Tag: Cymru Premier

Met need reversal after worst start in four years

Caernarfon Town’s 3-0 win over Cardiff Met on Saturday night confirmed their best start to a top flight season since 2007. Two late goals helped them seal a bit of a smash and grab victory at a rain-soaked Cyncoed Campus after Sion Bradley’s first half penalty had given the Cofis something to defend in the second half.

Huw Griffiths’ side have now taken 10 points from their opening six games, defying some pundits’ prediction they might struggle this season after the loss of some key players in the summer. It is still too early in the season for any real judgement, but on the pitch the Cofis are far from a dishevelled and disorganised outfit.

For Cardiff Met fortunes are the opposite. Five points from the first six fixtures is the Archers worst start to a league campaign since their first season after promotion in 2016. They currently sit one off the bottom and are now winless in five, their solitary victory this season coming on the opening day at Aberystwyth.

That was a high point for Met. Since then they have only scored once, in a draw at Cefn Druids. They are yet to score at home in three matches. They haven’t scored a single first half goal this season. This wretched run of form in front of goal was summed up by Elliot Evans’ poor first half penalty on Saturday, comfortably saved by Cofis stopper Josh Tibbetts at 0-0 and shortly after punished by Bradley’s own spot-kick.

A 3-0 home loss looks terrible on paper but the difference between the sides in the balance of play wasn’t reflected in the scoreline. It wasn’t a masterclass from Caernarfon, who were well-organised and punished Met’s mistakes when those opportunities came. It could have gone the other way had Evans converted his penalty, Liam Black’s header before half-time not been cleared off the line, or the Archers been able to show a better killer instinct from several promising situations in the second-half.

What-ifs will be of little or no comfort, but there won’t be calls for an entirely new blueprint.

Looking at the table Met’s problem appears obvious: they aren’t scoring enough goals. But is that a question of not creating them or not taking them? On the evidence of Saturday and reports from other games, it would appear it’s the latter.

There were concerns expressed in pre-season about whether Met would have enough firepower this season but the addition of young strike duo Ollie Hulbert and Harry Warwick from Bristol Rovers raised expectations. Hulbert seemed to hit the ground running with a match-winning double at Aberystwyth but neither have bagged since. Warwick led the line against Caernarfon but struggled to make an impact.

Met do appear to be in the cliched “transitional phase” at the moment and it can only be hoped from their point of view that if the performances are good enough, the form will change. There is potential in the side and there is arguably no coach in the Cymru Premier better than Christian Edwards at making the most of his resources.

Liam Warman looks like he has the pace and trickery to be a threat but on Saturday his decision-making and final ball quality was disappointing. Elliot Evans will always carry the burden of responsibility as Met’s most prominent attacker but after a bright start, he faded following his penalty miss. Kyle McCarthy was a powerful driving force in midfield, especially in the first half. They just need others to step up alongside them.

There are some mitigating factors for the Archers, such as the absence of senior players like Emlyn Lewis, Brad Woolridge, Dylan Rees and Chris Baker. Edwards and his team wouldn’t use any of this as an excuse, but would no doubt welcome back into the matchday squad the leadership and experience these players will offer this developing side.

At the top end of the Cymru Premier is was an historic day for Greg Draper, who surpassed Michael Wilde as TNS’ all-time record Cymru Premier / Welsh Premier League goalscorer. Draper took his tally to 156 top flight goals with five of TNS’ ten goals without reply at home to Flint Town United.

There was a big win too for champions Connah’s Quay Nomads at bottom-club Cefn Druids. A brace from Mike Wilde sandwiched a hat-trick from Callum Morris at The Rock. Nomads remain top, although that could change before the midweek fixtures with the National Game Board due to meet on Monday and decide the outcome of last Wednesday’s abandoned game between Bala Town and TNS.

Speaking of Bala, having squandered a 2-0 lead against TNS on Wednesday and left red-faced as the floodlights at Maes Tegid failed, their week got even worse by suffering their first defeat of the season. Having taken the lead through a Chris Venables penalty, the Lakesiders were pegged back by Haverfordwest through a superb Danny Williams header. In the fourth minute of injury time, the Bluebirds secured their maiden win of the season with a superb breakaway goal finished by Jack Wilson.

Newtown’s frustrating start to the season continued as they once again threw away a winning position. Nick Rushton’s fourth goal of the season gave the Robins a first half lead at Penybont, but Mael Davies’ improvised flick and Sam Snaith’s first goal of the season gave Penybont back to back wins.

Barry Town made it four wins on the bounce with a superb come back win of their own. A bad day at the office looked certain for the Linnets when first Steffan Davies gave Aberystwyth the lead at Park Avenue and then Clayton Green was sent off for an off the ball incident. However, goals from Kayne McLaggon and Jordan Cotterill completed a four-minute turnaround for the ten-men and ensured Barry travelled home from Ceredigion with all the points.

