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As one side of the Welsh capital was sent in to apocalyptic rage by the beautiful game last Sunday as Cardiff City saw their Premier League survival hopes dealt a cruel blow by Chelsea, there was a small corner of the city where football elicited some joy.

That corner was nestled in Cyncoed, where Cardiff Met Women lifted the Welsh Women's Premier League title.

But this joy was no surprise to the Archers, as they are known. They knew they had wrapped up the league title weeks ago, having gone throughout the whole season unbeaten - with just one more league match between them and the invincibles tag.

Such dominance is no novelty to Cardiff Met. Quite simply, they are no strangers to success.

This year's triumph is their sixth league success in eight years.

At the time of writing, they still have two cup finals to play as they bid for the treble.

And on the horizon is another crack at the Champions League qualifiers as they look to put Welsh football on the European map.

It's quite a story, with success woven deep into the fabric of the club.

But just what is their secret?

'You can't get bored here'

Dr Kerry Harris first joined the university in 1999 as an undergraduate, continuing her studies with a master's in Sport Coaching. She has since completed a PhD and is a senior lecturer.

And since 2003, Harris has been head coach of the Cardiff Met Women's side.

But what has kept her at the club for so long?

"Some of the drive behind following the academic pathway and getting my PhD was wanting to stay at the club and work with the players that I had," she explains.

"If you look at the number of girls who have come through the system over the years, I've been fortunate that I've worked with some very good players. Internationals, girls who have come from overseas.

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

"It is a challenge. You can't get bored here because you get such a quick turnaround of players. It's very different every season.

"And also I like to win things."

And Harris has proven quite adept at that final point.

So just what makes the side so successful?

"It's a great environment," continues Harris. "We're fortunate in the sense that we've got a lot of support here. There's some excellent support from members of staff within the institution and the facilities are great.

"But we don't take that for granted.

"We've worked hard to get where we are year by year and we're here because of the hard work that the girls put in on a yearly basis.

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

"There's always criticism about student athletes but if you look at these girls, they're probably the hardest working bunch I've ever met. They're not just playing football, they're working hard on their academics so we can keep them longer.

"They've also got jobs and everything else to hold down so it's not an easy run for them but they do get a real reward when they play those Champions League matches."

'Shot-stopper, not a champagne popper'

Success is clearly a habit for the Archers, although a viral video that emerged after their league celebrations suggests some are not as accustomed with celebrating as others.

The video of goalkeeper Estelle Randall desperately trying to open a bottle of champagne to soak her team-mates, only for the bottle to burst open in her face, has already been viewed more than 100,000 times on Twitter.

"I'm a shot-stopper, not a champagne-popper!" admits Randall.

"My dad hasn't watched me play football for a couple of years so I thought it would be a nice thing for him to come see me win the league as I hadn't won the league before. I invited him along to watch us celebrate.

"And I did exactly what you shouldn't do. I recall just looking up after wiping champagne from my eyes and seeing my dad shaking his head!"

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

Randall's phone battery has taken a battering thanks to that video, but it does sum up the ethos within the squad.

"I think you can see from the video that we all love each other, we have a laugh. It's quite a close-knit group. It's all about fun at the end of the day, we're just here to enjoy ourselves.

"At the end of the day, if you don't enjoy what you do, you don't do it well.

"We enjoy it even when we're supposed to be a bit serious. Sometimes it's not bad to have a smile on your face and these lot are constantly smiling.

"I think that's the secret to staying unbeaten."

'The girls are a very different breed'

A quote from Australian Football League coach Alan McConnell comes to mind when he was quizzed by Wales netball star Nia Jones on the difference between coaching men and women.

“That’s easy,” he said. “Men have to play well to feel like they belong. Women have to feel they belong to play well.”

And you can immediately tell that the Archers squad belongs.

The bond they share is visible from a mile off. Just a quick look at their Wikipedia page, which has been lovingly doctored, hints at the shared humour that runs through the team.

American winger Olivia Thompson has been with the Archers since last July, having joined from professional Swiss outfit FF Lugano after coming through the American college system.

