and the resilience that we've got as a team. 'So, it would be huge.' Iddenden has been a major part of Wrexham's recovery during a mixed campaign in the Adran Premier. Off the pace during the early portion of the campaign, the Reds have turned things around and they have displayed some excellent form since the turn of the year. They have lost just twice in the league since December and Iddenden topped the league's scoring stakes during phase two of the season with six goals. On getting used to surroundings at the club, she added: 'I think it's always hard coming into a new team, finding your feet and kind of understanding how the team plays. But, I think, kind of before Christmas, before I got injured, I was finding my feet a bit then. 'So, it was a bit of a setback, but definitely feel like I've hit the ground running again now. 'So, it's exciting and positive. So, can't wait for the rest of the season.' Wrexham are looking for revenge for their Welsh Cup final defeat 12 months ago. The Reds produced an excellent display to push Cardiff all the way, but goals from Rhianne Oakley and Emma Beynon made sure of a domestic treble for Cardiff. However, City haven't had things all their own way this time around. The Adran Trophy title was claimed by The New Saints, while Cardiff have been forced to work hard to defend their league crown. Wrexham have finally broken their duck versus the Bluebirds - and they've achieved two vital victories against their rivals. In early March, Ava Suckley and Iddenden saw Wrexham triumph on their travels and the Reds followed this up with a superb 4-2 outcome at home earlier this month. Rosie Hughes' opener was followed by Iddenden's hat-trick on a cracking day for Steve Dale's charges. There's one North East Wales League match on Sunday as Northop Hall visit Berriew.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wrexham striker Abbie Iddenden on her scoring streak, this weekend's cup final and why the cameras help
Wrexham striker Abbie Iddenden on her scoring streak, this weekend's cup final and why the cameras help This could truly be a weekend to savour for Wrexham. Phil Parkinson's men's team will try to clinch an unprecedented third straight promotion on Saturday evening, then, a little under 24 hours later, the women's side will try to carve out their own slice of history. Advertisement For the second year running, Wrexham's women are through to the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final. Just as they did 12 months ago, Cardiff City, reigning champions of Welsh women's football's Adran Premier top flight, stand between Steve Dale's side and a first piece of major silverware. Adding to the sense of deja vu is the fact that Rodney Parade, in Newport, will again host this north versus south battle, as it did in 2024. For Wrexham, however, Sunday's final feels very different from last year's 2-0 defeat, having beaten Cardiff twice in the league in the past seven weeks, bolstering their belief that this could be their time. Then there are Abbie Iddenden and Ava Suckley, the strike partnership who have plundered 32 goals between them this season. Neither was involved in last year's final, Suckley failing to make the squad after being in and out of the team and Iddenden only joining in August from Stoke City. Advertisement Can the deadly duo make all the difference? They certainly did in those recent 2-1 and 4-2 triumphs over Cardiff by bagging a combined five goals, including a hat-trick for Iddenden in the teams' most recent meeting on April 6. 'Everyone's excited for Sunday,' says the 25-year-old, who had two stints with Stoke either side of four years in the United States on a scholarship at Limestone University, South Carolina. 'In some ways, the final has been a long time coming. The girls got through last year and we wanted to at least equal that this time, and then hopefully go one step further. This is our chance.' Unlike Parkinson's men, who set the early pace in League One, the third tier of English football, by claiming 13 points from their opening five fixtures, the women took much longer to get into their stride this season. Four defeats in their first five outings left the team in a lowly sixth in the eight-team division, seven points behind Swansea City in fifth. Having finished third in a hugely encouraging debut Premier campaign in 2023-24, the poor start came as a shock. Advertisement Gradually, things started to pick up and by the time the division split in half after 14 fixtures in late February, Wrexham had pipped Swansea to a top-four spot. That meant the final half dozen games were all played against the rest of the top three, a run-in that included their 'double' over Cardiff. Those two defeats are the only points Sunday's cup final opponents have dropped since the turn of the year. 'We've been trying to figure it out ourselves,' says Iddenden, when asked why the start and finish to the season brought such contrasting results. 'People questioned us at times. We probably questioned ourselves. But how we have turned things round shows this is a special group. 'There's some real character in this team, plus a determination to prove what we can do, especially after phase one had seen us fail to perform up to the standards we expect. 'At times, we might not have done it the prettiest way and the football might not have been the best. Hard work and graft got us through a lot of games. Hopefully, we can continue that on Sunday and finish the season on a high with some silverware.' Advertisement Having been a fan of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary long before the opportunity came to sign for them last summer, Iddenden had an idea of what to expect at her new club. Even so, she admits the cameras following the north Wales team's every move for the show took some getting used to in those first few weeks. As did having a Hollywood A-lister in Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham's co-owner, suddenly following her on Instagram. But, all these months on and with the goals now flowing — the semi-finals' player of the round has netted seven times in the cup this term and has 16 goals overall — she feels right at home. 