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While we enjoy the action on the field, the medium and long term sustainability of the 2020/21 season remains questionable. Several clubs are reportedly very close to financial ruin while fans remain locked out of Cymru Premier grounds. Newtown AFC have publicly expressed their concerns and appealed for the return of fans to provide essential matchday income.

There is apparently some division among the clubs about whether to proceed much longer and Cefn Druids’ Twitter account spoke of a “chairman’s meeting” that will take place this weekend. There has been some money made available by FIFA and also suggestions Cymru Premier may be eligible for funds as part of any potential bailout or support fund offered to English non-league clubs by the English Premier League / Football Association.

I’ll let the reader make his or her own mind about the clubs of a supposedly independent football nation receiving a bailout from another nation’s football authority. It’s definitely a little awkward but clubs need all the help they can get so probably aren’t going to be fussy about the politics of it all.

Flint on form ahead of Barry tv test

On Saturday evening Flint Town entertain Barry Town in Sgorio’s live Cymru Premier game, giving supporters of the Cymru Premier their first chance to take a look at both sides this season. Niall McGuinness’ side are currently sit 2nd in the Cymru Premier, albeit a somewhat artificial position given we’ve only had three rounds of fixtures so far, but two wins from their first three games represents an excellent start to the Silkmen’s first top flight campaign in over two decades.

Gavin Chesterfield’s Barry team will undoubtedly provide the sternest test yet for last season’s Cymru North runners-up but there is an air of confidence and belief around the Silkmen. Their opening day home win over Newtown was achieved in adversity, after Rob Hughes’ red card left Flint defending a 1-0 lead for 40 minutes. They bounced back from a 3-1 defeat at Aberystwyth last weekend with a 2-1 midweek win at Cefn Druids, including a first goal of the season for veteran Mark Cadwallader, who fired 26 Cymru North goals last season.

In most of his media work Niall McGuiness – at 29 by far the youngest manager in the league – has spoken in a way that suggests Flint aren’t simply happy to be in the league this season, they want to compete and work towards becoming a proven side at this level.

Barry Town are the perfect role model in that sense. No recently promoted side has done as well as the Linnets, with 7th, 3rd and 4th place finishes respectively since their promotion in 2017. Gavin Chesterfield’s sides have been masters of racking up early points and it’s their consistency in phase one that has put them alongside the frontrunners in the last two campaigns.

Despite a rocky summer, which included a heavy Europa League defeat, Barry’s 3-1 win over Caernarfon last Saturday suggests any doom and gloom may have been misplaced, especially while Kayne McLaggon’s shooting boots are on form. The Linnets will certainly arrive at Cae-Y-Castell as the favourites but with early season confidence and match winners of their own in the likes of Cadwallader, Ryan Foulkes and Nathan Craig, is now the best time for Flint to send their visitors back south on the end of an upset?

On Friday night Aberystwyth travel across the Cambrian mountains to take on Newtown in the first mid-Wales derby of the season. With just 1 point on the board from their first three fixtures, Newtown will be desperate to get their season up and running with a win. The Robins will be boosted by the return of manager Chris Hughes in the dugout after he missed last week’s trip to Haverfordwest due to Coronavirus-related self-isolation.

Seven summer signings have been slow to bed in at Latham Park but the quality and experience they have means results will pick up. However, Chris Hughes will not want to be too far off the pace when everything begins to click into place.

Cefn Druids will be hoping to put their first points on the board at home to Cardiff Met. Issues around the FAW Safer Return to Football Protocols have disrupted Druids’ start the season and a home defeat to Flint on Tuesday would have been a blow after pushing Bala Town close last Sunday. Cardiff Met have a mixed bag of results so far, although there won’t be many alarms about last week’s defeat at TNS. The Rock isn’t a happy hunting ground for Met though, with a solitary win from eight league visits to Cefn Mawr.

Bala travel into “locked down” Bridgend County Borough to take on Penybont. Late goals have been the feature of Bala’s season so far. Having been denied a win at the champions on the opening day by an injury time goal, Nathan Peate’s late winner sealed three points for the Lakesiders last week at home to Cefn Druids.

Last season Bala won this fixture 6-1 and although Penybont are a more confident side at this level now, if Bala are going to mount a serious title challenge nothing but a win will be acceptable for their return to Gwynedd on Saturday night.

Connah’s Quay Nomads and TNS are in action on Sunday. Nomads embark on their longest away trip of the season to play newly promoted Haverfordwest County. Both sides are unbeaten having played two fixtures each. The New Saints travel north west to play Caernarfon Town, yet to concede a goal. Huw Griffiths’ new-look Cofis will hope to emulate the 1-0 win achieved last season at The Oval when Caernarfon were managed by Sean Eardley.

