WELSH
SOCCER NEWS PAGE FOR SEPTEMBER 2007
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Sep-30 |
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Bluebirds fall fowl of bottom club
Gefni |
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Gefni won their first ever
game in the top flight with a 2-1 win over Harry West, the win takes them off
the bottom spot on goal difference. While Harry West lost out on the chance to
move into 4th spot and within touching distance of the big three, they remain in
6th place.
Things look bright for the Anglesey
outfit when they took the lead in the 17 minute when Ywain
Gwynedd put them in front. And Gwynedd got his and Gefni's 2nd just 4 minutes
later.
The visitors gave themselves a
chance when they pulled a goal back in the 58th minute with a goal from Neil
Thomas, but Llangefni went onto win 2-1 and recorded their 2nd victory in 5
days, and alarm bells are starting to sound for Harry West, having taken just 1
point from their last 3 games.
Haverfordwest
County
Lee
Idzi, Terry Evans, Wayne Jones, Simon Gilderdale (Jack Christopher 57'), Gareth
Elliott, Neil Thomas, Phil Catlin, Tom Ramasut, Ian Jones, Nicky Woodrow, Lee
Hudgell.
Subs
not used: Jonathan Coates, Peter Thomas, Bobby Briers.
Red
Cards: None
Yellow
Cards: Neil Thomas 53' Phil Catlin 72'
Attendance:
258
Tony
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Sep-30 |
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Llangefni out to break their league duck |
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CLUB captain Graham Austin could be back after a
four-match injury absence when Llangefni Town host Haverfordwest County at
Talwrn Road today.
Austin has been sidelined by a nagging groin
strain, but manager Adie Jones said the forward was ready for a return, although
Danny Roberts needs to check out groin problem.
Mark Jones and Chris Evans are definite
non-starters and Jones has a choice of goalkeeper between Farai Jackson, who did
well in the Loosemores Cup midweek 3-1 success over Caernarfon Town, and rival
Simon Williams.
Newcomers Llangefni currently prop up the table
as the only pointless side, but were encouraged by their Wednesday win.
Jones said: “Haverfordwest will present a
different challenge, recalling – from what I hear – perhaps seven players who
were not involved in their midweek cup tie so they will be fresh.
“We are on a bit of a high right now and a
back-to-back win would be tremendous for everyone at the club, but we realise
the lads must apply themselves all over again.
“What happened on Wednesday is behind us.
“But I am satisfied that we are creating enough
chances and we have done so in our last four games.”
DP
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Sep-30 |
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Llanelli win seven goal thriller |
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In an outstanding game at The Oval, Llanelli
extended their lead at the top of the Principality Welsh Premier Table with a
remarkable 4-3 win against Caernarfon, who lead 3-1 at one stage.
The League leaders made the perfect start
through a Rhys Griffiths strike after just 1 minute, but the lead was
short-lived as the Canaries levelled through Mark Thomas on eight minutes. They
then stunned Peter Nicholas' side with a double salvo in three minutes as
firstly James Glendenning (21) and then Bobby Jones (24) gave the Cofis a 3-1
advantage. In an amazing first half, the Reds pulled one back through
central-defender Wyn Thomas to make the Half-Time score 3-2.
Young pint-sized striker, Jordon Follows
brought the sides back level just after the hour in an absorbing contest.
Griffiths got his second to give the Reds the lead for the second time with
twelve minutes remaining.
OWP
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Sep-30 |
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Welsh Premier League round up |
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TNS too good for
Carmarthen
The New Saints continued their rise up the table
into third place with an outstanding 3-0 win against Carmarthen Town. After a
goal-less first-half, TNS came out after the break flying with Mike Wilde
scoring a minute after the interval before Steven Beck added a second on 48
minutes for the Champions to take a 2-0 goal lead at Richmond Park.
Chris King made it three shortly after for Ken McKenna's side.
Neath hit by Williams double
A brace from Marc Lloyd Williams and
a Danny Jellicoe goal for Newtown gave the hosts a comfortable win at
Latham Park. Defender Jellicoe broke the
dead-lock three minutes after the interval and the prolific Lloyd
Williams doubled the advantage for the hosts and then finished on 84
minutes for his second
and put an end to
Neath's hopes of completing their first back to back double in the top
flight. Tommy Mutton was
named in the Robins starting line-up for his debut.
Bangor held by Caersws
At Farrar Road, Bangor's Sion Edwards scored the
first goal of the day inside the first minute to add to the woes of struggling
Caersws, but they managed to level on 19 minutes when Graham Evans scored from
the spot, his second successful penalty in as many games to gain a good point
for the Bluebirds.
Porthmadog back to
losing ways
NEWI Cefn Druids gained a very valuable three
points at Y Traeth with a good win against Clayton Blackmore's
Porthmadog. Druids winger Kevin Holsgrove scored after just two
minutes to give the visitors the early lead at Y Traeth, before the
in-form Paul Roberts equalised on 16 minutes for Port. The Druids
regained the lead on 21 minutes though as striker Mike Heverin scored,
which proved to be the winner.
OWP
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Sep-30 |
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Taz aims to kick-start
career at the Martyrs |
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TAREQ Khalil has come home to Wales.
Tenacious central midfielder Khalil,
who spent nine years with Cardiff City, has signed for BGB Premier League club
Merthyr Tydfil.
Cardiff-born Khalil, 21, left the
Bluebirds to sign for Coca-Cola League One club AFC Bournemouth, but was
released during the summer.
Merthyr manager Garry Shephard
believes Khalil’s drive and passing ability can help give his team an extra edge
in midfield.
Khalil, whose mother is Welsh and his
father from Yemen, first signed for Cardiff at the age of 10. He was
highly-rated, but suffered injuries which knocked him back.
He suffered a serious knee injury
during an FA Youth Cup tie against Charlton Athletic in December 2002 and was
out for the rest of the season. Then he suffered a dislocated shoulder and was
out for five months.
But, after surgery on the shoulder,
Khalil returned to play in two cup finals, helping Cardiff City win the Youth
Alliance Cup, crushing Tranmere Rovers 6-1, and the Welsh Youth Cup, beating
Swansea City 4-1.
“I suffered a couple of bad injuries
while I was with Cardiff,” says Khalil. “I broke my kneecap and dislocated my
shoulder. But I’m 100 per cent now and looking forward to my time with Merthyr.”
ICW
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Sep-30 |
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Cardiff slip up late on an end
with a point |
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Brian Howard's 84th-minute header salvaged a
point for Barnsley.
