Tag: FAW

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.

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.

It’s FAWlty Towers again as FAW blunders 2019/20 season curtailment.

After weeks of waiting, Welsh football clubs finally learnt the fate of the 2019/20 season today when the FAW Council ‘met’ to ratify the decision taken by the FAW Game Board on Monday. That decision was to curtail the league season and award final league positions based on points per game average (PPG). It meant Connah’s Quay Nomads were crowned champions of Wales for the first time, ending The New Saints’ eight year stranglehold on the title, and notionally earn Wales’ solitary UEFA Champions League spot. The three Europa League spots were awarded on final PPG Cymru Premier standings to The New Saints, Bala Town and Barry Town United (the latter in lieu of the FAW being unable to complete the Welsh Cup ahead of UEFA’s deadline – although, confusingly, two dates are given in the public statement).

Congratulations to Connah’s Quay Nomads, the other league winners confirmed by the FAW and the Cymru Premier clubs nominated for European football.

So far not so surprising; although we may have not heard the last word yet from TNS owner Mike Harris on the destination of the Cymru Premier trophy. However – and unfortunately – the bigger story centred on how the FAW’s decision came into the public domain.

Given the FAW tendency for issuing statements on important matters regarding the domestic pyramid at 5pm, it was a bit surprising when BBC Wales Sport broke the news around 3pm that the campaign had been curtailed and league champions were decided using PPG. It was surprising because there had been no public statement by the FAW and no issue of a press statement (which usually comes embargoed an hour or so before official release). It soon became apparent that even the clubs were unaware, with reports on social media that Connah’s Quay Nomads manager Andy Morrison found out his team were champions via the BBC Wales Sport report.

Cue the bedlam. Here was another FAWlty Towers moment from the national association.

As reporters on Welsh football scrambled it became obvious there had been a leak. My understanding is it was definitely not the FAW’s intention for the news to be revealed like this. The level of detail in the press release (which hit inboxes an hour after the BBC leak and appeared online a further 30 minutes later) – with printed tables for every league in Wales between 1-4 and cited explanations of the decision – clearly indicated this wasn’t supposed to come out via a provocative slip of the tongue.

To credit the member clubs, they have maintained their dignity online with most of the histrionics reserved by a few members of the Welsh football media over the privilege of information. The issue of the leak is no doubt a serious one for the FAW, but the real scandal is that member clubs, who have waited over two months for a decision, learnt their fate in this way. For the clubs that will be crowned league champions it must have been a confusing and underwhelming moment, while for clubs like Cardiff Met and Caernarfon Town (whose Welsh Cup semi-final was effectively a Europa League play-off match) they were left to experience their disappointment in a manner akin to being dumped by text message. Clubs hoping to gain promotion or avoid relegation remain in the dark.

You would hope there would be a probe inside the FAW to determine the source of the leak. BBC Wales Sport would not have published their leak on hearsay so their information, I suspect, came from a prominent source at Neptune Court. That is one problem, but the bigger issue here is why was it ever considered acceptable to inform member clubs at the same time as the general press statement? Surely the respectful thing would be to have informed clubs what was coming following the decision by the FAW Game Board; even if merely provisionally before the token consent of the FAW Council was granted a day later.

The FAW and Welsh football come out of this looking totally shambolic and disrespectful towards its members. Ultimately, it’s probably one or two individuals that have pulled the rug from under the FAW and made the entire organisation look farcical but it’s another blow for the image of Welsh football and its credibility. I’ll avoid doing what others have done and throw the entire organisation under the bus because I know there are people at the FAW that care deeply about the domestic game and work very hard every day to try and improve it. They too have been let down here by that/those person(s) that served their own agenda and showed total contempt for the domestic system, its clubs, players and volunteers.

