WELSH
SOCCER NEWS PAGE FOR DECEMBER 2007
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DEC-31 |
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Steelmen slash prices to
attract support
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Port Talbot have made a
drastic cut of 33% in admission prices to try and attract more support
through the turnstiles.
Admission is cut from £6
to £4 for the remainder of the season. The club feel that a town the size
of Port Talbot should be at least be trebling their home gates, and with all
the hard work and progress the club have made both on and off the field it
is hard to see why they are not getting the support.
But while their average
attendance this season is the 3rd lowest in the welsh premier, they as a
club have never attracted high attendances in the league, their average for
their first 7 seasons in the welsh premier is only 203, so to try and find
the answer to the problem is not going to be an easy one for the club.
Tony
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DEC-31 |
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Welsh premier transfers
get early start
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Following speculation that
Llanelli hot shot Rhys Griffiths could be playing his final game for the
Reds tomorrow in the west Wales derby with Carmarthen, news of more new
signing is starting to take place.
Port Talbot have made two
new signings, 28 year old midfielder Mark McGibbon joins from Cwmbran Town,
the second new face for the Remax club is former Llanelli and Taffs Well
player Kyle Sheppard.
Neath have also brought in
a new face in the shape of 43 year old Clayton Blackmore, the former Bangor
and Porthmadog manager joins his home town club, Blackmore is the second
former welsh premier manager to join the Eagles following David Burrows who
signed after leaving Aberystwyth.
While two players join Port
Talbot, news of one going the way has surfaced, Haverfordwest have put in
notice for midfielder Dylan Blain, Blain a former youth and first team
player joined the Steelmen in 2006, but could be re-joining his former club
after talks with Bluebirds manager Derek Brazil.
Tony
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DEC-31 |
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Sven's new year gift to
City
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SVEN Goran Eriksson is today
poised to give Cardiff City a new year gift.
He is set to give the
go-ahead for goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to stay for an extra two Coca-Cola
Championship matches – at least.
And Schmeichel’s view is:
“I’d love to stay.”
Cardiff City manager Dave
Jones has also enquired about three other goalkeepers – two with
Premiership clubs and one at another level – in case Schmeichel is unable
to stay longer.
The Danish Under-21
international is due back with Eriksson’s Manchester City after playing
for Cardiff at home to Plymouth tomorrow (1pm).
Officially, though,
Schmeichel, 21, could stay until near the end of January without a new
agreement.
“We’ve talked to Sven
about Kasper staying with us longer and we are hopeful,” said Cardiff City
chairman Peter Ridsdale.
If Eriksson agrees, then
Schmeichel will be available for two more matches at least, at home to
Sheffield Wednesday on January 12 and at West Brom a week later.
Eriksson recalled
Schmeichel after deciding Joe Hart would be his number one goalkeeper for
the rest of the season.
That pushed Swedish
international Andreas Isaksson out of the team – and he wants to leave
Manchester City in search of first-team football.
Cardiff, though, have said:
“Let Kasper stay with us until Isaksson goes.”
And if Isaksson fails to
find another club during January, then Schmeichel could stay for the rest of
the season.
“It’s been great to be
a part of this Cardiff City team,” said Schmeichel.
“There is no limit to
what they can achieve if they can continue to play in the same fashion as
they have done recently.
“I want to play football
– and Cardiff City are offering me that chance. ”
ICW
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DEC-31 |
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Little facing busy time
in transfer market
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Brian Little admits he does
not know how many players he will have to bring in to try and save Wrexham
from dropping out of the Football League.
The Dragons travel to
high-flying Chesterfield on New Year's Day hoping to lift themselves off the
bottom of League Two.
But with the opening of the
transfer window, the Wrexham boss is in for a busy month.
"I will probably have
to try and change as much as I can," said Little.
"We have a basis of
good players and I really don't know how many players I will have to bring
in because I have to try and change things.
"There are a few good
things I've seen that I've tried to throw back into the group."
BBC
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DEC-31 |
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Jones in hunt for
play-off place
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Cardiff boss Dave Jones says
his side are chasing a play-off spot in the Championship following their
recent change in fortunes.
The Bluebirds are 12th
after picking up four points over the Christmas period and are five points
off sixth where Tuesday's visitors Plymouth sit.
"We're chasing that
sixth spot down and hopefully we'll get to that and then we'll chase fifth
and fourth," he said.
"It's slowly starting
to turn and we know there's a lot of hard work ahead."
Jones added: "At the
moment, we're just trying to claw back some of the points that we felt we've
thrown away at certain stages of the season.
"I've said many times
some of our performances didn't really reflect the results we were getting.
"Preston was about
building on what we've been doing and making sure we continue to progress
and slowly it's coming together.
"What we've done is
given ourselves believe and a confidence injection."
BBC
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DEC-31 |
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Martinez proud of his
super Swans
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Roberto Martinez says Swansea
fans should be proud of their side after they beat Leeds 3-2 at the Liberty
Stadium with just 10 men.
The Swans are now five
points clear at the top of League One going into 2008 with games in hand
over teams below.
"Normally, when you
are looking up to big occasions, the football isn't that great, but I think
we had everything today," said Martinez.
"It is a day to feel
very proud of Swansea City."
The only downside of the
game was Ferrie Bodde's sending off for a rash challenge on Jonathan Howsen.
But Martinez said the
players showed grit to hold on for the victory.