Cardiff started brightly but needed Kevin McNaughton to
clear Stephen Foster's header off the goal line.
The visitors' appeals for a penalty were turned down
just before the break, and manager Dave Jones was sent to the stands for his
protests.
Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink made Cardiff's pressure pay to
score with a near-post header on 73 minutes but a late home rally saw Howard
head in to equalise.
Cardiff came closest to securing the points in the dying
stages when Paul Parry, who had crossed for Hasselbaink's opener, screwed his
shot wide when well placed.
Barnsley also had a penalty claim turned down when Joe
Ledley appeared to handle the ball in the penalty area.
"We have big referees come down to this division, and he
hasn't put in a big performance.
Jones said
"I don't know why they are dropping down if they are not
performing in the Premier League.
"They should send them into the Sunday morning football
leagues if they need to drop down some divisions!
"The non-penalty was a decision which changed the game
even though it was only 0-0 at the time.
"I thought we totally dominated and should have won the
game and that decision has cost us."
Cardiff: Oakes, McNaughton, Johnson, Loovens,
Capaldi, Ledley, Rae, McPhail, Sinclair (Parry 67), Hasselbaink, Fowler.
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Whittingham, Green, Gunter.
Booked: McPhail.
Goals: Hasselbaink 73.
ICW
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Sep-30 |
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Swansea's disappointing home form continued |
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Brighton held out for a deserved draw at the Liberty
Stadium.
The visitors created the best chances of a subdued
first-half, with Nicky Forster bringing the best out of home goalkeeper Dorus De
Vires.
Swansea improved after the break but a lack of cutting
edge up front meant many promising attacks came to nothing.
Brighton almost snatched a last-minute winner but Bas
Savage's bending left-foot effort hit the crossbar.
Swansea: De Vries, Monk, Rangel, Lawrence,
Painter, Bodde, Pratley, Orlandi (Bauza 90), Butler, Feeney (Anderson 63),
Scotland.
Subs Not Used: Knight, Austin, O'Leary.
Booked: Orlandi, Anderson.
Att: 11,058
ICW
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Sep-30 |
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Wrexham win bottom of the table
clash |
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Wrexham ended a run of six successive defeats in all
competitions to claim a crucial victory at the Racecourse and climb off the
bottom of the table.
Adie Moses fouled Marc Williams to concede an early
penalty, but Alan Marriott saved Neil Roberts' strike.
In a rare moment of quality after the break, Williams
curled in a spectacular shot from the edge of the box.
To compound Lincoln's woes, Gary Croft was sent off on
the hour for a second bookable offence.
Wrexham: Anthony Williams, Danny Williams, Evans,
Hope, Carvill, Crowell, Garrett, Mark Jones, Taylor (Done 82), Marc Williams,
Roberts (Johnson 88).
Subs Not Used: Michael Jones, Pejic, Spender.
ICW
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Sep-29 |
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Steelmen
see off Aberystwyth |
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Port
Talbot Town maintained their excellent unbeaten home record with a good 2-1
win over Aberystwyth Town at the Re/Max Stadium.
It was a
double-salvo in the first half for Tony Pennock's men that proved to be the
difference, despite Aneurin Thomas' goal for the visitors just two minutes
after the break.
Influential
midfielder Liam McCreesh opened the scoring with a 13th minute effort for
the hosts and the lead was doubled on 39 minutes with an effort from the
increasingly impressive Kerry Morgan, who struck his sixth goal in four
games for Port Talbot since his move from Swansea City.
The
Seasiders were given hope by defender Thomas, but they failed to grab a
second and the home side took all three point son offer.
OWP
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Sep-29 |
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Moran
Spot On for Lilywhites |
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Hot-shot
Andy Moran struck twice for Rhyl to gain three points for John Hulse's side
against a spirited Airbus UK Broughton at Belle Vue.
Rhyl are
now level on goal difference with League leaders Llanelli, following their
2-1 win over the Wingmakers this evening, who were agonisingly denied a
point when striker Moran stepped up to convert an 84th minute penalty
.
The same
man had given the hosts the lead on seven minutes and it looked as though it
would turn into a convincing win for the home side. Gareth Owen's team had
different ideas though and they drew level when James McIntosh equalised on
38 minutes.
It then
looked as though the visitors would hang on before the spot-kick was
awarded. The Lilywhites have now gained 19 points from their eight matches,
adding pressure on the Reds who face a long trip North to Caernarfon Town on
Saturday.
OWP
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Sep-29 |
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All
square at the Deeside Stadium |
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It was honours even at the
Deeside Stadium in a six-goal thriller as Connah's Quay Nomads twice came
from behind to gain a point against Welshpool.
The visitors made the
perfect start when midfielder Richard Harris struck for 'pool after just six
minutes. Nomads striker John McAllister drew the sides level after quarter
of an hour, before winger Stuart Cook gave the hosts the lead.
There was still more to
come in the first half though, as Welshpool striker Calvin Davies brought
the sides back level with six minutes left of the opening period.
Davies grabbed his second
to give Welshpool the lead again, but the Nomads showed character to come
back again, when defender Chris Williams, who has been on trial with
Millwall this week, struck his fourth goal of the season with a 71st minute
penalty.
OWP
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Sep-29 |
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Saints
pose big test for Brace |
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CARMARTHEN
TOWN player manager Deryn Brace believes this afternoon’s home clash with
champions The New Saints will be a pointer to his team’s prospects this
season.
Having
taken over in the summer from his successful predecessor Mark Jones, Brace
could not have had a more depressing start as he saw the Old Golds pummelled
14-3 on aggregate by Norwegian giants FK Brann.
But since
losing their opening match of the campaign at Rhyl, the Richmond Park club
have been on a tremendous run of five wins and a draw from their last six
matches.
It has
swept them up to second spot, two places in front of the Saints, although
just one point separates the sides.
“The
Brann result could have ruined us, but the lads have stuck together and made
giant strides since then,” Brace said. “They have made things easy for
me and are an honest, hard-working set of players.
“We
have started well, but TNS is the big test of how far we’ve come or how
far we still need to go. They are the side all teams must try to emulate.”
Brace
added, “I’ve heard Ken (McKenna) feels his team have not performed to
their potential and I hope they don’t reach that against us. They have
secured five wins on the trot, so teams will have to watch out when they do
fire.”