There are still matters awaiting resolution too. The FAW have said no decision has been made yet on promotions and relegations. I suspect this could be a waiting game with (and I’m writing hypothetically here) the potential for promotion/relegation play-off games ahead of next season (whenever that takes place). The FAW have said they hope to complete the Welsh Cup before the start of next season (which will no doubt perturb anyone involved with Cardiff Met or Caernarfon Town even further), so hypothetical promotion/relegation play-offs could be in the same thought-process.

Given how poor today was handled though, the FAW would do well to restore some trust among member clubs affected by the promotion/relegation conundrum by keeping them in the loop about any future plans. That, at least, may alleviate concerns on both sides.

The next step in this convoluted mess is the announcement of Tier 3 Ground Certifications, which are expected next month.

The full statement by the FAW can be read here: https://www.faw.cymru/en/news/faw-board-decide-curtail-national-leagues-season/?back=/en/news/&pos=1

Nelson Cavaliers raising their standard at The Wern

With a free Saturday last weekend there was the opportunity to visit my 100th football ground and/or complete the Welsh League again. The short trip to Ynyshir Albions would have meant hitting two birds with one stone, but their home game with Treowen Stars didn’t really appeal to me with lots of other football on. Besides, I reasoned prior to Coronovirus outbreak, there will be plenty of opportunities to finally visit the Ynyshir Oval before the end of the season when the midweek fixtures in the spring begin to kick-in.

There was the FAW Trophy semi-final on offer but having been to Cardiff Met’s ground several times already this season I didn’t fancy a re-visit this time around. There were South Wales FA Senior Cup ties still to be resolved, two in particular stood out: Cwm Rhondda v Porthcawl Town Athletic and Nelson Cavaliers v Island Marine.

Both ties had their appeal and as it turned out Cwm Rhondda (of the Rhondda & District League) pulled off a big shock by beating cup favourites Porthcawl. However, on the morning it was the chance of a slugfest between two sides playing at district level and going well in their respective leagues that swung me. I wasn’t disappointed.

The current Nelson Cavaliers trace their origins back to the 1980s. The original Nelson Cavaliers club were formed in the early 1970s but folded after a short lifespan. The history of football played in the village goes back to the early days of organised football in the south of Wales, a Nelson [Unionists] club playing in the South Wales League in several campaigns between 1896 and 1910. The Welsh League table in the 1919/20 season includes a Nelson club but they appear to have either folded or not participated at that level beyond that campaign. Nelson Welfare club joined the Welsh League in 1946 and played thirteen seasons before dropping out in 1959.

Back to the modern club, they took on the name Nelson Cavaliers in the 1990s as a tribute to the 1970s club (also around the time they moved to the current home at Wern Field on the eastern edge of the village) and were founding members of the former South Wales Senior League in 1994 where they played for 18 seasons. Since relegation in 2012 the club have been re-building with the ambition to return to regional football in the South Wales Alliance League.

One of the features of the Wern Field, this makeshift terracing. Great to see this sort of thing at grassroots grounds.

This was my second visit to the Wern Field but my first opportunity to have an extended chat with club secretary and legend Rod Powell, who has been involved at Nelson since 1983; first as a player, then as first-team manager before handing the responsibility to his son Aaron in 2017. It is always a privilege speaking to long-standing custodians of grassroots club football with plenty of anecdotes to share and an enthusiasm for the sport that is as genuine as you will find.

Anyone familiar with Nelson’s club website and social media channels will know they are one of the more modern-thinking clubs in district football, operating as professionally as possible with a very informative website packed with archive information and relevant, positive content through their Twitter page. Information is so important for building a club’s narrative and heritage, it is an opportunity missed when clubs make so little effort to inform any potential audience.

It isn’t surprising then that the club maintain a folder of old newspaper clippings featuring the club’s achievements down the years, including some valuable records of local football. My thanks to Rod for sharing it with me and it is genuinely worth a visit alone, as well as the fact Nelson produce a programme for every home fixture despite no league requirement to do so. I’d venture that is probably unique at this level of football and a credit to the club as even some Welsh League clubs barely make an effort.