Haverfordwest show plenty of spirit for the fight.

If Haverfordwest County’s new chairman Rob Edwards cut a slightly nervous figure in his debut Sgorio interview during half-time of his club’s first televised home game of the season on Saturday, there is little sign of any anxiety from the players on the field amidst their new surroundings in the Cymru Premier.

It’s not meant as a slight towards the Pembrokeshire club to suggest they may have been many people’s favourites to go down this season. Cymru South runners-up last season, County are benefactors of Swansea University FC’s inability to meet the FAW Tier 1 Licence criteria. The last time they were promoted to the top flight, five years ago, was also as runners-up and their only season in the then Welsh Premier League saw them finish bottom having lost 21 of their 32 fixtures.

There hasn’t been a major overhaul of the playing squad at Bridge Meadow, manager Wayne Jones opting mainly for younger players with potential to supplement his promotion-winning side. Big changes off the field though have seen County embrace promotion positively and although the club has always been well-run, the atmosphere around the club looks more modern, more progressive, more engaging.

Ultimately, it’s what they do on the field that counts and two points from their opening two fixtures represents a respectable start. A clean sheet at Cardiff Met in midweek was followed up with a hard-earned point in a full-throttle televised game with Newtown on Saturday evening.

Danny Williams’ ‘brace’ (the second may be one for the ‘dubious goals panel’ to adjudicate) salvaged a point County deserved, particularly on the back of the second-half performance when they created numerous attacking opportunities. There may be disappointment in the two goals they conceded, but those momentary lapses of concentration are part of the learning curve, things you will get punished for more often than the Cymru South so need to reduce. The overall competitiveness, though, against an experienced – if off colour – Newtown should be encouraging, as well as twice coming back from a losing position.

Converting these performances into wins will be essential and it could take time to do that more consistently, but the early evidence suggests Haverfordwest are here to have a go.

Conversely, it’s been a troubling start for Newtown. On paper, Chris Hughes may have expected more than one point from their opening three fixtures against both promoted sides and a Caernarfon team that have lost some key players. But soft goals and an inability to hold on to a lead has cost them heavily already. They do have the look of a side that is still gelling but you would expect a side with their experience will eventually sort things out and when the likes of Jamie Breese, Jordan Evans and James Davies begin to click together in attack they should start putting wins on the board.

Two weekends in and TNS are already top of the league. Another goal from Adrian Cieslewicz helped Saints to a 2-0 home win over Cardiff Met on Sunday. Europa League counterparts Bala Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads also picked up wins on Sunday.

Kris Owens’ crisp left foot finish gave champions Nomads a 1-0 home win against Penybont, ending a mental week on Deeside of COVID crisis, European heartbreak and PR faux pas. Nathan Peate was the matchwinner for Bala Town, bundling home a late winner against former club Cefn Druids. Naim Arsan had earlier cancelled out Will Evans’ first goal for the Lakesiders.

Barry Town and Aberystwyth Town got their first wins of the season. Aber came from behind to beat Flint Town on Friday night, with the help of another booming left foot strike from Jonathan Evans. Kayne McLaggon bagged a well-taken brace as Barry ended Caernarfon’s unbeaten start to the season at Jenner Park.

Questions about Cymru Premier future after UEFA exits and COVID outbreaks

The involvement of Cymru Premier clubs in UEFA competition is over for another season after all three remaining clubs were eliminated from the Europa League, despite some valiant efforts on the pitch this week.

Bala Town were by no means disgraced on Thursday in a 2-0 defeat away to Standard Liege. It might even have been a different story had Chris Venables converted his penalty at 0-1. Connah’s Quay Nomads suffered defeat against Dinamo Tblisi to a 97th minute penalty at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground. They matched the Georgian champions all the way, despite losing several players to COVID-19 on the eve of the game, and it was a cruel finale to lose on a penalty deep in stoppage time. TNS bowed out on Wednesday, the second Cymru Premier victim in the Faroe Islands this summer. TNS were 90 seconds from victory when they conceded a 121st minute equaliser to B36 Torshavn and were also one kick away from winning the shoot-out. Unfortunately, unsuccessful penalties by Dean Ebbe and Danny Redmond saw the Shropshire side lose 5-4 in the tie-breaker.

These results and those of clubs in other nations like Estonia and Montenegro mean that Wales will drop into the bottom five of UEFA’s national co-efficient rankings and will lose a UEFA club spot from the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

To put this in context, this hasn’t come about because of results this week but is the outcome of the past 4-5 years of European football in which Wales’ results haven’t been as good as other nations around them. The perceived failure of Welsh clubs to improve results in UEFA competition typically invokes periods of soul searching among Cymru Premier followers every summer and this will be no different.

