Asker, O’Keefe and Williams-Mills Fire Gwalia Into the Next Round of the FAWNL Plate
By Michael Addison
For a team that prides itself on the rhythm and relentlessness of its football, Gwalia United’s start against London Bees was a thunderclap. Two goals in the first seven minutes — both brimming with intent and precision — announced that they meant business in this FA Women’s National League Plate clash at the USW Sport Park. Yet, as with most things involving Gwalia this season, it wasn’t without its drama. What began as a statement performance ended with fingernails bitten to the quick, as Betty Larkin’s late double almost prised open an improbable comeback for the visitors.
Still, when the final whistle blew on a sodden South Wales afternoon, the scoreboard read 3–2 to Gwalia. They march on into tomorrow’s draw.
A Lightning Start
Tia Asker set the tone after just five minutes, collecting the ball with space to run into and unleashing a crisp low drive that zipped past Tia Ginn in the Bees’ goal. It was a finish that combined composure with audacity. Barely had the celebrations subsided when captain Cori Williams-Mills added the second. Daisy Ackerman’s pinpoint corner was met at the back post by Williams-Mills, who rose above a crowd of bodies to nod home and make it 2–0. The home bench erupted; the Bees’ defenders stood shell-shocked. Two goals in two minutes, and Gwalia looked rampant.
The tempo, the press, the width — everything clicked. London Bees were struggling to breathe under the weight of Gwalia’s intensity. Yet football has a knack for balancing itself out. Ten minutes later, the visitors found a foothold. Betty Larkin, sharp and direct, pounced on a loose ball and drove it low into the corner to halve the deficit. 2–1, and suddenly the tone shifted.
Bees Fight Back
The remainder of the first half became a duel between Gwalia’s front foot and the Bees’ growing resilience. Danielle Broadhurst went close from range; Asker, again found racing behind the line, narrowly missed adding a third with a fierce strike that flew just wide.
For the Bees, Larkin continued to be a menace, her movement asking questions of the Gwalia back line. But in truth, the home side looked the more likely to score again. By the break, they led 2–1 — deservedly so — but with just enough vulnerability to keep the contest alive.
A Statement Response
If there’s a criticism that has followed Gwalia United this season, it’s that they sometimes fade after fast starts. Not on this occasion. Straight after the restart, they resumed where they’d left off — probing, pressing, and punishing any lapse in concentration. Within 20 minutes of the second half, their pressure told. Substitute Keira O’Keefe — fresh from the bench and hungry to make her mark — found space in the box after a clever move down the left. Gregson’s cross caused chaos, and when the ball broke loose, O’Keefe was there to lash home Gwalia’s third. It was the kind of goal that encapsulates this young side: opportunistic, energetic, unrelenting.
Aria Heil tried desperately to clear it off the line, but there was no denying it. Gwalia had restored their two-goal cushion.
Digging In
What followed was a spell of control and near-misses that could have seen the scoreline swell further. Gregson almost made it four when she met Ackerman’s corner at the back post, her header flashing just wide. Charlotte Whitelock tested Haaland from distance, the Gwalia goalkeeper clutching the ball confidently despite the slick conditions.
In midfield, Cerys Jones and Broadhurst were tireless — snapping into challenges, dictating the tempo, and recycling possession intelligently, and young starlets Emma Thomas and Shurima Vine looked composed and assured when they came on. For long spells, it felt like Gwalia were in complete command.
But football, as ever, resists comfort.
Late Drama
As the game edged towards its conclusion the Bees began to buzz again. Larkin — relentless and inspired — gave the visitors hope with a beautifully struck effort in the final minute of normal time, beating Haaland from distance to make it 3–2.
Suddenly, the contest was alive again. London Bees threw everything forward in stoppage time, but the home side — led by Williams-Mills and anchored by Haaland’s assured handling — stood firm.
When the whistle came, it brought both relief and satisfaction.
Final score: Gwalia United 3–2 London Bees (Asker 5’, Williams-Mills 7’, O’Keefe 65’; Larkin 17’, 90’)