'This is a special club with everything that is going on,' says Iddenden, whose only previous cup final experience came as a teenager when helping Stoke beat Portsmouth to lift the FA Women's Premier League Reserve Cup in 2018. Advertisement 'Just look at the advancements being made and the opportunities that we are getting, such as the girls going away on tour to America last year. Incredible things like that. 'So, when the opportunity came to join, it was a no-brainer. I'd gone back to Stoke in 2022 but they were transitioning into semi-pro and I struggled to find my place. It meant I wasn't enjoying my football as much. I needed a fresh start. 'I knew Carra (Jones, midfielder who joined Wrexham from Stoke in 2023) and got some insight from her. It sounded right. The great thing now is that all my family are getting into it. They come to watch most of the games and love it as much as me. 'When I was in America, they couldn't see me live, so this is special for them.' Advertisement On buying Wrexham in February 2021, Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made establishing a strong women's setup a cornerstone of their plans. They've been as good as their word, with a new home ground arranged for the team in neighbouring Rhosymedre and the players now semi-professional. Several matches have been played at the Racecourse, the club's main stadium, including the 2023 Adran North clash with Connah's Quay Nomads that drew a sell-out crowd. The most recent outing for the women there came on March 30, when more than 2,000 fans watched a 3-1 defeat against Briton Ferry Llansawel. 'We wouldn't be where we are without them,' says Iddenden of the owners. As for the documentary's film crew, she says: 'The first few months, I won't lie, I probably did try to avoid the cameras. I spoke to the girls about it after signing, asking if they had really got used to it. All of them said they had and that now they hardly noticed. It's true, you do get to that point. Advertisement 'The cameras being there have really helped me grow as a person.' With the upcoming fourth series, which starts on May 15, in mind, the Welcome to Wrexham production team will no doubt be hoping Iddenden and Suckley are again among the goals on Sunday. 'We've just clicked,' says Iddenden, who also has 16 assists this season. 'It just works between us. We're both happy to drop in and both happy to go in behind. It was a case of understanding how we can play off each other.' As for the big game, Iddenden won't make rash predictions. But after such a storming end to the league campaign and scoring 30 goals without reply on the four-game route to the final, Wrexham's women are hopeful of delivering their half of a notable club double. Advertisement 'The run we've been on speaks for itself,' she adds. 'But we can't get complacent. That was maybe an issue for us a couple of times in the season, we got a bit complacent with performances or thinking, 'We're Wrexham and we're gonna win'. We can't go in expecting to win, because Cardiff have won the league the past couple of years for a very good reason. They will come out fighting, so we have to respect them — just not respect them too much. 'The men are aiming for promotion as well this weekend — if we can get some silverware, it would be a weekend to remember for the club.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Wrexham FC, UK Women's Football, League One 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Wrexham striker Abbie Iddenden on her scoring streak, this weekend's cup final and why the cameras help
This could truly be a weekend to savour for Wrexham. Phil Parkinson's men's team will try to clinch an unprecedented third straight promotion on Saturday evening, then, a little under 24 hours later, the women's side will try to carve out their own slice of history. For the second year running, Wrexham's women are through to the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final. Advertisement Just as they did 12 months ago, Cardiff City, reigning champions of Welsh women's football's Adran Premier top flight, stand between Steve Dale's side and a first piece of major silverware. Adding to the sense of deja vu is the fact that Rodney Parade, in Newport, will again host this north versus south battle, as it did in 2024. For Wrexham, however, Sunday's final feels very different from last year's 2-0 defeat, having beaten Cardiff twice in the league in the past seven weeks, bolstering their belief that this could be their time. Then there are Abbie Iddenden and Ava Suckley, the strike partnership who have plundered 32 goals between them this season. Neither was involved in last year's final, Suckley failing to make the squad after being in and out of the team and Iddenden only joining in August from Stoke City. Can the deadly duo make all the difference? They certainly did in those recent 2-1 and 4-2 triumphs over Cardiff by bagging a combined five goals, including a hat-trick for Iddenden in the teams' most recent meeting on April 6. 'Everyone's excited for Sunday,' says the 25-year-old, who had two stints with Stoke either side of four years in the United States on a scholarship at Limestone University, South Carolina. 