Cardiff City win fourth consecutive Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final | OneFootball

In a repeat of last season’s final, Cardiff City once again got the better of Wrexham in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup.

After winning 2-0 a year ago, Cardiff lifted the cup once again with a 3-1 victory at Rodney Parade on Sunday evening.

The road to the final so far

Wrexham AFC Women: A dominant run to the final

Wrexham arrived at the fixture with full confidence after a dominant run to the final. Remarkably, they had yet to concede a goal in this year’s competition and are the tournament’s top scorers with an astonishing 30 goals across just four matches.

Their campaign began with an 11-0 demolition of Llanystumdwy, followed by another double-digit triumph, a 10-0 win over Felinheli. In the quarter-finals, they secured a statement 5-0 victory over Swansea City, their first win against the Swans in more than 11 years. A composed 4-0 success against Pontypridd United at Latham Park booked their place in the final.

Cardiff City Women FC: Battling their way to the final

Cardiff City’s route to Rodney Parade has been more hard-fought. They had to come from behind twice in the opening round against tier three side Penclawdd, eventually winning 6-2. The drama continued in round two at home to Cascade, where Nieve Jenkins’ equaliser kept their hopes alive before a 94th-minute winner.

A more comfortable 4-0 win over Barry Town United followed in the quarter-finals, before a narrow 1-0 semi-final victory over The New Saints, with Ffion Barry scoring the decisive goal in the 63rd minute to get them to the final.

How the 2025 Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final unfolded

First half: Cardiff’s fast start, Wrexham’s fightback

Both sides came into the match with strong routes to the final and strong league performances. But Cardiff City made a blistering start to the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final, taking the lead just six minutes in through Lily Billingham. The midfielder struck an absolutely stunning shot from distance, beating goalkeeper Craven to hand the Bluebirds the early advantage. Billingham almost doubled both her and Cardiff’s score just moments later, narrowly missing the crossbar with another powerful effort.

Cardiff’s pressure eventually told again in the 29th minute, as Ffion Price delivered a pinpoint free kick into the box for Shannon Evans to head home. It was a perfectly executed team goal that put the Genero Adran Premier champions firmly in control.

However, Wrexham responded almost immediately. Just two minutes later, Abbie Iddenden was brought down inside the penalty area by Ceryn Chamberlain, and Iddenden calmly converted from the spot to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and keep her side firmly in the contest.

Second half: Missed chances haunt Wrexham as Cardiff pull away

The second half began more cautiously, with few clear-cut chances in the opening stages. Cardiff’s Ffion Barry came closest, narrowly missing the target with an effort that flashed just wide. At the hour mark, Wrexham were handed a golden opportunity to level the score when they were awarded a second penalty. But this time, Chamberlain made amends, producing a brilliant save to deny Ava Suckley and preserve Cardiff’s narrow lead. Minutes later, Lili Jones struck the crossbar with a fierce shot as Wrexham pushed desperately for an equaliser.

Those missed opportunities would prove costly. In the 73rd minute, Cardiff broke forward again with Billingham threading a clever through ball into the path of Barry. The forward rounded Craven and slotted into an empty net to make it 3-1, sending the Cardiff supporters into celebration and leaving Wrexham to rue their earlier penalty miss, as the match changed drastically from 12 minutes ago.

Cardiff City comfortably saw out the final stages with a quiet last 15 minutes to secure a 3-1 victory and lift the Bute Energy Welsh Cup for a fourth consecutive season. It was a performance built on early attacking quality, resilient defending, and clinical finishing when it mattered most. It was standout performances for those in blue with Lily Billingham proving very dangerous when it mattered, with Price, Barry and Evans all combining and working together nicely to come away with the trophy.

Final thoughts: A tale of two sides

For Wrexham, it was a case of missed opportunities, with the penalty save and a shot against the crossbar proving turning points. Despite their spirited efforts, they could not deny Cardiff another chapter of success in their growing dominance of Welsh women’s football.

For Cardiff, they will be incredibly proud of their season and what they have achieved, winning a fourth consecutive cup and a third consecutive Genero Adran Premier. They are proving more and more that they are a formidable force in the game, and they will look to build upon this next season.

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