The same questions will be asked about the future of the national league in Wales and these should come in to sharper focus now that a loss of a European spot (and with it UEFA prize money) is a reality. There is often a focus on how the Cymru Premier should be set up for the benefit of clubs in Europe but maybe now we need a period of reflection on whether we should even really measure the league by European performances, which are generally ignored by football followers in Wales anyway.

The current 12-team Cymru Premier with it’s mid-season split is almost universally loathed by those who play in and watch the league. Part of it’s rationale is to create sustainable clubs in the top flight, to increase competitiveness and help clubs prepare better for European competition. While internally there are arguments the Cymru Premier has become more competitive, that hasn’t translated into European performance where clubs from nations like the Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Gibraltar, Malta and Estonia are generally doing better.

These nations don’t suffer Wales’ unique problem of having its biggest clubs playing in another country’s league system and while we can debate the rights and wrongs of “the Anglos” playing outside Wales, the harsh reality is most of these clubs are probably never going to play in Welsh football. The opportunity has been lost in the mists of the past and we just have to get on with the status quo.

So if the 12-team format, with its mid-season split, isn’t really delivering on the European front, is not capturing the imagination of spectators (attendance have largely stagnated over the past ten years according to reported figures), and therefore adding no commercial value to the product, what exactly is it for? Lots of people say “the league is improving” but always there is the burden to prove by what measure. It is very difficult to offer anything less vague than “the standard is better”, which is unhelpfully tautological.

Those invested in the game have to start asking what the purpose and long-term goal of the Cymru Premier should be and the arguments for the uninspiring 12-team format with it’s groundhog day split need to be re-visited and their validity re-tested. There won’t be a simple solution but there will be no progress if Welsh football continues to simply try to knock the wall down by banging its head against the bricks the way it currently does.

Before the long term future is considered though, there are important and serious questions about the short term future of the Cymru Premier. There have apparently been concerns raised within clubs about the viability of the season while spectators remain locked out because some clubs simply will not be able to afford to complete the campaign. Then you throw in the rising infection rate of COVID-19 and fears of a second wave and some scepticism about Cymru Premier clubs capability of managing the situation safely.

In the past week Cefn Druids had both of their opening Cymru Premier fixtures postponed due to an alleged breach of the FAW’s Safer Return to Football Protocols, then on Wednesday the revelation that three Connah’s Quay Nomads players tested positive for COVID-19 and others were displaying symptoms. After last night’s defeat, Nomads manager Andy Morrison said in an interview the club had “turned a blind eye” to players who complained of feeling ill on the day of the game.

I expect all of this will be scrutinised over the coming days, at least putting into doubt Connah’s Quay Cymru Premier fixture this weekend. There will surely be conversations among decision makers about whether competitive football can be conducted safely in Wales in any form while the threat from the pandemic lingers.

Dool worldie saves Nomads but are Bala ready to challenge?

Such is the cruelty of football sometimes, you can watch your team pull off the game plan almost to a tee, nullify your opponent and create chances at the other end, only to be undone by a 25 yard worldie in the 4th minute of injury time.

Sameron Dool’s brilliant, bamboozlimg blockbuster denied Bala Town a memorable win on the opening day of the 2020/21 season, while ensuring Cymru Premier champions Connah’s Quay’s title defence did not begin with a defeat.

Bala were excellent and for most of the match made Nomads look mediocre. Apart from a spell early in the second half with Andy Morrison’s words no doubt ringing in the ears of the champions, Bala dealt with Connah’s Quay’s direct, physical style comfortably. Bala’s goalkeeper Ramsey wasn’t required to make a meaningful save until he kept out Michael Wilde’s injury time header and sustained a bloody nose. Ironically the treatment for this provided the additional time in which Dool made his intervention.

Colin Caton’s side might rue missed second half chances, particularly a couple of opportunities Chris Venables failed to take, but generally they should take confidence from their performance on Deeside. Having flirted on the outskirts for a few years, some observers have pushed Bala’s title credentials during the summer and this kind of display validates those predictions.

Bala look to have recruited well during pre-season. Will Evans and Nathan Peate were both excellent on debut, Alex Ramsey is as good as any goalkeeper in the league. With the likes of Henry Jones on the bench, there is also more strength and depth at Maes Tegid.

It’s only the first round but this was an impressive start for Bala. Less so for Nomads, whose robust style is unlikely to change but looked predictable and laboured on Saturday evening. When bombarding the opposition isn’t working, what’s the back-up plan? Ultimately, a wonder strike in the final move saved them from a defeat that wouldn’t have been undeserved.

There is no doubt better to come from the champions.

The New Saints began their bid to reclaim the Welsh football crown with a dominant 3-0 win at Jenner Park against Barry Town. It’s certainly a big statement win from Scott Ruscoe’s side, especially as the Linnets have proven a thorn in TNS’ side in recent campaigns, albeit usually at Park Hall.