'In some ways, the final has been a long time coming. The girls got through last year and we wanted to at least equal that this time, and then hopefully go one step further. This is our chance.' Just the EIGHT goals in five matches for Abbie Iddenden 🤯 🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC — Wrexham AFC Women (@WrexhamAFCWomen) April 6, 2025 Unlike Parkinson's men, who set the early pace in League One, the third tier of English football, by claiming 13 points from their opening five fixtures, the women took much longer to get into their stride this season. Four defeats in their first five outings left the team in a lowly sixth in the eight-team division, seven points behind Swansea City in fifth. Having finished third in a hugely encouraging debut Premier campaign in 2023-24, the poor start came as a shock. Advertisement Gradually, things started to pick up and by the time the division split in half after 14 fixtures in late February, Wrexham had pipped Swansea to a top-four spot. That meant the final half dozen games were all played against the rest of the top three, a run-in that included their 'double' over Cardiff. Those two defeats are the only points Sunday's cup final opponents have dropped since the turn of the year. 'We've been trying to figure it out ourselves,' says Iddenden, when asked why the start and finish to the season brought such contrasting results. 'People questioned us at times. We probably questioned ourselves. But how we have turned things round shows this is a special group. 'There's some real character in this team, plus a determination to prove what we can do, especially after phase one had seen us fail to perform up to the standards we expect. 'At times, we might not have done it the prettiest way and the football might not have been the best. Hard work and graft got us through a lot of games. Hopefully, we can continue that on Sunday and finish the season on a high with some silverware.' Having been a fan of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary long before the opportunity came to sign for them last summer, Iddenden had an idea of what to expect at her new club. Even so, she admits the cameras following the north Wales team's every move for the show took some getting used to in those first few weeks. As did having a Hollywood A-lister in Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham's co-owner, suddenly following her on Instagram. But, all these months on and with the goals now flowing — the semi-finals' player of the round has netted seven times in the cup this term and has 16 goals overall — she feels right at home. 'This is a special club with everything that is going on,' says Iddenden, whose only previous cup final experience came as a teenager when helping Stoke beat Portsmouth to lift the FA Women's Premier League Reserve Cup in 2018. 'Just look at the advancements being made and the opportunities that we are getting, such as the girls going away on tour to America last year. Incredible things like that. 'So, when the opportunity came to join, it was a no-brainer. I'd gone back to Stoke in 2022 but they were transitioning into semi-pro and I struggled to find my place. It meant I wasn't enjoying my football as much. I needed a fresh start. 'I knew Carra (Jones, midfielder who joined Wrexham from Stoke in 2023) and got some insight from her. It sounded right. The great thing now is that all my family are getting into it. They come to watch most of the games and love it as much as me. Advertisement 'When I was in America, they couldn't see me live, so this is special for them.' On buying Wrexham in February 2021, Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made establishing a strong women's setup a cornerstone of their plans. They've been as good as their word, with a new home ground arranged for the team in neighbouring Rhosymedre and the players now semi-professional. Several matches have been played at the Racecourse, the club's main stadium, including the 2023 Adran North clash with Connah's Quay Nomads that drew a sell-out crowd. The most recent outing for the women there came on March 30, when more than 2,000 fans watched a 3-1 defeat against Briton Ferry Llansawel. 'We wouldn't be where we are without them,' says Iddenden of the owners. As for the documentary's film crew, she says: 'The first few months, I won't lie, I probably did try to avoid the cameras. I spoke to the girls about it after signing, asking if they had really got used to it. All of them said they had and that now they hardly noticed. It's true, you do get to that point. 'The cameras being there have really helped me grow as a person.' With the upcoming fourth series, which starts on May 15, in mind, the Welcome to Wrexham production team will no doubt be hoping Iddenden and Suckley are again among the goals on Sunday. 'We've just clicked,' says Iddenden, who also has 16 assists this season. 'It just works between us. We're both happy to drop in and both happy to go in behind. It was a case of understanding how we can play off each other.' As for the big game, Iddenden won't make rash predictions. But after such a storming end to the league campaign and scoring 30 goals without reply on the four-game route to the final, Wrexham's women are hopeful of delivering their half of a notable club double. 'The run we've been on speaks for itself,' she adds. 'But we can't get complacent. That was maybe an issue for us a couple of times in the season, we got a bit complacent with performances or thinking, 'We're Wrexham and we're gonna win'. We can't go in expecting to win, because Cardiff have won the league the past couple of years for a very good reason. They will come out fighting, so we have to respect them — just not respect them too much. 'The men are aiming for promotion as well this weekend — if we can get some silverware, it would be a weekend to remember for the club.'