"The way we adapted
and to play over 50 minutes against a very good Leeds side with 11 men is
very satisfactory," he said.
"There was real grit
in the performance and there was the understanding that was needed.
"The dressing room has
got a winning mentality and they look into each other's eyes and make sure
they are going to work for each other on and off the ball.
"Overall the squad was
tested to the maximum today and were a credit to the football club."
BBC
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DEC-31 |
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Welsh league round up
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PONTARDAWE Town earned a
second successive MacWhirter Welsh Football League win to climb further away
from the relegation zone.
They have won successive First Division matches 1-0, beating Cambrian and
Clydach thanks to a goal from Mark Nappierallo.
Cwmbran Town are hoping for
an upturn in fortunes during 2008.
The Crows have not scored
in four matches, have seen their promotion chase falter and had their Welsh
League clash with Taffs Well on Saturday postponed.
Dinas Powys stepped up
their bid for promotion with a 2-1 win at Croesyceiliog.
Dinas have applied for
promotion this season. To achieve that they must finish in the top two at
least – and will have to find an alternative home ground because their own
does not currently match standards required.
Former Cardiff City youth
player Geza Hajgato scored both goals for Dinas Powys.
Pontypridd Town are
continuing their progress. They went down 2-1 at leaders Goytre United, but
produced a solid display.
Goytre thrashed Pontypridd
9-0 at Ynysangharad Park earlier this season and, despite the defeat, the
scoreline from the return fixture underlines how manager Mal Cammilleri is
improving matters at Ponty.
ICW
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DEC-31 |
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Ledley: I'm happy to stay
at City
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WANTED Wales star Joe Ledley
fired Cardiff City’s winner at Preston and then told the club, “My
future is in your hands.”
The 20-year-old is strongly
being linked to a move away from Ninian Park in January, with one Wolves bid
having been turned down and Charlton also said to be also keen on acquiring
Ledley’s services.
The Cardiff-born ace has
been in a rich vein of form recently scoring a fantastic individual winner
at Deepdale after Roger Johnson had brought City level.
But Ledley, who rose
through the Bluebirds youth ranks and has already made more than 150 City
appearances, insists he is happy to stay and will only go if he is forced
to.
“I am happy where I am at
the moment, at Cardiff, and I am happy to stay,” said Ledley.
“But, if they accept a
bid, then I will be gone, that is the way it is. It is up to Cardiff City
and what they want to do.
“Of course everybody
wants to play in the Premiership, and hopefully I can do that with Cardiff.
“But as I say, it is up
to Cardiff whether they accept a bid or not. All I know is that I am happy
where I am right now.
“None of what is being
said or written about all this has affected me at all. I just go out there
and play football.
“I always go out to play
as well as I can and I thought I did well against Preston, so I am
pleased.”
ICW
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DEC-30 |
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New look Nomads set for
Rhyl return
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CONNAH’S
Quay Nomads will have at least four new faces on board for their New
Year’s Day showdown at Rhyl (2.30pm) – and boss Jim Hackett says they
desperately need them.
Nomads
are just three points above the relegation places after going down 5-0 at
home to the Lilywhites on Boxing Day and 4-0 at Neath on Saturday.
The
heavy losses offered Hackett the final proof that some players are not up to
playing in the Welsh top flight.
Hackett
is also having to do without Chris Williams and Adam Dickinson.
And
now former Chester City midfielder Wes Kilgannon has joined the key duo on
the treatment table after pulling his hamstring in the first of the double
header with Rhyl.
Adam
Hitchen, who was unable to play in the derby after hurting himself in the
warm-up, will not feature in the return match even if he recovers as he
serves a one-game ban for five yellow cards, while Allan Glover, having been
sent-off at Neath, remains suspended, as does Stuart Cook.
Little
wonder, then, that Hackett can’t wait to introduce defender Phil McDiarmid,
winger Paul Wilcockson – both highly-experienced campaigners – and Wales
Under 17s striker Michael Cronshaw.
He
has also signed young defender Liam Jones from Flint Town United and has
made offers for a host of other players, including midfielder Kyle Jacobs
from Porthmadog.
Hackett
said: “We have been waiting for the transfer window to open on January 1
as I feel the players coming in will help us get the 12 points I feel we
need to stay up.
“They
haven’t been dragged down by our poor results so they are fresh and
confident.
“At
the beginning of the season we just had to build a squad, now we have to
better it. The players we’ve got have done a job, but they’ve shown
their limitations and none can go away saying they haven’t had a
chance.”
One
crumb of comfort for Hackett has been the fine return of captain and
defensive linchpin Gary Pinch.
Hackett
said: “Pinchy’s a great example to all the lads who are injured as he
reacted in the right manner to being out. He hasn’t let his head drop and
he’s stood up and been counted.”
FC
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DEC-30 |
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Steelman Blain a
Target for Brazil
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Haverfordwest County manager
Derek Brazil has made an official approach for Port Talbot Town midfielder
Dylan Blain ahead of the January transfer window re-opening on January 1st.
Blain played for his
hometown club Haverfordwest County for six seasons, before signing for Port
Talbot Town in 2006 and has scored 13 goals from his 209 Welsh Premier
League games, two of which have come from his nineteen starts this season
for Port Talbot Town. He is a former Wales Under 19 International and a very
under-rated player in the Welsh Premier, as he consistently puts in solid
displays at this level.