In isolation it’s not overly concerning for Barry, who many may fancy for a top 4 finish regardless of results against TNS. Hoeever, on the back of their Europa League humiliation in the Faroe Islands, Gavin Chesterfield’s side will need to find some momentum and get back the kind of form that has seen them challenge at the top over the past two campaigns.

Flint Town have waited 22 years to play top flight football again and they got off to a superb start. Nathan Craig’s free kick (shock!) was enough to give the Silkmen a 1-0 win over Newtown, despite playing with 10 men for most of the second half following Rob Hughes’ red card.

Ollie Hulbert had a Cymru Premier debut to remember. The teenager, who joined Cardiff Met on loan from Bristol Rovers last week, scored twice in the final ten minutes to help the Archers come from behind at Aberystwyth Town and claim a 3-2 opening day win. Elliot Evans was also on target for the visitors, with Liam Jarman and Harry Warwick (the latter also on loan from Bristol Rovers) featuring in the attack, fears about Met’s goal threat this season may prove short-lived.

The other fixture played saw Penybont take a point home from Caernarfon Town. Mael Davies fizzed home a debut goal from distance before an equally superb finish from Mike Hayes earned a point for the Cofis at The Oval.

Haverfordwest’s home match with Cefn Druids was postponed on Saturday morning by the FAW after Cefn Druids allegedly failed to meet the FAW’s Safer Return to Football protocols. Druids vehemently denied this claim and on Twitter the club account stated it was “appalled” by the FAW’s statement. On Sgorio, Cymru Premier General Manager Gwyn Derfel said the FAW would be reviewing whether Druids next two league fixtures can go ahead.

Hopefully the truth of the matter will see the light of day, but overall a thoroughly disappointing and deflating turn of events on the opening weekend of the Cymru Premier.

Three Cymru Premier clubs to watch this season

The Cymru Premier returns this weekend 189 days since a ball was last kicked in domestic Welsh football. The 2020/21 season will kick off in peculiar circumstances as all matches in the Cymru Premier – which is the only male league permitted to resume by the Welsh Government under ongoing COVID-19 restrictions – will be played behind closed doors.

Sgorio’s coverage – on S4C and online – will be the only way regular supporters can follow the action for the foreseeable future, which is unfortunate given this may be the most anticipated Welsh top flight campaign in some time.

Ahead of Saturday’s kick-off, I’ve taken a look at three southern clubs I believe will be interesting case studies during the 2020/21 campaign.

The Newboys

There is a real air of positivity at Bridge Meadow as Haverfordwest County prepare for their first top flight campaign in four years. The Bluebirds’ promotion was owed to a little good fortune; after finishing runners-up to Swansea University in the Cymru South, the Pembrokeshire side got the nod when the Uni side failed to obtain the FAW Tier 1 Licence.

There is a new board in place at Bridge Meadow with ambitious London-based businessman Rob Edwards the new chairman. There has been lofty talk during the summer and it looks now like Haverfordwest County have in place off the field the professional-looking and ambitious set-up more clubs in the upper levels of Welsh football need if our national pyramid is to progress and become more attractive.

That ambition has been shown with the loan signing of Danny Williams from Cardiff City; the prolific young forward who went from the Bluebirds in the west to the Bluebirds in east 18 months ago having caught the eye of scouts at the Cardiff City Stadium. There will be real hope Williams returns an even better player than the one that left and his potential ability to effect things in the final third could make or break Haverfordwest’s season.

Otherwise, manager Wayne Jones has largely kept faith with the squad that won promotion. Alaric Jones returns to the club after a season in the Cymru Premier with Carmarthen Town and the dual signing from Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC of Corey Sheppard and Cameron Keetch is an interesting punt. Both are excellent performers in the second tier and played key roles in the Rhondda side’s recent cup runs. It is a great opportunity for both to show whether they can perform at a higher level week in, week out.

Positive results in pre-season will no doubt boost the confidence but the question that will always hang over newly promoted sides is whether they have the quality to deal with the weekly rigours of the Cymru Premier. Wins against Aberystwyth and Cardiff Met and draw away to Barry Town certainly look good on paper but ultimately results in pre-season don’t earn you any points and when the competitive action starts this weekend Haverfordwest are going to face a steep learning curve.

While there have been utterances about the ambition of playing European football, realistically Haverfordwest County are targeting survival and if they can match the performance levels of Penybont last season they will at least have a sporting chance.

The Dark Horses?

Last season Penybont did fantastic to retain their Cymru Premier status in their first ever campaign in the top flight. Although their survival was secured on the points per game (PPG) method they weren’t simply beneficiaries of an algorithm. 

