Oxford United Women are on the road for the last time this year on Sunday (14:00 KO), travelling to CSE Ystrad Mynach for our National League game against Cardiff City Ladies.
Team news
No changes for United, who have had a productive week in training as Manager Liam Gilbert told us:
“The girls have been superb in training this week; the intensity and application has been spot on. There seems to be a real buzz after the last two results.”
“For me, last week was such a professional performance. It wasn’t our best nor our worst, but it was professional; we tried to do things the right way, we played the game how we wanted to play it, and we created chances how we look to be creating chances. We conceded from a set piece which is a bit disappointing, but we didn’t give away many chances in open play.”
“We’ve got some momentum at the minute and we want to use it and keep it going for as long as possible. Positivity breeds positivity, and while we’ve got a bit of positivity we want to make the most of it.”
Tickets:
For those making the trip to Wales, tickets are priced at £3 for adults, with under-16s getting in for FREE at the Centre for Sporting Excellence at Ystrad Mynach (CF82 7EP).
For those not making the trip, our Twitter account @OfficialOUWFC is the place to be for in-game updates as well as providing news and features throughout the week.
The five-game form guide:
Cardiff- W: 2 D: 0 L: 3
Cardiff have had more time to prepare for this weekend than The U’s due to the fact that their last fixture against Crawley Wasps was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. Beforehand, an emphatic 6-0 win away to Hounslow would have been a huge confidence booster from the game a week before, a narrow 2-1 loss at home to Portsmouth. Cardiff also played Hounslow last month, recording another sizable victory, this time coming out 6-1 victors.
Oxford- W: 3 D: 0 L: 2
United have a knack for scoring late winners at the moment, and will be looking to carry that momentum into their game in south Wales. Last week’s valiant victory against Plymouth juxtaposed the FA Cup loss two weeks prior, with the team displaying grit and determination to come back from behind. Oxford’s only other loss in their last five games came against league leaders Watford.
Cardiff’s One to Watch: Cori Williams
Welsh international Cori Williams stole the show last time out, scoring four goals away at Hounslow. With Cardiff now eligible for promotion following a rule change by the FA back in August, which previously saw the club unable to move any further up the football pyramid, this would’ve been a huge draw for the club to retain some of their brightest talent, with Williams at the forefront. The 28-year-old forward currently has three caps for her country overall and six goals for her club during the current campaign.