Manager Nicky Tucker has
also started shopping in the January sales by making an approach for Cwmbran
Town defender Mark McGibbon. The 29 year-old right-sided Londoner has also
played for Birkerod FC in Denmark and he is expected to complete a move to
the club in the next few days following a successful trial at the Re/Max
Stadium.
OWP
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DEC-30 |
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10 Man Swans win Leeds
thriller
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Ten-man Swansea held on to
defeat Leeds in a breathless top-of-the-table clash.
Andy Robinson's curling
free kick gave the Swans the lead, Jermaine Beckford equalising superbly a
minute later after Dennis Lawrence's indecision.
Garry Monk's strong
near-post header from a corner restored the advantage, but Ferrie Bodde was
red-carded for a rash tackle on Jonathan Howson.
Jason Scotland made it 3-1
at half-time after a bullocking run, Alan Thompson's free kick after the
break not enough.
The packed Liberty Stadium
crowd were treated to their sixth successive home win as the Swans surged on
to take a five-point lead at the top of League One.
But they could be facing an
extended period without Bodde, the midfielder now having been sent off twice
since his summer arrival from the Netherlands.
BBC
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DEC-30 |
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Ledley inspires City
comeback
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Joe Ledley inspired a Cardiff
comeback win, Preston staying in the drop zone after a third straight home
loss.
Simon Whaley gave Preston
the early lead, latching on to Lewis Neal's corner with a low, rasping
drive.
Roger Johnson equalised
after the break, powering home an eight-yard header from Ledley's swinging
corner.
Ledley then combined with
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink down the left, powered into the box and held his
feet under Sean St Ledger's tackle to guide in the winner.
The victory was the
Bluebirds' first at Deepdale since 1986 and leaves manager Dave Jones' side
- who have lost just one of their last six - with realistic play-off
ambitions going into 2008.
BBC
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DEC-30 |
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Little blames "mad 5
minutes"
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Wrexham boss Brian Little says
another 'mad five minutes' was to blame for Wrexham's 1-0 defeat to
Stockport at the Racecourse.
The Dragons remain bottom
of the Football League after the result made it their fifth straight defeat.
"I'm obviously very
disappointed because I think we could have won today," said Little.
"The goal we conceded
was one of those now infamous five minute mad spells that we have."
And Little, who will be
looking forward to the January transfer window opening on Tuesday, is
frustrated that his players seem to panic too easily.
"I think young Wes (Baynes)
made a mistake on the edge of the box and for five minutes, we were all over
the place," he said. "For the rest of the game, we were all right.
"For those five
minutes from the sidelines, you get nervous. You sense that all of a sudden
we've made a mistake and we don't know how to put it right.
"And yet there's
really nothing to put right. It was 0-0, we were doing OK and that's the
disappointment that we can't recognise spells like that.
"The goal today was a
disappointment.
"I think we should
have got a result today and that's probably the first time I've been able to
say that for a while."
BBC
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DEC-30 |
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Martinez laid
back after big promotion boost
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ROBERTO MARTINEZ told
Swansea’s supporters to enjoy the moment after masterminding victory over
their biggest promotion rivals.
But the Swans’ boss
insisted he is not concerned with sending messages to the rest of the
division, claiming he already knows how good his team is.
Martinez said: “Whoever
beats Leeds sends a message out and opens the eyes of others – but what we
care about is this club, and the attitude and desire of these players here
is something I am proud of.
“This was a great
victory. It was a big occasion, but if anything the game proved to be better
than the occasion, with some outstanding football.
“I don’t know about
people saying we can now be champions – all I know is we have players with
talent, and a group of players who are concerned about winning their next
game.
“We have set our
standards but we have played very well in our last five games – that
consistency is hard to get, so it is very pleasing.
“There are 25 league
games left and we are involved in two cup competitions, but we all need to
improve on a daily basis. Every player here knows that and has the attitude
to do it.”
Martinez hailed the result
as the most satisfying of the season, but mainly because of the uphill task
facing the hosts after Ferrie Bodde’s red card. But he refused to publicly
criticise the midfielder and instead said: “When you play against any team
with 10 men for such a long time it takes a huge effort, but to do it in
front of a full house against a side challenging for the top is an even
bigger task.
“We wanted to give
something to those fans from the dressing room and I think they did – they
can feel proud of their players.”
Dennis Wise slammed Bodde
for his challenge before admitting Swansea were the best side Leeds have
faced this season.
Wise said: “I thought
Swansea did very well. But then I expected that because we knew how good a
team they were before.”
ICW
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DEC-30 |
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Dale's Martyrs delight
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Merthyr Tydfil 3-2 Bedford
Town
THE Martyrs overcame a half-time deficit to take all three points, but still
needed Dale Griffiths’ injury-time header to see off nine-man Bedford.
Falling behind after only
nine minutes Merthyr hit back only two minutes later when Darren Griffiths
brought the Martyrs level.
However, they found
themselves behind again on 20 minutes, a deflection allowing Rob Morley to
restore the visitors’ lead.
Merthyr came out in
determined fashion at the restart and in minutes they were level for a
second time when Craig Stiens was brought down by Bedford goalkeeper Michael
Armitt, who got his marching orders.
Jamie Rewbury kicked the
penalty.
A second penalty award saw
Jon Darby dismissed but the spot-kick was put over the bar and, just when a
draw looked like the likely outcome, up popped Griffiths to head home the
winner and clinch the important three points.