ICW
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Sep-29 |
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Neath
target back to back wins |
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Neath
manager Andrew Dyer is looking for back- to-back wins for the first time
since promotion to the Welsh Premier at Newtown. Last week's 2-1 triumph at
Caernarfon was a major boost and, with Newton's form patchy, Neath boss Dyer
sees further success tomorrow as a real option.
"It's the Newtown's, not the Llangefni's we must target if we are to
rise to mid-table, which is our objective this season,'' he said.
"Back-to-back victories would give the whole club confidence in what we
are trying to do.
"If we achieve it, it would give us four wins, four
defeats from our first eight matches and I'll take that.''
Dyer was also encouraged by the number of chances his side created midweek
against Llanelli in the Loosemores Challenge Cup group match, despite going
down 3-1.
"Unfortunately, our keeper gifted them a freak sixth-minute goal, but
we put in a gutsy performance and it was pleasing we created so much. But
once again we contributed to our own downfall.''
"If we can match the concentration levels we maintained at Caernarfon
I'm hopeful we can produce a result at Newtown.''
Billy Timothy and Rob Folland return to the squad, but Chris Pridham
(hamstring) is absent, as is Nicky Jones who has decided his future lies
elsewhere.
EP
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Sep-29 |
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Exiles
facing tough start in cup |
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NEWPORT County start their FA
Cup journey once again tomorrow with manager Peter Beadle hoping to finally
put the events at last year's Swansea City tie to bed.
The club were fined £3,000
and Beadle £1,500 after the first round match last November descended into
chaos when Beadle was sent off for arguing with officials and a coin thrown
from the stands struck a linesman.
The Exiles travel to face
Blue Square South rivals Basingstoke Town in the second qualifying round
(kick-off 3pm) with Beadle eager to put that day behind him once and for
all.
"It's in the past now.
We'd like to remember that day for the right reasons because I think we
played some good stuff but it was obviously overshadowed and we all learned
lessons from it," he said.
With County running into
form with three straight league wins, some may see Saturday's tie as a
distraction but Beadle insists that an FA Cup run is important to the club.
"It's the best cup
competition in the world and it's a chance for a bit of glory," he
added. "A good run in the cup boosts confidence and helps build morale
and will also be good financially."
SWA
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Sep-29 |
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Upbeat
Blackmore seeks a repeat |
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PORTHMADOG, upbeat after their
opening win over Welshpool by an emphatic 3-0, are keen to bank more points
at home against Newi Cefn Druids today.
“We played well in our
last three games but did not get the right results against Airbus or TNS”,
said player-manager Clayton Blackmore.
“Now that we have
achieved the breakthrough, the important thing is to keep it up, especially
with a Premier Cup game against Port Talbot to follow on Tuesday.
“There are no new injury
worries, which is a help, after all the disruption of the early season when
we were having to change half the team every game.”
Midfielder Danny Hughes and
forward Jason Sadler are still out because of groin injuries, but striker
Paul Roberts, who bagged a brace at Welshpool, will be involved despite a
problem ankle.
DP
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Sep-29 |
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City's
Veterans ready to silence doubters |
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CARDIFF
CITY boss Dave Jones believes his Bluebird “veterans” are starting to
ram the words back down the throats of all those critics who said they were
past their sell-by dates.
And
Jones, whose side are back in Championship action at Barnsley tomorrow,
insists there is still even more to come from Robbie Fowler, Jimmy-Floyd
Hasselbaink and Trevor Sinclair.
Eyebrows
were raised during the summer when Jones brought in 32-year-old Fowler,
35-year-old Hasselbaink and 34-year-old Sinclair with some forecasting that
despite their excellent pedigrees they were over the hill and would never
flourish in the Championship.
After
a slow start, during which Fowler in particular was fighting for match
fitness, the doom merchants looked like they had a point, but now Jones’
gamble on the trio looks to be starting to pay off big time.
ICW
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Sep-28 |
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Steelmen
lose long serving defender |
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Hugely popular Port Talbot
Town defender Robert Cockings has left the club to re-join South Wales
Amateur team Trefelin Boys and Girls Club, some ten years after he made the
reverse switch.
He joined the Steelmen when
they played in the Welsh League in 1997 and he played an important part in
the club gaining promotion to the Welsh Premier League in 2000. He has
remained a regular player in the side ever since although injury problems
and increased work commitments limited his opportunities in 2006-2007, but
he has remained a key member of the squad under six different managers
during his time at the club. An impressive debut season in the Welsh Premier
League prompted interest from Barry Town and Aberystwyth Town, but Robert
remained loyal despite the lucrative offers available to him.
He has made just two
appearances for Tony Pennock's side this term, both from the bench and he is
the second player to leave the Principality Welsh Premier side since the
closing of the Transfer window. This must be a concern for the club as they
cannot sign any new players to replace the duo until the Transfer Window
re-opens in January.
OWP
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Sep-28 |
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First
Real Madrid - then it's Caernarfon |
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Andy
Legg faces Real Madrid today hoping to pick up his first piece of silverware
this season.The Llanelli midfielder will go up against the likes of Madrid
legends Fernando Hierro, Fernando Redondo and Alfonso Perez in the European
Charity Cup.
Legg will represent a celebrity XI against the Real Madrid Maestros at the
Spanish giants' training ground.
The former Welsh international took part in the game last year, which the
celebrities lost 5-0.
But the game is expected to be tighter this time around
with Legg being joined by the likes of Wales keeper Paul Jones, ex-England
star Luther Blissett and a few former professionals.
This week will prove quite a testing one for Legg.
He drove down from his family home in Nottingham for Tuesday night's League
Cup clash at Neath Athletic before jetting off for Madrid.
Following today's charity game, he will fly back to Luton before joining up
with the Llanelli squad for Saturday's trip to Caernarfon.
"It's a busy week," said Legg. "But the charity game is a
good crack. I think our team is taking it more seriously this year.
"We are playing against some legends of Real Madrid and it's a great
experience.
"Then it's all about Caernarfon on Saturday."
LS
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Sep-28 |
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Aber
boss hoping for an extended run |
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ABERYSTWYTH boss Brian Coyne
is looking for his side to string together an extended unbeaten run in their
efforts to keep in touch with the top six teams in the Welsh Premier. Having
made a steady start to the season, the Seasiders will be aiming to build on
their midweek draw at Caersws, and an encouraging home win over Bangor City
last weekend. With only seven matches played, the Aber manager is determined
to see his side keep in touch with the leading pack, and is looking for a
positive result at Port Talbot on Friday.