Apart from a couple of heavy defeats to Bala, Rhys Griffiths’ side were competitive in practically every game; eight of their 14 defeats being by a single goal. There was even some evidence when the 2019/20 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic Penybont were just starting to land their shots at this level, winning three and taking 11 points from their final seven league games.

So what next for the Bridgend side? In recent years we’ve seen Cardiff Met and Barry Town United come up to the top flight, stabilise and quickly become annual challengers for European football. Should Rhys Griffiths and his side start looking at getting closer to the top six?

Survival again might be a more realistic goal but there has been exciting moves in the transfer market this summer by Griffiths.

Last season one thing Penybont looked short of was firepower; it is no surprise then that Rhys Griffiths has sought to bolster his attacking options with a trio of signings.

Ian Traylor arrived from Merthyr Town and having been an important player for The Martyrs in the English Southern League, Penybont will be hoping he can convert that pedigree into Cymru Premier form. Long-time target Ben Ahmun joined from STM Sports before they folded after their Cymru South demotion. Former Llantwit Major striker Sam Snaith returns to Welsh football with Penybont after a stint in the USA.

Snaith is the one player Cymru Premier fans may be aware of. He showed glimpses of his ability during a brief stay at Cardiff Met a couple of years ago, but ultimately that move didn’t work out, nor did a subsequent move to Barry Town. Penybont fans will certainly hope Snaith returns to Wales hungrier and more determined for his experience over the past couple of seasons; he certainly has the attributes and potential to be a success at this level.

The versatile Mael Davies joins from Cardiff Met, he should add energy, quality and more top flight experience to the side. Youngsters Lewis Clutton and Connor Davies could be ones to look out for, having spent time in the academies at Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City respectively.

Whether the recruitment is enough for Penybont to kick on to the next level we will discover this season, but there is definitely something progressive in the way Penybont are going about things. The decision to try and recruit younger players and bring new talent into the league is something to be more excited about than simply mopping up the journeymen that trudge the lower Cymru Premier / upper Cymru South beat.

Stagnant Met?

Having won their first ever major trophy and played European football for the first time in 2019, there has been some talk of the “end of a cycle” at Cardiff Met and last season’s 7th place finish felt underwhelming (although Met were in the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup and well-placed to challenge in the Europa League play-offs when the season was suspended and later curtailed). The loss of Adam Roscrow’s goals was felt keenly last season and with other key players exiting this summer (notably Joel Edwards and Will Evans) there have been concerns raised from some quarters.

While Cardiff Met’s unique ethos of only recruiting from their student population may not allow them to make the sort of transformative recruitment other Cymru Premier clubs can, apart from TNS and Connah’s Quay Nomads, arguably no other club in Welsh football is run as professionally as Met. Despite losing some integral players, a strong core has been retained in Emlyn Lewis, Dylan Rees, Chris Baker and Elliot Evans.

The nature of university enrolment means Met will always be later than others in confirming new players but this week the acquisitions of Jac Davies, CJ Craven and Kieron Proctor boosts the squad numbers.

If Met are going to challenge again for the top six and possibly target a cup run the question that lurks is where the goals will come from. Roscrow’s goals have never been replaced and while Elliot Evans is a matchwinner, he hasn’t always been prolific in the top flight; Will Evans and Jordan Lam’s departures are a further loss of goal threat.

Liam Warman has been tipped as one to look out for in the upcoming campaign having impressed in Met’s BUCS teams and as a Cardiff Met supporter told me this week “Swanny [Christian Edwards] always has a plan!”

I am confident Met will be as competitive as ever this season and will continue to play some of most attractive football in the league; nevertheless, you could plausibly make a case for The Archers finishing anywhere between 4th and 10th this season.

Ruscoe concedes more than just the points advantage in Nomads loss.

Connah’s Quay Nomads’ 1-0 win over The New Saints at the Deeside Stadium on Friday night confirmed we ACTUALLY have a phase two Cymru Premier title race. Craig Curran’s goal amidst swirling winds of Storm Ellen was enough to send Andy Morrison’s challengers four points clear at the top with seven rounds left to play.

The game itself wasn’t a great advert for the Cymru Premier as a spectacle, although it is easy and lazy to direct accusations of “poor quality” at a semi-professional league based on one game played in conditions that would have affected games at several “higher” levels. Judgements should always be relative and what is more important to take from this game is that we have a genuinely competitive title race going into the latter stages. I would argue a league’s competitiveness and strength in depth is as important as what is perceived as “quality”.

The Cymru Premier has now provided plenty of talking points for the coming months and for the right reasons this time. Along with the title race, we have an intriguing three-horse fight to avoid possible relegation between Penybont, Carmarthen Town and Airbus Broughton. A battle between Cardiff Met and Cefn Druids for the final Europa League play-off spot. Not to mention the ongoing scuffle between Barry Town and Bala Town for 3rd place; which potentially guarantees European football next season depending on the final destination of the Welsh Cup. There are few dead rubbers at the moment, so the focus should be on matters on the pitch instead of the usual “gaffes” the wider media often jump on for clickbait.