Nelson are pushing again this season for the Taff Ely & Rhymney Valley League title (they were champions two years) and their opponents Island Marine are also going well in the Vale of Glamorgan Premier Division. Both sides have eliminated South Wales Alliance League teams in this competition this season so there was the potential for a good couple of hours of knockout football.

The game didn’t disappoint, ebbing and flowing as you might expect between two evenly matched sides. Nelson had the better of the first quarter of the match, Liam Dellanna had already been denied by a brilliant point-blank save before he won the penalty that allowed Dan Falconer to break the deadlock for Nelson. The goal sparked the Barry side into life though and they were the stronger outfit as the game headed towards half-time. Adam Bowsher’s poached finish to level the scores was no more than they deserved at the break.

After an early second half chance was squandered by Marine’s Joe Mellars, Ryan Donovan restored Nelson’s lead from Dellanna’s cross and for a long time this looked like it would be enough for the homesters but a scrambled equaliser from Sam Adamson set-up and end to end finale. Both sides had chances but Nelson took theirs. Cameron Szpadt edged them ahead with a close range strike from a corner before Liam Dellanna capped his impressive display with Nelson’s fourth goal in added time to seal their win and keep alive their hopes of a quadruple this season.

Match notes
7.3.2020
Nelson Cavaliers 4-2 Island Marine
(Dan Falconer 22′ pen, Ryan Donovan 50′, Cameron Szpadt 86′, Liam Dellanna 90+2′; Adam Bowsher 31′, Sam Adamson 73′)
South Wales FA Senior Cup round of 16
Wern Field, Nelson
Attendance: c. 45 | Entry: Free (programmes £2)

Prosser gives Cambrian a new cutting edge

Like others no doubt, I really thought this might the season for Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC to challenge again for the title at this level of football. It’s been nearly 8 years since their solitary Welsh Football League triumph and the club has undergone a massive transition in that time; the first team now enjoying the fruits of the seeds they began planting when their academy was set-up around a decade ago.

Last season was a breakthrough campaign for the Rhondda club, manager Dane Williams leading his charges to a 2nd place finish in what was then Welsh League Division one (it is now the Cymru South), a well-publicised run to the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup and the quarter-finals of the Welsh Cup. In the summer, attackers Leon Jacka and Sam Johnson were added to the squad and although they lost captain David Thomas and Joe Evans to Cardiff Met (Thomas has since returned to Clydach Vale), the balance of the squad looked good enough for a challenge.

After winning the first five league games it looked like my prediction was spot on but a barren run of form that saw the side win just once in 11 games during the autumn months saw them drop into mid-table. Three wins in four before this game had boosted their league position but there won’t be a title challenge this time around.

Their visitors, Cwmbran Celtic, are in real trouble. Although they have been a team that has held their own since they returned to the second tier of Welsh football three and half years ago, their league position has declined every season since a club record 6th-placed finish in 2017. The club haven’t really been able to stabilise on the pitch since Lee Challenger stepped down as manager last season. Former Monmouth Town manager Nicky Morgan tried but left the club last month with club playing veterans James Kinsella and Owen Cook currently overseeing a side languishing in the bottom three and at real risk of relegation.

Here it was evident to see why they are struggling, making little impact against a Cambrian side that are always strong at home; or they are when I visit. This was my 10th time watching Cambrian and this was the 9th victory they recorded with me in attendance and a combined aggregate score of 27-5. Maybe they should employ me as a full-time lucky charm, or at least try and do something about the weather! It always seems to either be raining or blowing a Baltic gale when I venture up to their 3G ground.

They didn’t let the weather dampen their performance here though, running out comfortable winners on the night. Sam Jones opened the scoring as early as the sixth minute and the Rhondda men never looked book back. Ryan Prosser – recently recruited from Merthyr Town – scored a brace to seal the victory, consisting of a superb individual effort in the first half and a fine finish to cap a lovely flowing team move on the hour.