Having only managed to
scrape a draw at lowly Caersws last Tuesday, Coyne said that he was pleased
with the way his side then bounced back to beat Bangor at Park Avenue. “It
was always going to be a tough game against Bangor, especially after their
big win the previous weekend, but the boys played very well and got what
they deserved,” he said. “We didn’t really perform at Caersws, and in
the end we were relieved to get a point, we just about scraped the draw,
Geoff Kellaway came on and scored to get us out of a hole.
“We were disappointed
with the result, but it was still a point away from home, and their draw
against league leaders Llanelli at the weekend per-haps puts things in
perspective. “Yet, the boys responded well very on Saturday, it was a
terrific result, and the important thing is that we keep in touch with the
top sides, and do not fall too far behind them. “It is still very early in
the season, but I feel that we have made a steady start, and having taken
four points from our last two games, I would like us to keep the unbeaten
run going.” Having only played three matches on a Saturday so far this
season, the Seasiders return to Friday night football when they travel to
Port Talbot’s Remax Stadium this Friday.
AT
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Sep-28 |
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League
could axe Premier reserves |
THE future make-up of the Spar
Mid Wales League will be discussed at a crunch meeting next month.
The Welsh FA has previously
granted dispensation for the league to permit reserve sides to participate.
However Welsh FA councillor and Spar Mid Wales League secretary Phil Woosnam
confirmed the such allowances would not be made in the future.
“The Welsh FA regards the creation of a reserve league in Mid Wales highly
on their agenda,” said Woosnam.
“The meeting is a chance for league officials to hear the views and
thoughts of clubs on what they would like to see happening in the future.”
Currently Newtown, Aberystwyth Town, Caersws and The New Saints field
reserve strings in the Spar Mid Wales League. However there is a growing
argument among other clubs in the league that the time is right to remove
all reserve sides from the pyramid.
“Some clubs will be thinking in terms of self preservation as this season
will definitely see the league enforce relegation while others will argue
that the reserve sides have helped raise the standards of the entire
league,” added Woosnam.
CT
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Sep-28 |
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Mutton
on the menu for Neath clash |
TOMMY Mutton looks set to
make his Newtown bow in this weekend's clash with Neath Athletic.
The 29-year-old striker has
been unavailable since his deadline day switch from Welsh Premier rivals
Bangor City.
However his return to availability provides the Robins with a massive
boost ahead of the visit of the league newboys.
Assistant manager Mike Davies said: “Neath are a decent side and not to
be taken lightly. They have a good defensive record and will provide a
very good test for our lads.”
The Robins’ hopes of a three pronged forward line could be dashed though
with Craig Moses facing a late fitness test.
Defender Hugh Clarke is also a major doubt with a neck injury, which
forced him out of the Robins victory over Llangefni Town last weekend.
“We have a few promising lads knocking on the door and it’s a nice
problem for the management to face going into the game with Neath.”
CT
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Sep-28 |
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I won't
crack says Carey |
BRIAN CAREY today gave his
most honest assessment of the position he and rock bottom Wrexham
Football Club find themselves in.
Amid boos and criticism
from die- hard fans after the club's worst start to a season in years,
Carey insisted he is not feeling under any pressure in the cut-throat
world of 'results-mean-everything' football management.
Carey says he is determined to take Wrexham up the League Two table,
starting at home to Lincoln City on Saturday.
"There's no pressure," said Carey today. "All along I
have said that it is not about me.
"I am not worried about anything that may or may not happen in the
future. I am just concentrating on the Lincoln match, and getting the
club up the table.
"Yes, things have to improve, everyone knows what football is like.
I'm not stupid, and I know what happens when things are going wrong.
"We have to improve and get the job done because the club does not
deserve to be bottom of the league."
Wrexham, who have lost their last six matches – four in League Two –
will aim to end their slump when they play host to struggling Lincoln on
Saturday.
The Reds then follow that up with another home match against high-flying
Chesterfield on Tuesday evening.
FS
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Sep-28 |
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Can new
boss stop Garw’s losing streak? |
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ALTHOUGH
Garw stumbled to an eighth successive defeat this season – this time
in the first round of the Nathaniel Cars League Cup – there were signs
here that new manager Mike Colcombe is beginning to have an impact.
At
the start of the season, the Blandy boys were beginning to fade by
half-time, but against the Rice Roaders that wasn’t the case until the
80-minute mark.
At this stage, Garw were
well in contention at 3-3, but two late goals allowed the
Carmarthenshire side to make cup progress.
“The
boys played well and there was much more of a buzz in the changing room
afterwards,” said Garw chairman Michael Lambert.
“Mike
Colcombe’s work at the club is beginning to tell, and hopefully the
worst is now behind us.”
Garw
host Bridgend Town in the league this Saturday.
ICW
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Sep-28 |
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A
fantastic start for Ton's new youth side |
|
TON
Pentre AFC have formed a youth side for the first time in the clubs
history.
The
junior Bulldogs have enjoyed a great start to the season and have a 100
per cent record after two games.
The
team started the season with a 2 - 0 win against Caerleon at Ynys Park
in the East Division of the Welsh Football Youth League.
Both
goals were scored by Leon Jacka to give Ton all three points.
In
their next game Ton beat Cardiff Corries by five goals to four with
Jonathan Hood scoring a fantastic hat-trick.
The
side is managed by former first-team coach John Emmanuel who brings a
wealth of experience to the team.
He
played international football for Wales and once took Ton into the
Intertoto Cup.
Jill
Evans MEP, who sponsors the Ton Pentre Youth team, said: "It's
always a pleasure to support local projects that give young people a
chance to shine and develop.
"It
also continues my family's links with the club. My grandfather's brother
Stan Yeates, built the stands at Ynys Park and his son John also played
for the club.
"With
the new youth set-up, I hope these young players will move on to play
for the first team, therefore providing even greater success in the
future.
"Who
knows? With increased support from the local and wider community some of
the youth players of today many be representing the Bulldogs in the
European competitions of tomorrow."
ICW
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Sep-27 |
|
Celtic
shock below-par County |
|
Cwmbran Celtic 3 County 0
CWMBRAN Celtic upset the odds
to record a famous victory over a jaded looking Newport County last night.
The MacWhirter Welsh League
Division Two outfit moved into the semi-finals of the Gwent Senior Cup with a
comprehensive 3-0 win over a County side showing 11 changes from Saturday's
2-0 win over Braintree.
First-team squad players
Shane Brewer, Lee Fowler, Sam O'Sullivan and Craig Hughes all started the
game, however, and there was a welcome return for central defender Paul
Cochlin, coming on from the bench to make his first appearance since December
last year.