Ironically, the best entertainment came after the turgid 90 minutes between Nomads and TNS when the latter’s manager Scott Ruscoe spoke to the media. Clearly rattled, Ruscoe launched his very own ‘Kevin Keegan moment’ when he was highly dismissive of Connah’s Quay’s title credentials and, less surprisingly, the direct style of Andy Morrison’s outfit.

Speaking to Sgorio‘s Nicky John, Ruscoe said the match was “probably one of the worst games we’ve been involved in. Poor conditions, poor quality throughout.”

Nothing controversial there I’m sure most viewers would agree. Ruscoe admitted conditions played their part in his side’s struggles and acknowledged it was something “both sides had to deal with” before launching a thinly-veiled attack on the Connah’s Quay approach to the game.

“They play like that every game,” Ruscoe told Sgorio, “they play like that in the wind, in the rain and if it’s nice, they like that on a good pitch or if it’s a bad pitch, it doesn’t really matter.”

Adding in an interveiw with The New Saints’ in-house media: “we like to get the ball down and the conditions are not conducive to pretty football. The wind was as bad as you’re going to get and it was very difficult for us to get any momentum in the game.”

This kind of snobbery isn’t new in football or exclusive to Ruscoe, but it smacks of the bitterness and the tension that is clearly being felt in the ranks at Park Hall. It’s ridiculous to criticise the style of a team that has just beaten you in a crucial title “six-pointer” and taken a four point lead at the top.

The best was to come when Ruscoe told both Sgorio and TNS TV that “We’ll beat Connah’s Quay at home so we’ll be hoping for someone else to get a draw.”

When asked if Connah’s Quay were pushing TNS as hard as anyone has, Ruscoe dismissed the notion “we’ve been pushed harder [and by better teams] than what these are.” Ruscoe denounced the prospect of Connah’s Quay navigating their way to the title.

“They are not going to win seven games in a row. No doubt, no chance at all,” he told TNS TV, stating “I think we’ll be alright.”

Although, Connah’s Quay only need to win six games from here to secure their first ever Welsh league title.

The comments are telling of the pressure Ruscoe is under as he now faces the real possibility of being the manager that oversaw the end of TNS’s monopoly of the Cymru Premier / Welsh Premier League title. Having led Nomads by four points at the end of phase one, Ruscoe’s side have now taken a single point from their first three matches in the ‘Championship Conference’ phase while Andy Morrison’s side have been unerring. The title isn’t in their hands anymore and it has been a long time since TNS were in this situation.

I doubt Andy Morrison will be losing any sleep over Ruscoe disrespecting his side; the interviews probably provoked a smile if anything. Nothing is won yet and the smart money would still back The New Saints to secure a 9th consecutive Welsh league title. However, Ruscoe’s public display of vulnerability confirms the threat from Deeside is being felt acutely in Oswestry but it also the kind of interview that shows the Cymru Premier matters more than than it’s low-profile.

It’s also added even more fuel to the fire of what is becoming a sparkling title race and we need more of it.

Field of Dreams: how Ammanford built a football club

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“WE’RE THE BLACK AND WHITE ARMY!”

As I stepped out of my car the sound of this being belted out from the stand less than 100 yards away let me know I was definitely where I wanted to be. Forty minutes before kick-off and ‘The Black & White Army’, Ammanford AFC’s band of noisy ‘ultras’, were already going through their repertoire. Although the back of the stand obscured much of the view, the buzzing of activity in and around the ground was an early indication that this game might just live up to the hype.

For those that follow Welsh fooball, the Welsh Cup is a special and cherished competition. It is the most inclusive national competition in Wales, open to all teams that play football in the national pyramid. It provides the opportunity for small village clubs to propel themselves onto a national stage and, if they are lucky, earn a visit from the Sgorio cameras. Once it gets going with the entry of Cymru Premier clubs in round three we do see clashes between clubs from “recreational” leagues and the more professional, ambitious clubs that play in the higher divisions; players used to slick 3G pitches having to overcome a team of chancers of a local mudbath.

Although this fourth round tie between Cymru South side Ammanford and Cymru Premier, Europa League chasing, Caernarfon Town doesn’t have that minnows v mammoths story (it’s was a tier 2 v tier 1 clash), it did bring together two clubs that have undergone enormous growth in recent times and enjoy a level of community support most clubs in Wales are envious of and hope to replicate. Certainly for Ammanford, while maybe not a culmination, the match was an important marker in their transformation over 18 months from a fairly amateurish football club in a Welsh “backwater” that only groundhoppers and a small group of locals ever visited to a club pulling off the slick and professional looking hosting of a football match in front of 1200 spectators broadcast live on national television.