Coming from Florida, she's maybe not used to the Cardiff weather - which fluctuates from sunshine to a rain storm during the interview.

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

But she has had little problem fitting in.

"Everybody's really welcoming," she says. "We came in and they were inviting us out to dinner and team drinks. They really made an effort to get to know everybody.

"There's definitely good banter in the team. Everyone can give it and take it.

"When somebody messes up, everyone gets in on it. It's a good environment to be in."

It's evident from the outset that it's a great environment to be involved in, but how does Harris manage that camaraderie as a coach?

"The girls are a very different breed!" admits Harris. "They like to enjoy themselves but when they're on the pitch, they get the job done.

"In terms of the bond, they spend so much time together so those relationships are easily formed. Sometimes, they spend a little too much time together and they end up getting on each other's nerves!

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

"I always say they're a great bunch but they can be a difficult bunch. They have a lot of fun out there and all the banter, they're certainly entertaining.

"We try to manage that as best as we can at times. But it's a fun environment and they're professional when they need to be."

'If we play as a team, we win as a team'

Captain Tija Richardson is in her fourth season with the Archers and is looking ahead to her third Champions League qualifier. As a teaching assistant in Port Talbot, she practically lives on the M4.

But it's all worth it when it comes to the success.

"We're such a tight unit," she says.

"We actually play for each other. We're such a versatile team that anyone can step in. We know each other so well I think that when it comes to putting it into practise on game day, we can do.

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

"We're not 11 individuals. I don't believe in individuals. If we play as a team, we win as a team. If someone makes a mistake, we pick them up as a group."

Thompson hints at a similar theme, pointing to the difference between American colleges and Cardiff Met.

"I think the competition within the squad in America is a lot more competitive because the season is so much shorter," she says.

"Here, you have so many games spread out across the year so you're in and out of the squad throughout the season. In America, if you're not in that starting XI, then you're out.

"So we have a nice mix of players who can come in."

'Everywhere you look, it's like you're stuck in the 1960s'

Back to that Wikipedia page. One of the entries hints at how their last European campaign in Ukraine went.

"Surviving off plain potato, chicken, rice and pasta for 10 days, the team are lucky to be alive."

Maybe a little far-fetched, but last year's Champions League qualifying campaign, which saw the Archers play three games in 10 days over in Kharkiv, is a good indication of how the strong bond in this team was formed.

As everyone admits, they didn't achieve what they wanted to on the pitch in Ukraine, but those crazy experiences still went some way to forging their success this season.

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

"Yeah, the Ukraine was weird!" admits Thompson. "Everywhere you look, it's like you're stuck in the 1960s.

"And then being followed around by armed guards was crazy. The food wasn't ideal either but you can't complain too much when it's free!"

As far as team-bonding goes, few sides can claim to have experienced anything quite like the Archers did last year.

"Ten days is a lot of time to spend with somebody," explains Richardson. "We spent a lot of time together and after all that time in Ukraine together, I think we know each other inside out now."

'If we want to be the best, we have to play the best'

They're hoping they won't face a trip back to Ukraine this year however.

They want to host their Champions League qualifiers this August. Furthermore, they want to qualify.

"I say every year, I don't know how long I've got left but if you get a taste of Champions League, that's going to motivate any coach," says Harris.

"Initially, six or seven years ago, you'd take enough satisfaction in just being in those qualifying rounds.

"Now we've had a taste of it and having done well in some of the campaigns, you're itching to get to the next level and achieve that next goal."

That motivation has trickled down to the players.

(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

"We want the treble and then I just want to get out of that Champions League group," adds Thompson. "This is an amateur club and we're playing a bunch of professional and semi-professional teams. To be in that environment and to compete as we have speaks volumes about us."

Her captain echoes those ambitions.

"As a team, if we want to be the best, we have to play the best," says Richardson, "and you have to get out of the Champions League group."

Success breeds success and it's clear the Archers don't intend on stopping anytime soon.

"I won't be touching the champagne next time," admits Randall.

But you sense there will be a next time.