Dane Williams may well be wondering what might have been had Prosser been signed earlier. The hitman has struck 5 times in 3 consecutive wins for Cambrian since he joined from The Martyrs and definitely seems to have brought a new dimension to the attack with his skill, physicality and ruthlessness in front of goal. The Cwmbran Celtic defence certainly had no answers to his threat and will no doubt hope to produce much better in the games ahead.

Match notes
21.02.2020
Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC 3-0 Cwmbran Celtic
(Sam Jones 6′, Ryan Prosser 16′ 59′)
JD Cymru South
M & P Group Stadium, Clydach Vale
Attendance: c. 80 | Entry: £5 (free programme available online)

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.

Who is pushing for promotion in the district leagues? (South Wales FA)

Parks football, recreation football; whatever you want to call it, football in the lower echelons of the Welsh football pyramid is just as enjoyable as the upper tiers. There obviously isn’t the same quality in both the standard of play and facilities but it is still 11 v 11 with 3 points up for grabs. While the football at this level has largely a social function, there are some ambitious clubs trying to find their way into the more organised standard in the regional South Wales Alliance and Gwent Premier Leagues.

So here’s a round-up of all the current state of play in the district leagues across the South Wales FA, where the champions of each league are vying for promotion into the South Wales Alliance League. A similar Gwent County FA round-up will follow.

South Wales FA

Aberdare Valley
Abercynon and Cwmaman 2nds are locked on 26 points at the top of the Premier Division with a number of clubs having games in hand, including Penywaun. Last season’s champions Abercwmboi are languishing in mid-table and although they have games in hand, it would take an incredible run for them to retain their title. A three-point deduction hasn’t helped their title defence either.

Last season Abercwmboi did not apply for the South Wales FA champions play-offs but Abercynon and Penywaun did. You would expect the latter two to have the same ambition again this season.

Napiers Arms lead the way in Division One, although second-place Butchers Arms have the advantage of games in hand. The division has been reduced to nine teams after Gwawr FC withdrew from the league.

Bridgend & District
Bettws hold a seven-point lead over Wyndham BGC and both sides have four games left to play. So two wins for ex-Welsh League Bettws will guarantee the title after they missed out to an irrepressible Maesteg Park last season. They will almost certainly apply for the end of season play-offs.

An improved Llanharry side lead the way in division one, seven points clear of Pencoed Athletic with a game in hand, and look certain for a return to the top flight. Tondu Robins and Welfare Park (5th and 6th respectively) are best positioned to join Llanharry if a second promotion place is available.

Llanharan are top of division two, which is effectively a reserve team league. Unbeaten in 12 league matches, they are 4 points clear at the top with three games in hand. Their place in division one next season is inevitable.

Cardiff Combination
Champions Fairwater are top and unbeaten in the premier division, although they are being pushed hard by Avenue Hotspur. Fairwater missed out on promotion in the play-offs last season, while Avenue, I believe, also harbour ambitions to reach the South Wales Alliance League.

Homeguard are having another successful season after they romped to the division two title last season. They are unbeaten in division one, along with Thornhill, having scored an impressive 70 goals in 9 matches. Hard to find any reason why both sides won’t be in the premier next season.

Cardiff Jets have won all 11 of their division two matches so promotion should be a formality. The title remains theirs to lose because they have a 7 point lead over Cardiff Hibernian with a game in hand. Roath Park Rangers have games in hand and could push the re-formed Hibs side for any additional promotion spot.

Cardiff & District
There is an intriguing battle at the top of the premier division. Cardiff Bay hold a narrow advantage over Star FC with Pentwyn Dynamo and Tongwynlais just below with plenty of games in hand. Several sides may be seeking promotion to the next level and the battle for a place in the play-offs could go to the wire.

Cardiff Draconians 2nds are the division one leaders but in a league comprised mostly of reserve sides, it will be two of Space Jam Galaxy, Creigiau and Cardiff Villa to join the premier division next season. Space Jam have the points on the board at the moment, but there are plenty of games in hand for the other sides.