The rest of the side was made
up of first and second year youth players and it was no surprise that they
looked tired as most of them had played in the FA Youth Cup extra-time defeat
at Merthyr on Tuesday night.
That's to take nothing away
from Cwmbran Celtic who approached the game with a determined attitude and
gave an excellent all-round team performance.
The lively red-haired striker
Shane Williamson scored with two beautiful efforts, the first an unstoppable
drive from 30 yards after 28 minutes and the second a well-placed curler on 73
minutes.
In between Craig Cheedy
netted Celtic's second just after the hour mark when he found himself alone on
the edge of the box from a corner and coolly side-footed the ball through a
crowd of players and into goalkeeper David Pearce's net.
"It was the biggest
competitive game in our history and we all played well and we deserved it.
"I'm knackered but I was
delighted with the clean sheet and Tom Morgan in goal did brilliantly for a
lad of 16 on his debut.
"I'm pleased for Shane
Williamson too, he doesn't score any tap-ins, only screamers, and they were
both great goals.
"The league is more
important but it was a great night and we're in the semis so we're looking to
win the cup now."
SWA
|
|
Sep-27 |
|
Jones
aiming to build on cup win |
|
Manager Dave
Jones is hoping Cardiff can repeat their Carling Cup exploits when they return
to Championship action at Barnsley on Saturday.
The Bluebirds tore West Brom
apart in Tuesday's 4-2 win and Jones knows his side will be full of
confidence.
"We want to get to that
level of consistency that we've all been looking for," Jones told BBC
Wales Sport.
"Tuesday should give
them a massive boost of confidence going into the game against Barnsley."
Jones is hopeful defender
Kevin McNaughton will be available for the trip to Oakwell after he came off
before the end of the West Brom win.
The 25-year-old defender has
struggled with a hamstring injury, although he is not expected to miss out.
Captain Darren Purse is
unlikely to make the trip despite coming through a reserve match unscathed on
Wednesday, as Jones feels Barnsley may be "too soon" for him.
But Jones will be looking for
fit-again Robbie Fowler and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink to fire in front of goal
after both finally got off the mark.
"The two of them know
that because of what they have done in their careers, they are always going to
be up there to be shot at," he said.
"They've got a point to
prove as if they were 22, rather than 32. They knew the sooner they got off
the mark, the better it was for everybody.
"But as I said earlier
in the season, to do that they've got to be fit.
BBC
|
|
Sep-27 |
|
Feeney
out to take Swans chance |
|
Warren Feeney is set for his
first start for Swansea after a groin strain ruled Darryl Duffy out of
Saturday's clash at home to Brighton.
The on-loan Cardiff striker
has been pushed down the pecking order at Ninian Park following the arrivals
of Robbie Fowler and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink.
But he said: "You don't
wish for anyone to get injured but it's a chance.
"I'm here to play
football and I want to do well for Swansea so I will grab it with both
hands."
Feeney is the fourth player
in the last 10 years to have played for the Swans having previously been at
Cardiff.
Kevin Nugent, Terry Evans and
Tony Bird are the others, although they arrived from different clubs.
But Feeney says he knows all
about the rivalry between the two south Wales clubs.
"It was a pure football
decision to come here," he said. "I know the rivalry between the
fans, but fans are fans and I respect that.
"As long as you're
honest and have a go, they'll respect that. I don't want to let anyone down.
"Hopefully I will get my
chance on Saturday and hopefully I can shine."
BBC
|
|
Sep-27 |
|
Nomads
Williams on trial at Millwall |
CONNAH'S Quay centre back Chris
Williams has spent the first half of this week on trial with Millwall.
Nomads boss Jim Hackett spent the back end of last season working in a
scouting capacity for the League One outfit and says: "I was contacted by
chief scout Pat Holland three weeks ago enquiring about Bungle.
"I have kept in touch
with Pat since taking on the Nomads job and it was agreed, with the chairman's
blessing, for Bungle to go down and train with Millwall for a couple of days
when time allowed," says Hackett.
"This week was seen as
an ideal time for him to go, the idea being for them to look at him as a
possible future signing and him to look at the level of League 1 footballers
and set his own playing standards based on what he saw.
"He wasn't allowed to
play in any matches and trained with the first team squad as agreed."
Williams, who is contracted to the Nomads until the end of the season and was
a target for ex-boss Nev Powell at Bangor City this summer, has now returned
to Deeside.
Hackett added that he would
be contacting the Lions' management later this week to find out their feelings
about the player.
UWP
|
|
Sep-27 |
|
Whitfield
leaves Rhyl for Lairds |
|
AFTER losing his place in the
Belle Vue pecking order following the arrival of Lee Kendall, goalkeeper Paul
Whitfield has left Rhyl to sign for Cammell Laird.
He joins several other former
Lilywhites at the Unibond Division One South club, including Lee Atherton,
Carl Clampitt, Alex Hay and Chris Taylor, alongside former Rhyl assistant boss
Neil Young.
A former Wrexham trainee and Wales Under-21 international, Whitfield made 91
Welsh Premier appearances, also wearing the colours of Connah's Quay, Newtown,
Airbus UK and Bangor but, after injury in a North Wales Coast Cup game, found
himself second choice behind John Gann at Rhyl last season.
"I wish Paul all the
best," Rhyl manager John Hulse told Lilywhites Online.
"He never let anyone down, but it simply wasn't viable to keep three
keepers at the club."
UWP
|
|
Sep-27 |
|
Hughes
concern over Wrexham's woe |
|
Mark Hughes has expressed his
concern over Wrexham's current plight at the bottom of the Football League.
The Blackburn boss, who was
raised near Wrexham, said he has been surprised by Dragons' poor start to the
season.
"It's disappointing. We
played them in pre-season and they quite impressed me," Hughes told BBC
Sport. "I thought they had the makings of a good team.
"I was hopeful, as a
Wrexham lad, they would have a decent season and not be in the same situation
as last season."
Wrexham avoided relegation to
the Conference on the final day of last season by beating Boston at an
emotionally charged Racecourse.
Manager Brian Carey then
immediately promised to rebuild the squad and restore the club's fortunes,
setting his sights on promotion this season to League One.
Five new players were
recruited over the summer, but the changes have had little effect as Wrexham
have managed just three points from their first six league games.
"Maybe it's a case of it
being the start of the season and that the new players are finding their feet
and getting used to the surroundings," added Hughes.