ICW
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DEC-30 |
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Newport do double over
Dorchester
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Dorchester 2-3 Newport County
COUNTY completed the double over their relegation-threatened opponents by
matching the 3-2 scoreline at Newport Stadium, but they were made to work
hard for their success.
There had seemed only one
winner after Ian Hillier headed a Richard Evans corner into the net to give
County an eighth-minute lead – which Charlie Griffin doubled when he
latched on to Lee Fowler’s ball over the top in the 52nd minute.
But County switched off
defensively and Wes Fogden reduced the arrears in the 55th minute.
The game was held up for
nine minutes while a replacement linesman was called for, and in the 69th
minute of playing time Fogden brought the scores level.
Newport manager Peter
Beadle immediately sent on towering striker Jermaine Clarke and the move
paid off – the forward scored within two minutes of coming on.
ICW
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DEC-29 |
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Door open for golden boot
Griffo to go
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Llanelli
chairman Nitin Parekh admits he is struggling to put a price on goal-machine
Rhys Griffiths - but will not stand in his way of a possible move to FC
Aarau.
The Reds striker revealed last week that he had been on trial at the Swiss
Super League club, with a view to a potential transfer.
Griffiths
told the Star that he was torn between staying at Stebonheath Park and
heading to Switzerland.
Llanelli are awaiting a reply from Aarau following Griffiths's trial, but
Parekh insists they will only allow the double Golden Boot winner to leave
if the move is right for him.
First of all though, Llanelli will sit down with Griffiths and look to
extend his contract beyond June 2008.
The Swiss club could swoop for him then and land him on a free transfer
under the Bosman ruling, but the Reds are confident he will sign a new deal.
That would ensure them a transfer fee should Aarau, or any other club, want
to sign the 27-year-old.
For a player of Griffiths's calibre, Llanelli could well be looking towards
a six-figure deal.
That might still appear to be scant consolation to the club's fans, however,
as Griffiths is a crucial part of Peter Nicholas's title-chasing side.
However, Parekh says the Reds have not yet reached the stage of putting a
fee on their star man.
"If you look at the scoring charts for the past few seasons across
Europe then you will see Rhys Griffiths near the top," said Parekh.
"He is a top player and a great goalscorer.
"It does not surprise me that interest has been shown in him.
"It's great for him, Llanelli and the Welsh Premier League.
"We won't stand in his way. We told all the players in the summer that
if the right club comes in for them, we will be right behind them.
"We are waiting to hear from Aarau, but that probably won't happen
until the new year.
"In the meantime, we want to sit down with Rhys and open contract
negotiations as soon as the transfer window opens.
"Regarding a transfer fee, we haven't reached that stage yet. We don't
know how deep Aarau's pockets are just yet."
LS
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DEC-29 |
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Jones out to hit the
FAW jackpot
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TOMI Morgan and Dave Jones
played football at the same time.
Morgan was a hotshot striker
for The New Saints and Aberystwyth Town in Wales plus Telford United, while
Jones was a full-time professional for Everton, Coventry and Preston.
Both are in their 50s, Morgan
having just achieved the half century, while Jones is a year older.
The two men go head-to-head
on Tuesday week when Cardiff City travel to play Welshpool Town at Maes-y-Dre
in the FAW Premier Cup quarter-finals.
The experienced Riccy Scimeca
and teenager Aaron Ramsey are pencilled in to link up in central midfield –
although no final decision will be made on Scimeca until just before the match
– and City are certain to take the tie seriously with £100,000 on offer for
the winners.
City have suffered
embarrassing defeats too often in this competition and won’t want to fall
again.
Morgan took charge at
Welshpool in 2004, a year before Jones was appointed manager of Cardiff City.
Football has been established
in the mid-Wales town since 1878. They have played as Welshpool Wanderers and
Welshpool Warriors, while they now stick to Welshpool Town.
During 1991-92 they finished
top in their Mid-Wales League division, 12 points clear of their nearest
rivals.
But they were docked a
massive 66 points for fielding a player under suspension in England.
They plunged from top to
bottom spot and presented the title to Caersws.
Morgan has steered Welshpool
back into the Principality Welsh Premier League – and they currently lie
sixth.
The winners of the Welshpool
v Cardiff City on January 8 will play Newport County in the semi-finals.
ICW |
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DEC-29 |
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Bodde hails the
Martinez plan
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SWANSEA CITY'S Dutch master
Ferrie Bodde believes Roberto Martinez's tactical nous has been the key to
keeping the home fires burning at the Liberty Stadium.
The Swans are seeking a sixth
straight home win today as they welcome Leeds United in a heavyweight League
One contest.
That sequence has coincided
with a change of Swansea formation as Leon Britton has joined Bodde and Darren
Pratley in central midfield, Martinez abandoning the more traditional 4-4-2
set-up for an offensive 4-3-3 system.
“It’s good that the
gaffer changed things,” said Bodde, who scored his fourth Swansea goal in
the 4-1 Boxing Day demolition of Cheltenham.
“We have the players for
the new system and I think we have a good combination in midfield with Leon,
Darren and myself.
“The defenders play the
ball to us and it’s up to us to feed our strikers.
“But we also need the guys
on the bench and the rest of the squad to make us sharp and a good team.”
Bodde collected his fifth
caution of the season on Boxing Day, ruling him out of next week’s FA Cup
third-round tie against non-league outfit Havant & Waterlooville.
The cynics might suggest it
is a good game for the former Den Haag midfielder to miss with Swansea’s No
1 priority this season being promotion to the Championship.
