SWANS WOMEN: Barker and Knox hat-tricks as Wrexham hit eight at Garden Village

Hat-tricks from Katie Barker and Faye Knox sent Swansea City Women to an 8-1 defeat by Wrexham at the ThermaGlaze Ground in Garden Village in the Genero Adran Premier on Sunday.

Chloe Chivers’ fine strike from 20 yards was the hosts’ only reply, after the visitors had gone 6-0 up before the hour.

Goalkeeper Amelia May Forkings made a string of important saves to keep the score down.

The Swans finished third in the Adran Premier last season, and the club sold a minority stake in the team in the summer.

Bright start for the Swans before Faye Knox strikes

The Swans started well. Inside three minutes, Chivers whipped a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but Aimee Deacon could not turn it in from close range.

Full-back Ellie Lake was lively early on, driving forward to win the hosts’ first corner.

Wrexham grew into the game and went ahead after 21 minutes. Knox cut in from the right and curled a superb shot into the roof of the net.

Two Katie Barker penalties before the break

Forkings kept Wrexham at bay with a series of saves, including a stop low to her right from Amy Reidford and another from a powerful Barker shot.

The visitors doubled their lead from the spot in the 34th minute, with Barker calmly sending her penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Millie Davies hit the post from a corner, and Wrexham won a second penalty in first-half stoppage time when Ava Suckley was pushed in the box.

Forkings saved Barker’s kick, but the forward was first to the rebound to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Barker and Knox complete their hat-tricks

The Swans started the second half more positively, and Lake had a shot blocked after a neat move.

Barker completed her hat-trick from a quick free-kick routine to make it 4-0, and Knox then scored twice in three minutes to complete hers and make it 6-0 before the hour.

Chivers tried to lift the ball over the goalkeeper from close range, before Lili Mai Jones made it 7-0 in the 65th minute.

Chloe Chivers’ screamer for the Swans

The hosts finally got a deserved goal in the 72nd minute. Chivers picked the ball up around 20 yards out and fired it into the top-left corner.

Substitute Mikayla Wildgoose made it 8-1 in the 82nd minute for Wrexham.

Captain Jessica Williams thought she had pulled another goal back five minutes from time, but her effort was ruled out for offside.

Swansea City Women third, six points behind The New Saints

The defeat leaves the Swans third in the Genero Adran Premier, six points behind leaders The New Saints.

They host fifth-placed Briton Ferry at the Swansea.com Stadium next Sunday (3pm kick-off), looking to get back to winning ways.

Swansea City Women team v Wrexham

Swansea City Women: Amelia May Forkings, Lauren Davies, Ellie Lake, Sammy Wynne, Aimee Deacon, Chloe Chivers, Tatie Trivett, Caitlin Seaborne, Eilish Mitchell, Caitlin Williams, Jessica Williams (capt).

Subs: Quianna Jaye Wheeler, Maddy Murray, Maisie Miller, Lily Deacon, Opal Rayner, Aoife Sheridan, Monet Legall.