"Hopefully once that
period is over then they'll get their game going and they'll be able to climb
the league.
BBC
|
|
Sep-26 |
|
Crows
focused on return flight to the Premier |
|
CWMBRAN
Town are still focused on winning the MacWhirter Welsh Football League title.
They
fielded a complete reserve team in the Nathaniel Car Sales League Cup defeat
against Abertillery Excelsiors and lost 5-1, but Crows secretary Ian Greaney
said: “Our priority is the league and there are a lot of injuries in the
squad.
“The
manager, Guilermo Ganet, opted to rest players and allow injuries to clear up.
The League Cup tie at Abertillery was an ideal chance to do that.”
Ganet has
signed a number of players from his football academy in London and they travel
to train and play for Cwmbran Town, including top scorer John Black N’Gody
from Cameroon.
“The
whole first team will be at training today and on Thursday,” said Greaney.
“And they
will be involved in Saturday’s First Division match against Maesteg Park at
home.
“We
realise there are some quality teams in the Welsh League and it’s going to
be a tough fight, but the manager has set a target of earning promotion within
two years. If we can achieve that in the first season everybody would be
delighted.”
ICW
|
|
Sep-26 |
|
Bluebirds
romp home against West Brom |
|
Robbie Fowler grabbed a brace as
Cardiff tore West Brom apart to reach the fourth round of the Carling Cup.
He put the Bluebirds ahead
after four minutes converting Stephen McPhail's cross before Jimmy-Floyd
Hasselbaink doubled the lead with a 20-yard strike.
Fowler got his second from
the penalty spot after Joe Ledley was felled in the box and Trevor Sinclair
made it 4-0 inside the first 30 minutes.
Ishmael Miller pulled two
goals back for West Brom with one from the spot.
Cardiff manager Dave Jones:
"I thought the performance would come at home, I didn't think it would
come away and I said if those two (Fowler and Hasselbaink) fired well, someone
was going to come on the backlash of it and fortunately, West Brom got it in
the first half.
"The problem we had was
getting them fit. I'm pleased for the pair of them because they have worked
really hard and they've had to do that because they've been playing catch-up.
"The second half was
just about killing it off and settling it down."
BBC
|
|
Sep-26 |
|
Six of
the best for Hulse's Lilywhites |
|
Rhyl have beaten an under
strength Connah's Quay Nomads 6-1 in the Loosemores Cup. Striker Lee Hunt went
straight back into the Rhyl side following his three match suspension and the
dangerman scored twice to mark his return.
He played alongside Dave
Cameron who also grabbed a brace after his boss publicly requested that the
Scot score more goals. Fellow-striker Andy Moran also got in on the act,
whilst defender Matthew Holt bagged his first senior goal.
Ex-Bangor City skipper Paul
O'Neil was left on the bench in favour of the former Everton youngster Holt,
whilst Jimmy Kelly returned from injury to partner Gareth Wilson in midfield.
It was a great night for striker Chris Sharpe who featured on the bench for
the first time in over a year following a career-threatening knee injury.
Jim Hackett made seven
changes from Saturday's defeat to TNS with experienced duo Gary Pinch and
Chris Williams not featuring, but Paul Glynn, Wayne Morgan, Adam Hitchin,
Jamie Petrie, Chris Herbert, Stewart White and Stuart Cook all gained recalls
on a poor night for the Nomads
OWP
|
|
Sep-26 |
|
TNS
edge out Druids |
|
Ken McKenna used their match
with NEWI Cefn Druids as an opportunity to make changes with no fewer than
eight from Saturday's match.
Captain Ged Doherty featured
between the sticks, whilst Martyn Naylor, Mark Davies, Rob Williams, Tommy
Holmes, Jamie Wood, Carl Lamb and player/coach Gary Brabin were all given a
chance to impress. The Druids recalled Carl Edwards in goal after young rookie
Chris Mullock conceded ten in his last two games.
TNS ran out eventual winners
1-0 with the only goal of the game coming in the 18th minute from Barry Hogan,
the win takes TNS top of their group.
Tony
|
|
Sep-26 |
|
Old
Gold fluff up the Bluebirds feathers |
|
Carmarthen boss recalled Richard
Hughes, Sasha Walters, Curtis McDonald and Nicky Palmer to his starting eleven
at the Bridge Meadow Stadium, whilst ex-Afan Lido striker Ian Jones made his
full return after breaking down with injury in the opening game of the season.
In the match Carmarthen hit
the goal trail with a 5-1 success against hosts Haverfordwest.
Sacha Walters opened the
scoring after 11 minutes and, although Ian Jones soon levelled for the
Bluebirds, Greg Coombes went on to score twice in a comfortable win for the
visitors.
Tony
|
|
Sep-26 |
|
Llanelli
win again against Neath |
|
The main talking point at
Llandarcy Park was the full debut of former Wales midfielder Matthew Jones in
the Llanelli midfield. The ex-Leeds Utd man played instead of the suspended
Antonio Corbisiero, whilst Nicky Holland and Sam Small both started at Andy
Mumford's and Stuart Jones' expense. Neath left top scorer and captain Andy
Hill on the bench, giving Andrew Fairburn a chance to impress.
Llanelli repeated last week's
Welsh Premier success at Neath, winning 3-1 this time around. But the victory
came at a price after defender Gary Lloyd was red-carded in the 32nd-minute
when the Reds were already two goals to the good through a Craig Williams
double.
Jarrod Price did pull a goal
back for the Eagles, but the 10 men went on to add another in the second half
thanks to Craig Jones.
Tony
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Mattie
Davis joins the Bulldogss
Mattie
Davies, who made 93 appearances for Town in all
competitions over a three year period, has made the switch
to MacWhirter Welsh League outfit Ton Pentre.
In his time with Town the ever popular striker netted 30
goals and was a member of two European campaigns that took
on Tampere United (Intertoto) and SK Brann (UEFA Cup). All
the best Mattie. 24.09.07
www.carmarthentownafc.net |
|
Sep-25 |
|
The
best is yet to come from Robbie – Jones |
|
ROBBIE
Fowler’s first goals for Cardiff City at least gave manager Dave Jones some
crumbs of comfort after another frustrating performance at Ninian Park.
The
former England striker twice gave the Bluebirds the lead against Preston with
a couple of classic poacher’s goals, and enjoyed his best game yet in a City
shirt.
“Robbie
took his goals well,” said Jones, “and we know he’ll just get better and
better.