ICW |
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DEC-29 |
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Rae reveals secret to
Bluebirds form
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CARDIFF CITY midfielder Gavin
Rae has revealed that it was the Bluebirds’ dreadful home defeat to Charlton
which finally stirred Dave Jones’ side into action.
The immediate fall-out for
30-year-old Rae personally that night was being dropped to the City bench for
the first time since arriving from Rangers in the summer.
It was a situation Rae admits
he was “gutted” by, but he has bounced back to put in sterling
performances against Sheffield United and Watford over the past week.
“I think after that defeat
against Charlton, and the way we played we were pretty much shocked, we knew
things had to be changed,” said Rae.
“I think it was perhaps
that point which stirred a lot of people into action.
“We realised we had to pull
together and sort things out and since then there has been an improvement.
“The manager did say after
that Charlton game he could have dropped anyone and, unfortunately, it ended
up being me.
“I was gutted, of course. I
want to play every game, no footballer wants to be kicking his heels on the
bench.
“But perhaps I did need to
be freshened up a bit. The one thing it did enforce in me was the desire that
once I got my place back I was going to seize that chance. I wanted to make
sure I kept my place in the side.”
And, with the Bluebirds at
struggling Preston today, Rae is hoping City can keep things going and
continue their climb up the league.
ICW |
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DEC-29 |
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Llangefni bring in Boersma as
number 2
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NEW Llangefni Town player
manager Alex Kevan admitted that he has accepted a tough challenge after
watching his players struggle against Porthmadog on Boxing Day.
But he is poised to introduce some new faces to strengthen the squad for the
new year's day return at the Traeth.
"It's plain to see where the problems are, and we need to sort out the
defence," said Kevan, who took a back seat after the excellent display
at Carmarthen four days earlier.
"The task is harder than I anticipated, but I still have great belief
and I'll be bringing in some new faces to freshen up the squad."
Available for new year's day will be former Caernarfon Town and Colwyn Bay
midfielder or defender Paul Roberts, while ex-Liverpool
central midfielder Chris O'Brien has also put pen to paper but needs match
practice following an injury.
"We're training on Saturday and I will be looking at some more
faces," added Kevan.
"Craig Hogg should also be involved and we missed his influence against
Porthmadog."
Kevan is also targeting a return to action before the end of January.
"I'll get some injections to get me through the season until I can get
my ankle sorted in summer," he added.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool and Middlesborough midfielder/striker Phil
Boersma will be his assistant in what looks to be a dream managerial team
for Llangefni.
Boersma netted 17 goals in 82 appearances for Liverpool and when his playing
career finished he joined former team-mate Graham Souness as physio at
Rangers before teaming up with him again as coach at Liverpool, Southampton,
Blackburn and Newcastle.
NWC
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DEC-28 |
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Greaney: Ganet still in
charge of Crows
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CWMBRAN
Town last night denied manager Guillermo Ganet has either been sacked or has
resigned by confirming the Spaniard remains in charge of the MacWhirter Welsh
League Division One outfit.
Rumours
have been rife for weeks that all was not well within the Cwmbran camp, and
last Saturday's 1-0 defeat at lowly Pontardawe Town meant the Crows have taken
only six points from the last 24 and have not scored a goal in 370 minutes of
football - statistics which fuelled speculation that the former La Liga
midfielder had left.
However,
Cwmbran secretary Ian Greaney exclusively told the Argus that although Ganet
has flown home to Spain for the festive period, he is still the Gwent club's
manager.
Speaking
during the interval of yesterday's Gwent derby between Caerleon and
Croesyceiliog at Cold Bath Road, Greaney said: "I can confirm that
Guillermo Ganet is still manager of Cwmbran Town Football Club.
"I've
had lots of people come up to me telling me that they'd heard he has left, but
that's totally untrue."
Greaney
also pointed out that talk of Cwmbran having lost up to five players in the
past week or so was also unfounded.
The
only player likely to leave the club when the January transfer window opens is
full back Mark McGibbon, who is the subject of seven days' notice from Port
Talbot Town.
"They
are officially still with the club and we continue to hold their
registrations. But there are some personal issues which need to be sorted out
between them and the manager."
Ganet
took over in the summer following last season's relegation from the top-flight
Welsh Premier League, and brought a whole squad to Gwent with him from his
London-based football academy.
SWA |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Llanelli
need a win to keep up pressure on TNS
|
|
LLANELLI will be without Andy
Legg for their Principality Welsh Premier League match against Carmarthen Town
at Stebonheath Park on New Year’s Day (2.30pm).
Legg was sent off during
Llanelli’s 2-1 win at Richmond Park, Carmarthen, on Boxing Day.
That is a huge blow for
Llanelli, who have also been without injured Welsh international Matt Jones
for some time.
Llanelli stand second in the
table, two points behind The New Saints and a win against Carmarthen Town is
crucial.
There are no Welsh Premier
League fixtures tomorrow, but return games in local derbies are played on New
Year’s Day.
Neath Athletic and Port
Talbot Town clash at Llandarcy Park (2.30pm).
They drew 3-3 in a hard
fought match at the Re/Max Stadium on Boxing Day.
Leaders TNS won 3-0 at
Welshpool Town, Cardiff City’s opponents in the FAW Premier Cup, and the
teams meet again on January 1, this time at the Saints’ ground.
