Pre-Wrexham | Rhianne Oakley
The Bluebirds continue Phase Two of the Adran Premier by taking on Wrexham at The Rock on Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of the fixture, we caught up with attacker Rhianne Oakley.
Having recently returned from injury, the striker returned to the scoresheet in last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Aberystwyth Town, netting the opening goal.
It was a significant goal for Rhianne, who worked hard during her recovery to return to the pitch.
“It was a feeling that I can’t really describe,” she began. “After being out for so many weeks, I’ve really enjoyed being back on the pitch. To get that goal for me and for the team as well, it was a special day.
“During the time that I was out, I worked really hard inside and outside of training to make sure that physically and mentally, I was coming back stronger than I was before. Since I’ve been back, I feel good physically, but also psychologically, I’m ready for each game and I feel like I’m giving everything in each game, which resulted in last week’s goal.
“It was a really nice feeling to be able to celebrate with the girls, because they know how hard I’ve worked to be able to be back with them. They supported me through the whole journey, which was really nice.”
It’s an important period of the season for City, with just five league games left to play, as well as the Adran Trophy and Bute Energy Welsh Cup Finals.
Rhianne’s return is a boost for the Bluebirds, who are aiming to win the title for the second consecutive season and the third time in the Club’s history.
The attacker continued: “The next few games are massive for us and they’re a big opportunity for me to grab with both hands. It’s a really exciting few weeks for me personally and for the team as well.
“Since being back, I feel mentally stronger so going into these games, I just want to make sure that I’m doing the right things, making the right runs and working hard on and off the ball to help the team.”
Wrexham currently sit third in the Adran Premier table, having enjoyed a positive first season back in the top flight.
Steve Dale’s side were defeated 3-2 by Swansea City at Llandarcy Academy of Sport in their opening game of Phase Two.
“It’s always a good game against Wrexham," Rhianne added. "This season, they’ve proved themselves and it’s always a tough game, especially when we go up there. We know what we need to do, we’ve been working on a few things in training and we have a lot of confidence.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better squad, whether that’s the starting team, the subs or the U19s coming through, everyone has stepped up. I feel like as a team, we’re really united and that has really helped us on the pitch. If someone plays 90 minutes, 30 minutes or 5 minutes, everyone is giving their all because it means a lot to us.”