“He’s
looking sharper all the time, and that first goal for us clearly gave him a
huge boost in confidence.”
“I
bumped into Robbie and his family on Saturday night, and he was obviously
pleased to get off the mark.
“You
could see the weight visibly lift off his shoulders when the ball hit the
net.”
The
32-year-old opened his Cardiff account three days after fellow summer signing
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink fired his first City goal in the 2-1 defeat at home to
Watford.
Jones
is convinced the former Premiership duo can forge a successful partnership for
the Bluebirds, but only as long as the rest of his players can provide the
pair with a better service.
“Jimmy
and Robbie are working well together,” said Jones.
“But
the defence and midfield have got to deliver the ball far better to them.
“We
need to pass the ball with quality instead of humping it.”
ICW
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Pennock
delight after timely win |
|
Port
Talbot Town manager Tony Pennock admitted that his side's superb 5-1
demolition of Newi Cefn Druids at the Remax Stadium provided a timely and
much-needed boost. Inspired by Swansea City wizard Kerry Morgan, who slammed
in a magnificent hat-trick, the Steelmen secured only their second victory of
the campaign.
Ironically, the other success was also at home, against Newtown, and by the
same scoreline.
''I probably sound happier than I have done for a few weeks and for good
reason,'' said Pennock. ''We desperately needed that win.
''It was a better victory than the one against Newtown as we
played the football I know we are capable of in the style myself and Paul
(Reid) want to play.
''We were unbelievable for the first 35 minutes and scored three in a great
five-minute spell.''
Pennock maintains that his side are under-deliverers so far but warned: ''We
are a match for any team in this league, especially with everyone fighting for
the cause.''
And he reserved special praise for three-goal hero Morgan. ''He's always a
real threat, gives 100 per cent every match, is a real jack-in-the-box and his
finishing, as he showed today, is fantastic.''
EP
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Lido
scuffle riles Caerleon’s boss Dowd |
|
The ugly side of football reared
its head at Cold Bath Lane with both clubs now facing hefty fines after the
clash was called off with 30 minutes still remaining.
Allegedly Afan Lido had
generally persisted in preventing Caerleon from playing the game by foul
means.
Matters, however, came to a
head when a Lido player appeared to kick Caerleon's Paul Shephard in the face,
an act which prompted a mass free-for-all.
Punches and kicks were
exchanged, and after the dust had settled Mr Fisher sent off Caerleon's Jason
Price and Lido pair Carl Evans and Brian Thomas, the goalkeeper.
But there was more to come.
The official next brought together both sets of management teams and informed
them that he had had enough and had abandoned the match.
But the decision was wrong,
according to Caerleon boss Brendan Dowd: "He told us that he had sent off
the players who had caused and been involved in all the trouble, so I can't
see what the problem was.
"He should have
restarted the game, and then if there had been further trouble, then that's
when he should have called it off.
"I have to defend my
players and tell you that they endured much throughout the game before they
decided there was only so much they could take.
"They were kicked,
punched, had their shirts pulled on a regular basis, all virtually right from
the word go."
Officials of the Welsh League
will now await the referee's match report before deciding on what course of
action to take in terms of any punishment.
SWA
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Beadle:
County are on the up |
|
NEWPORT County boss Peter Beadle
is promising his side can perform much better despite soaring into the
Conference South playoff positions.
The Exiles have moved up to
fourth in the league after beating Braintree at the weekend, winning 2-0 for
the third time in a week.
Beadle's boys have kept clean
sheets in six of their opening ten games this season, but Beadle sees his side
getting even better as the weeks go by.
Just a fortnight ago some
supporters were criticising the manager after successive away defeats, but
Beadle insists his team are just getting started.
"I still think we can
get much better, on Saturday I thought we were sloppy at times and a little
bit lethargic, particularly in the first half," he explained.
I told the players what I
thought, just because we won 2-0 and have won three on the game doesn't mean
we can't improve.
"Teams will expect us to
be tough, physical and energetic and we don't want to show them differently
and help to get our opponents tails up."
SWA
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Caughter
joins rivals |
Gareth Caughter has ended a long
stint at Porthmadog by signing for Principality Welsh Premier rivals Airbus UK
Broughton.
After progressing through the youth system at The Traeth, the midfielder
scored fifteen goals from 120 Welsh Premier appearances and has also played
for Gresford Athletic in the Cymru Alliance.
Caughter (pictured) was the player with the longest unbroken period of service
for Port, having been signed whilst still a teenager by then manager Colin
Hawkins.
His fourteen goals in season 2002/03 were a major contributor to the club's
return to the top flight with promotion from the Cymru Alliance.
NLD
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Jones
is backing Ridsdale |
|
Cardiff boss Dave Jones said it
would be "stupid" if chairman Peter Ridsdale walked out on the club
over abusive texts from fans.
The former Leeds supremo
offered his resignation to the club's board which was unanimously rejected.
"If Peter walked away
and the board walked away I don't know what would happen," said Jones.
"You've got to go and
try and find someone who can re-live the dream again and that just seems
stupid to me."
Jones gave his full backing
to Ridsdale saying he was key to the club's transformation over the last 18
months.
"Peter has worked his
socks off and all the board are too," he said.
"The biggest mistake
this football club would make at this moment in time is if they (supporters)
pull the plug on Peter and the board because they are pushing the club forward
no ends.
"It's unbelievable
what's gone on in the last 18 months. It's frightening when you consider the
club didn't have to what it could have in the next 18 months.
"Every player here he's
had a big say in bringing in because he's had to give the go-ahead.
"It's not just my
decision who comes in. It's the chairman and the board's decision because they
have to back it and make sure the finances are right.
"They are not doing it
to fail, they are doing it because they want to do well, just like me.
BBC
|
|
Sep-25 |
|
Thomas
concerned by Wrexham form |
|
Mickey Thomas feels Wrexham's
players cannot handle the pressure as they look to lift themselves off the
bottom of the Football League.
But the Wrexham legend
insists the club's board should keep faith in manager Brian Carey.
"I think some of the
players are feeling the pressure from the fans' anger and
disappointment," said Thomas.
"It's how you adapt and
maybe that's the telling moment that they can't handle the pressure."
Thomas spoke out on the back
of the Dragons' latest loss at Stockport, which has left them with five
defeats out of their opening six league outings.
"It's disappointing
reading of the table when you see them at the bottom but I think you have to
keep the faith in Brian Carey and his backroom staff," he said.
"Brian has made one or
two additions to the squad which I thought would make them better, but at the
moment results aren't going their way.