ICW |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Watford put the boot
in before a ball was kicked
|
|
WATFORD launched an astonishing
tirade against Cardiff City before Boxing Day’s 2-2 Coca-Cola Championship
draw at Vicarage Road.
Watford appeared to be taking
the rise out of the Bluebirds, claiming in their matchday programme that:
Cardiff don’t have two
leeks to rub together.
Dave Jones is desperately
trying to keep things on an even keel while all around him is chaos.
The reason Jones has not been
sacked is that City can’t afford it.
One Bluebirds insider
described the words as “insulting” but there was no official comment from
the club and it is not known whether City complained.
The programme notes read:
“The threat of administration is ever present at Ninian Park. Court battles
take on greater significance than footballing ones as they try to stay in
business and avoid a 10 points penalty which would plunge them to the bottom
of the Championship.
“Relegation could be a
final catastrophic blow.
“You have to feel sympathy
for Dave Jones, desperately trying to keep things on an even keel while all
around him is chaos, though the very fact that Cardiff don’t have two leeks
to rub together might well have been the factor which dissuaded the board from
sacking him earlier in the campaign. They couldn’t have paid him off.
Whether that was the case or whether, for once, the board were admirably far
sighted is unclear. But panicking, getting rid of Jones, would have been
stupid in the extreme.”
ICW |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Hulse annoyed as
league refuse to budge
|
|
JOHN HULSE says the Welsh
Premier should have given more consideration to his players after they refused
to allow Rhyl’s Belle Vue derby with Connah’s Quay to be switched to
tomorrow.
The Lilywhites had agreed
with the Nomads to move their New Year’s Day clash so players could spend
more time with their families during the holiday.
But the league refused
permission and said they wanted all league ties to be played on the Bank
Holiday.
Rhyl boss Hulse was annoyed
by the league’s obstinacy after also complaining that his side were forced
to make three trips in succession to South Wales during December.
The manager said yesterday:
“We’d agreed with Connah’s Quay to play the game this Saturday, but the
league refused to allow us even though both clubs had agreed.
“The league said they
wanted all league fixtures played on New Year’s Day. We just wanted to give
our lads, especially the part-timers, the chance to have a bit of family time
on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.”
Earlier this month Rhyl had
to make three treks to South Wales in as many weeks, beating Port Talbot Town
2-1 on December 1, drawing 0-0 at Carmarthen Town on December 15, and losing
2-1 to Llanelli a week later.
Hulse said: “What I was
unhappy about was that when I first joined the league at Bangor City in the
Welsh Premier’s initial season, it was stated there wouldn’t be long
travel over the winter months. So we found it ludicrous that we had to make
these trips three times in three weeks.
DP |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Croesy looking to get
back on track
|
|
TWELVE of Gwent's 13 MacWhirter
Welsh League clubs help bring the curtain down on 2007 tomorrow, when only
Cwmbran Town will not be in action.
The unavailability of Cwmbran
Stadium means the Crows' home Division One clash with Taffs Well has been
postponed.
However the town's two other
clubs, Division One rivals Croesyceiliog and Cwmbran Celtic, of Division Two,
are both in home action.
For Croesyceiliog the game
against promotion-seeking Dinas Powys represents a quick chance to put right
the 4-0 away Boxing Day defeat by Gwent rivals Caerleon.
Now they face a tough
challenge from a Dinas Powys side managed by Mark Jones, who experienced
domestic and European success with Welsh Premier League outfit Carmarthen
Town.
"It's a stiff task, but
we'll regroup and give it our best shot," said joint Croesyceiliog
manager Chris Evans, who will give fitness tests to several squad members on
match day.
SWA |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Away day followed by 5 at
home for County
|
|
NEWPORT County travel to
Dorchester Town for a Blue Square South match tomorrow, while they will be
staying at home for the start of 2008.
Following the trip to
Dorchester, Newport have five successive home games.
Weston-super-Mare are
visitors on New Year’s Day, followed by Hayes and Yeading (Saturday, January
5), Torquay United (FA Trophy, Saturday, January 12), Havant and Waterlooville
(Saturday, January 19) plus Cambridge City (Wednesday, January 23).
First, though, manager Peter
Beadle’s County must make the trip to struggling Dorchester Town, who drew
1-1 against Bath City on Boxing Day.
The Exiles also drew, 2-2
against Weston-super-Mare away, with Charlie Griffin spurning the chance of a
winner when his 93rd-minute penalty was saved.
Dorchester have former
Cardiff City head of recruitment Paul Compton in charge.
He is assistant manager and
in temporary charge while manager Shaun Brookes is recovering after an
operation
ICW |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Fowler heads to
America for op
|
|
ROBBIE Fowler is heading off to
America.
The former England striker is
out with an ankle ligament injury sustained in training – and while
sidelined manager Dave Jones says Fowler is set to fly out next week to have
keyhole surgery on his troublesome hip.
“It looks likely Robbie
will be going to Colorado for surgery,” said Jones.
“He is still two or three
weeks away from training because of his ankle problem and the medical opinion
is that a minor operation can sort out his hip. We are awaiting a final
decision by specialists, but that’s how it looks right now.
“Robbie has had a problem
with his hip in the past and played through it. The course of injections he
had in Germany helped considerably, but did not finally solve it.
“Medical opinion says a
minor operation will achieve that.”
ICW |
|
DEC-28 |
|
Martinez wants fans
pumped up for Leeds
|
|
SWANSEA CITY manager Roberto
Martinez has called on supporters to turn the Liberty Stadium into a cauldron
of noise tomorrow and outdo the reception visitors Leeds gave to the Swans at
Elland Road.