It is a three-horse race in division two between Splott Albion, Canton Libs 2nds and Llanedeyrn Wanderers. Cardiff Cosmos Athletic could make a push with a good run from their fixture backlog, but it would have to be an almost flawless run-in now.

In the lowest tier in the South Wales FA pyramid, Splott Cons are romping away in division two with a 100% record after 9 matches. Llanrumney Athletic are similarly placed with four games in hand on the leaders.

Merthyr & District
The Merthyr League is running with just one 7-team division this year after the loss of champions Navi Treharris this season and Hills Plymouth at the end of last season. Merthyr Town were also fielding a reserve team in this division at the start of the campaign but that side seems to have withdrawn also.

Aber Wanderers, Pantyscallog Village Juniors and Quar Park Rangers are all on 16 points at the top, although last season’s unlucky runners-up QPR have played a game more. Bali Glass are already in the mix. It is unclear whether any club will seek promotion this season. QPR did last year and share a ground with SWAL club Merthyr Saints.

Port Talbot & District
Gwynfi United lead the single division league, unbeaten after 13 games and 5 points clear of closest rivals Glyncorrwg. Last season the Port Talbot League split into two conferences after every side had played each other once. That looks set to happen, if it hasn’t already, soon. Last season’s runners-up FC Porthcawl are currently on the border of the split.

Rhondda & District
Trehebert BGC are well in control of the Premier Division, holding a 10-point lead over Cwm Rhondda having played two games more. These sides had been neck and neck for much of the first part of the season but unbeaten Treherbert now have the edge, including a 5-3 over Cwm Rhondda in December.

Last season’s champions Penygraig United have had a difficult campaign and currently sit 6th in the 8-team division, so their hold on the trophy will end this season.

Their village rivals, Penygraig BGC, have shrugged off last season’s relegation and are well clear in division one, 13 points ahead of last season’s double cup winners Tonypandy Albion. Albion do have four games in hand so could close that gap and the second meeting between the sides could be crucial. Although both sides are almost certain to go up based on form and results this season. 3rd place Ferndale BGC have lost 4 matches, while Tonypandy have lost once.

Taff Ely & Rhymney Valley
The folding of champions Ynysybwl Athletic at the start of the season meant the most open TERV Premier title race as Nelson Cavaliers, Talbot Green, Rhydyfelin, Church Village and Cwrt Rawlin all looked capable of challenging. Unbeaten Nelson (champions in 2017/18) are the favourites but they have a league fixture backlog developing alongside continued participation in league and regional cups. Their recent league and cup wins over Cwrt Rawlin certainly consolidated their position as the team to beat but should they falter Talbot Green and Rhydyfelin look the sides most likely to profit. Nelson and Rhydyfelin have both expressed ambition to seek promotion to the SWAL in the past.

In Division One it looks like a straight shoot-out between Cefn Hengoed and Aber Valley 2nds for the title. Cefn Hengoed are unbeaten but a 3-point deduction means Aber Valley are in the hunt. Aber’s side cannot be promoted so that leaves the door to promotion open to other senior sides in the league should be they finish in the top two. It looks like it’s between Pontypridd and Fochriw Village to claim the second promotion place.

Vale of Glamorgan
The VOG league re-structured this season into two larger divisions and it’s a very competitive premier division this season. Notably, champions Barry Athletic are languishing in 6th place, although they do have games in hand. AFC Rhoose lead the way presently, although there are a number of sides on their tail such as Holton Road and Island Marine. This could be the most interesting of the district league title races and still plenty of football to play.

AFC Rhoose also top division one, their B side unbeaten in 12 matches and 7 points clear of Barry Vikings. Two will go up, which won’t include Rhoose B, and at the moment it Barry Vikings and Cadoxton Barry are the among best positioned for promotion at the end of the season.