The last time I visited the Ammanford Recreation Ground was 18 months ago and it a cut a very different scene then. There was no seating, just an old bus stop type stand that would probably have been condemned if anybody would have been bothered to inspect it. No floodlights, no spectator facilities inside unless you count a portable hot water caddy for serving tea and coffee in plastic cups (although the nearby rugby club acts as the clubhouse). Even getting a teamsheet or a programme involved a mad dash to a printer by one of the club’s volunteers.

Fast forward to the present day, the Rec boasts a very smart 250 seater stand, including provision for disabled spectators; the addition of floodlights has allowed the club to host Friday night games which are apparently popular with the locals; although the 150 printed programmes is a woefully short run for such a big crowd, they were there and ready for sale as well as club crest pin badges. There is still no permanent food and drink facilities on-site but Ammanford had the foresight to bring someone in to sell hot food and the rugby club still seems to function as the place for pre-match lubrication of the vocal chords.

As the ground has developed and the club has embraced a much more professional approach (partly enforced by FAW ground regulations for playing in the Cymru Leagues), improving connections with local businesses, doing much better community engagement, setting up a charitable trust in memory of Jac Lewis, a popular local figure who tragically died in February 2019. The club now offers season tickets to supporters, has given away hundreds of free tickets to local schools, improved its social media profile and, of course, there has been the emergence of The Black & White Army.

Groups of loyal and noisy supporters are rare on the Welsh football scene, so much so that anybody trying to generate some atmosphere gets noticed. The supporters in the B & W Army have certainly invigorated the matchday experience at The Rec and they are usually there with a drum and their booming voices at most of Ammanford’s away games. They have helped raised the profile of the club on mediums like Twitter, inside Cymru Leagues grounds and among the town’s community as a game at The Rec is now increasingly seen as a place to be. Attendances have reflected this as the old joke about “one man and his dog and the dog looking the other way” watching Ammanford has been smashed by some impressive home crowds in the last 18 months, including nearly 800 for this season’s Amman Valley derby with Cwmamman United and now the ground record attendance for Caernarfon’s visit.

While the story off the field is fantastic and probably worthy of a much deeper study (as with Caernarfon Town), the matter at hand was the Welsh Cup tie and place in the quarter-finals for the winners. Ammanford had pulled off the result of the third round, thrashing Cymru Premier side, and another local rival, Carmarthen Town 4-0 with the help of a Lee Trundle goal that went viral.

That result, plus the strong possibility of a large crowd, probably induced Sgorio to select the game for broadcast. Although the decision to televise the game on Friday night drew criticism from some quarters, making the trip harder for Caernarfon Town’s players and supporters, ultimately the incredible local support (plus 100 hardy members of the Cofi army) put such doubts to rest.

A record crowd enjoyed Ammanford’s tussle with the Cofis at The Rec

If it was a big success as an event, on the pitch the game didn’t really deliver what the television executives, home fans and neutrals would have hoped for. The loss of Lee Trundle to injury before the game was a massive blow for Ammanford and had he played it may have been a different game; the former Swansea City frontman certainly would have provided a bit more physical presence and quality in the final third.

Despite that loss, Ammanford started the game well and there were one or two half chances in the first twenty minutes but once Sean Eardley’s Caernarfon had navigated the initial choppy waters and taken a first-half lead through Sion Bradley’s fine finish the cupset never looked on. A sensational goal from Darren Thomas (which I somehow missed despite behind stood behind that goal) doubled the Cofis lead before half-time.

Ammanford rallied early in the second half and introduced another Swansea old boy, Andy Robinson, to try and bring some quality and composure to their play but the gulf in class between the two sides was just too great. Noah Edwards added a third 11 minutes into the second-half to kill any hopes of a comeback before Darren Thomas scored his second late in the game to complete a comfortable and resounding win for the top flight outfit.

On the Ammanford Twitter feed they commented after the game that the team may have lost the game but the town had won. If there is some comfort to be drawn from a disappointing match result it is that Ammanford certainly delivered the event on the night and the community got behind the club.

There, I believe, is the story of what Welsh football is and should be about. It’s not about millionaire players, international owners, commercialism and corporatisation; it’s about the town, village or place you come from, local identity and the community. If more clubs can get their communities behind them in this way our leagues and our clubs will get better and that matchday buzz can be felt at grounds all over our nation.

Match Notes
25.1.2020
Ammanford 0-4 Caernarfon Town
(Sion Bradley 26’, Darren Thomas 39’ 84’, Noah Edwards 56’)
JD Welsh Cup 4th Round
Recreation Ground, Ammanford
Attendance: 1203 | Entry: £5