On a tough afternoon in
Yorkshire, Swansea found themselves beaten 2-0 in the reverse fixture back in
September.
Leeds are enjoying some of
the biggest crowds seen for decades in the third tier of English football and
teams visiting Elland Road find themselves in a bearpit of an atmosphere.
With a 20,000 sell-out
expected at the Liberty, Martinez, whose side sit top of League One, wants to
return the favour tomorrow afternoon when third-placed United travel to West
Wales.
“It really is the glamour
tie of League One right now and it was one I bet supporters looked out for
when the fixtures were first announced,” said Martinez.
“Leeds have been very, very
strong. They have a fantastic home record and have got into the habit of using
that home advantage very much to their favour.
“Elland Road is probably
the toughest place to visit in this division. But now we have them at our home
and hopefully it will be a sell-out crowd.
“We know we have got the
best supporters around, the way they have got behind us this season has been
fantastic.
“But what we need is to
create an atmosphere like Elland Road, to outdo Leeds at our place. We want
supporters to kick every ball, to go up for every header. They can really have
a big, big influence on the game for us.
ICW |
|
DEC-27 |
|
All
square at the RE-MAX |
|
Six goals were shared at the Re/Max Stadium in an enthralling Afan Nedd derby
match between Port Talbot Town and Neath Athletic.
The Steelmen started brightly and took a two goal lead inside seventeen minutes
with Chad Bond and Scott Barrow netting. Kristian Rogers, the Port 'keeper was
then unfortunate to concede an Own-goal on 19 minutes, by Barrow extended the
two-goal advantage just before the hour mark.
Neath's resolve was tested to the full, but Andy Dyer's side have a great spirit
and they grabbed two more through Carl Shaw (68) and Andy Hill (77) to gain a
point.
ICW |
|
DEC-27 |
|
Dave
Jones bemoans injury time goal |
|
CARDIFF CITY manager Dave
Jones bemoaned the performance of the referee after his side conceded an
injury-time goal to draw 2-2 with league leaders Watford.
Jobi McAnuff equalised deep
into added time, which Jones believes the referee let go on too long.
He said: “Three minutes of
stoppage time was indicated but the lad’s scored in something like the
fourth minute so I don’t know what’s happened there.
“He allowed them to bully
us and push and shove us all game. We matched all that but at the end it was
probably one too many.
“I can’t fault my side, I
thought they were fantastic today. They coped with everything they threw at us
and when we were able to get the ball down we played some good football.
“It’s disappointing
because this is an important game but we’ve been let down by the ref.”
Although he was dismayed to
only draw with the Championship leaders, after goals from Roger Johnson and
Peter Whittingham were cancelled out by Jay DeMerit and McAnuff’s last-gasp
effort, Jones is confident Cardiff are on the up.
He said: “We have been
slowly getting better and better and there is still a long way to go. There is
a confidence and belief in the squad and we have stuck together really well.
“If we can get all our
injured players back soon we will improve even further.”
ICW |
|
DEC-27 |
|
Swans
flying high at the top |
|
Swansea produced a superb
display of attacking football to dismantle Cheltenham at the Liberty Stadium.
Andy Robinson struck twice in
the first quarter, first heading home Guillem Bauza's flick-on and then
curling a 25-yarder into the top corner.
Ferrie Bodde's low drive,
from Leon Britton's pass, put the result beyond doubt two minutes after the
interval.
Jason Scotland hammered home
a fourth, although Steve Gillespie's overhead kick gave the Robins some
consolation.
BBC |
|
DEC-27 |
|
Wrexham
hit rock bottom again |
|
Wrexham crashed to another
home defeat and sunk back to bottom place in League Two as Rochdale eased to
victory at the Racecourse Ground.
The visitors took the lead
after just seven minutes, when Kallum Higginbotham laid the ball back for
Glenn Murray to score from close range.
Wrexham tried to find a reply
but were hampered by a nervy defensive display.
Rochdale made things safe
when Lee McEvilly forced the ball home from close range against his former
club.
BBC |
|
DEC-27 |
|
Welsh
premier league round up |
|
The top two in the Principality
Welsh Premier had more reason to celebrate the Festive Period as both TNS and
Llanelli won difficult away matches at Welshpool and Carmarthen Town
respectively.
Whereas the Champions won
comfortably at Maesydre by three goals to nil with Steven Beck, Scott Ruscoe
and Alfie Carter all scoring, the Reds had to thank teenage striker Mark
Jones, who paid back boss Peter Nicholas in the best possible way following
his recall to the starting eleven with a last-gasp winner. Wyn Thomas, who
spent the early years of his Welsh Premier career at Richmond Park opened the
scoring for Llanelli on 17 minutes, but Tim Hicks levelled on 24 before the
young former Afan Lido forward sealed it at the death.
Rhyl took advantage of the
Carmarthen defeat by leapfrogging the Old Gold into third with an easy victory
over the hapless Connah's Quay Nomads, by five goals to nil. Chris Sharp
struck the first on 14 minutes and Lee Hunt doubled the advantage five minutes
before the break. Craig Jones made it three on 67 minutes and Dave Cameron
scored the fourth with five minutes remaining. The fifth went to Hunt as
Nomads boss Jim Hackett saw his side fall apart again in-front of a poor 258
attendance.
Over 700 people witnessed a
convincing Bangor City win over Caernarfon Town by 5-1, including three in the
first eight minutes. Les Davies scored the opener for the Citizens after just
five minutes against Craig Vernon, who played in goal for the Canaries. That
lead was doubled a minute later by Ashley Stott and Michael Walsh made it
three after eight minutes, and he also scored in the second period, whilst
Bobby Jones had a consolation for the visitors.
Haverfordwest County raced to
a 3-0 lead at Aberystwyth Town with goals from Tom Ramasut (21), Jonathan
Coates (39) and Gareth Elliott (48) and despite Simon Gilderdale putting
through his own net on 50 minutes and a Geoff Kellaway effort in response five
minutes from time, the Bluebirds managed to hang on for an excellent win at
Park Avenue in front of 467 spectators.
There were 835 at the
Recreation Ground to witness a rare home victory for Caersws who are climbing
up the table as they enjoyed a win against nearest rivals Newtown. The
Bluebirds won by a solitary goal in Powys this afternoon thanks to a Neil
Mitchell winner in the 38th-minute. In a clash of two clubs also at the wrong
end of the table, Airbus UK Broughton enjoyed a good 3-2 win against Newi Cefn
Druids. Geraint Lewis gave Druids the best start, scoring after two minutes
but Mark Allen, Ryan Edwards (penalty) and Paul Hallows were on the
score-sheet for the Wingmakers, before Adam Hunter, who used to play for the
Ancients, put through his own net.
The bottom-of the-table clash
between Llangefni Town and Porthmadog was convincingly won by Porth at Talwrn
Road in Alex Kevan's first game in charge of the Anglesey team. Kyle Jacobs
gave the visitors the lead on 23 minutes, but Dylan Owen equalised on the
half-hour, with 345 in attendance. Three second-half goals courtesy of Carl
Owen (50), Paul Roberts (61) and Richard Smart (85) ensured a terrific win for
Viv Williams' side, as 'Gefni see themselves fall further adrift at the foot
of the League. |
|
DEC-27 |
|
Boxing
day attendances in the WPL |
|
There were 4,065 people at the
nine Principality Welsh Premier League Boxing Day Fixtures this afternoon, at
an average of at 451.67.
Caersws had the highest
attendance of the day with 835 for their local derby match against Newtown
that saw the village side win by a goal to nil against their Town neighbours.
Bangor City were the next highest with 709 people witnessing their 5-1 win
over Caernarfon Town - But that figure was well below the anticipation of
Citizens boss Nev Powell who told the Daily Post that he had hoped for 1,500
at least.
Carmarthen Town had the third
highest gate with 561 in Richmond Park to see the Old Gold lose out to a last
minute winner against Llanelli, whilst in the town of Welshpool, there were
471 people at Maesydre viewing the home side lose 3-0 to Champions and
Leaders, TNS. With just four fewer than that figure, the fifth highest crowd
puller was on the Coast of Aberystwyth Town, where visiting Haverfordwest left
Park Avenue with all three points following their 3-2 victory.
There were 345 at Talwrn Road
in Llangefni as the Anglesey-based side were slammed 4-1 by Porthmadog, whilst
277 watched Port Talbot Town at home to Neath Athletic in the Afan Nedd Derby
game. This figure wasn't helped by the fact that Swansea City were playing at
home in the Liberty Stadium just a few miles West on the M4. Despite having
one of the largest visiting support in the League, Rhyl's trip to Connah's
Quay Nomads was witnessed by just 258 as the free-falling Nomads were slammed
5-0 by the Lilywhites.
The lowest attendance of the
Boxing Day programme was at the Airfield as the Wingmakers enticed just 142
for their match against NEWI Cefn Druids, which the hosts won 3-2.
OWP |
|
DEC-27 |
|
Exiles
round up |
|
Weston-super-Mare 2-2 Newport
County
Newport County claimed an
early lead through Craig Hughes only for Weston to equalise within a minute
through Andy Robertson.
The Welsh side then fell
behind when Andy Gurney pounced on the stroke of half-time and needed a
62nd-minute equaliser from Julian Alsop to rescue a point.
BRITISH GAS BUSINESS
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Merthyr Tydfil 1-3
Gloucester
Merthyr sunk further into the
bottom half of the table as Gloucester leap-frogged them thanks to three
first-half goals at Penydarren Park. Mike Jones scored a late consolation for
the Martyrs. |
|
DEC-26 |
|
Dyer confident of a result
against Steelmen |
|
Neath, unbeaten in five
matches, get their first taste of Boxing Day action when they make the short
trip to Port Talbot.
The teams are level on points
and it should be a tight affair with both sides pressing for a top-six place.
“We are going to Port Talbot in
confident mood after our 4-0 win over Connah’s Quay, but it’s important we keep
our feet on the ground and not get carried away,” said Eagles boss Andrew Dyer,
who has masterminded his club’s impressive rise through the divisions over the
past five years.
“We are looking forward to the
challenge.
“Port Talbot will find we are a
different proposition to the side they beat 3-0 in the League Cup game there in
August.
“I am confident of that and I’m
hoping for a positive result.”
ICW |
|
DEC-26 |
|
Bangor boss looking for big turn-out |
|
BANGOR City manager Neville
Powell is anticipating a record crowd of between 1,500 and 2,000 for the visit
of local rivals Caernarfon Town this afternoon as his side’s push for Europe
continues.
The Citizens, beaten | | |