"There is immense
pressure. You are in a winning related business where you have to win football
games to take the pressure off you.
"This is a difficult
time and this will show how good Brian is. Can they get the results turned
around?"
Thomas stressed it was
important to pick up a result within the next couple of games to avoid
confidence being drained away.
BBC
|
|
Sep-24 |
|
Cardiff
'stopped rot' says Jones |
|
Despite twice being pegged back
by Preston in Saturday's 2-2 draw, Dave Jones was at least relieved it stopped
a run of three home league defeats.
"If we're going to take
any consolation it's that we've stopped the rot here, which was becoming a
little bit annoying," said the Cardiff manager.
"I could feel the
tension before the match... but to be fair we caused havoc and their keeper
made some great saves.
"At the moment we're
trying to put one or two square pegs in round holes."
Roger Johnson was carried off
on a stretcher after getting a blow to the head in the last moments at Ninian
Park.
The centre-back recovered in
the dressing room afterwards but remains a doubt for Tuesday night's third
round Carling Cup match at West Bromwich Albion.
With Darren Purse and Glenn
Loovens already out injured, Jones may have to field a very makeshift defence.
BBC
|
|
Sep-24 |
|
Martinez: We
have tough lessons to learn |
|
ROBERTO
Martinez admitted his Swans side will learn the lessons from their toughest
trip of the season – but insisted he wouldn’t swap squads with Dennis
Wise.
Martinez
refused to be downbeat after Swansea struggled to get a look-in at Elland
Road, but did concede his team need to match Leeds’ winning mentality. And
he remained adamant his style of football will eventually win through after
the fallen Premiership giants’ powerhouse performance shut out the Swans.
“We will come out of this stronger,” he said. “If I am being a bit harsh
I would say we didn’t play as well as we could have.
“We need
to come to places like this and still be ourselves so perhaps we need to
develop a winning mentality like Leeds have shown.
“They
have huge momentum and the 15-point deduction has helped them because they
don’t have to be pretty, just effective and win games. But I wouldn’t swap
squads with them. We will improve after this.”
Martinez
would not accept Leeds’ rough and relentless style completely overpowered
Swansea, adding: “They are a different team to us but I didn’t think it
was too difficult to cope with. We were coming back into the game and there
wasn’t much in it, we were cancelling each other out.
“They play percentage
football and don’t take too many chances but if we can keep playing as well
as we can then we will be okay.”
ICW
|
|
Sep-24 |
|
Bognor
sign ex-Wales keeper Jones |
|
Wrexham 'keeper Anthony Williams
has told his side to stand up and be counted ahead of Tuesday's clash with
Chesterfield at the Racecourse Ground.
The Dragons are struggling at
the foot of the League Two table after losing 2-1 to Stockport at the weekend.
And Williams insists that
Wrexham need to turn the corner soon, otherwise they will face another
relegation dogfight.
"People need to stand up
and be counted and we need to show people we care and give it 100%," said
Williams.
He added: "It is not
about what you do with the ball, it is about what we do without it, and we
need to be switched on for 90 minutes.
"We are trying to turn
the corner and we have to go into Tuesday's game full of confidence and put
our bodies on the line and create chances.
"We need to be put out
hands up and say we are not good enough at the moment. We need to play like we
did towards the end of last season and play like every point is crucial."
BBC
|
|
Sep-24 |
|
Williams
urges Wrexham recovery |
|
Wales goalkeeping coach Paul
Jones has joined non-League side Bognor Town on a short-term deal.
The 40-year-old, who has won
50 caps for Wales, was released by Queen's Park Rangers in May and has not
played competitive football since.
Welsh Premiership champions
The New Saints wanted Jones to join them for their Champions League campaign
but he rejected that overture.
Now he has agreed to play for
the Rocks in the Blue Square Conference South.
Jones made his Bognor debut
in last week's 3-1 home loss to Bath City, with his new team then losing to a
last-minute goal in Saturday's trip to Thurrock.
BBC
|
|
Sep-24 |
|
Hulse
& McKenna not happy with performances |
|
WITH leaders Llanelli dropping
two home points, Rhyl failed to capitalise after a 1-1 draw at Haverfordwest
and the Lillies' boss John Hulse was scathing in his criticism of his side's
failure to put away their chances.
"I know players don't
miss chances on purpose but that was pathetic," said Hulse.
"Schoolboys of under eight would have been disappointed with that
finishing today."
The New Saints' manager Ken
McKenna was also disappointed despite a 3-1 home win over Connah's Quay Nomads
that takes his side up to fourth in the table.
The visitors got back into the game with a Mark Cadwallader shot after
trailing by three goals, and then had a Stewart White goal disallowed for
offside.
"I can't quite put my
finger on it, but we're not quite right at the minute," said McKenna.
"Sometimes when we're controlling a game there's a tendency to switch off
- when I was a player I couldn't understand that, you don't switch off until
the game is dead and buried."
UWP
|
|
Sep-24 |
|
Cymru
Alliance round up |
|
BALA
Town’s proud unbeaten record as the Alliance’s early leaders was shattered
by a shock 2-1 show at mid-table Guilsfield, whose Simon Edwards and Emyr
Roberts featured as the scorers.
A reply
goal from Jonathan Newell was not enough to rescue the top team’s six-match
success run and now Colin Caton’s men find their lead is trimmed to just one
point.
Llandudno
Town are closing up as well, in third place, after a satisfying 3-1 home feat
against the former champions Glantraeth, in which Lee Thomas bagged a brace of
goals.
Bryn
Jenkins opened the Seasiders’ account after a quarter-of-an-hour and Thomas
joined in after 20 and 87 minutes, with team-mate Ben Dews conceding an own
goal to help Glantraeth’s cause.
Lex picked
up a goal in each half to add to the woes of bottom club Bodedern, who are
still seeking their first win, and the damage was imposed by Steve Holman
after 22 minutes and Tinashe Mutanha after 50.
A 3-3
thriller was played out by Llanfairpwll and Penrhyncoch, with six different
scorers involved, crucially Iwan Roberts firing the visitors’ 74th minute
equaliser.
Prestatyn
Town rediscovered winning ways with a 3-1 home victory over Holyhead Hotspur.
Dave Hayes
headed the Seasiders into the lead on seven minutes, but on the half hour Ian
Williams equalised.
Town took
over in the second half and although Hotspur keeper Liam Shanahan did well to
keep out a Steve Bowes shot, player/manager Neil Gibson put away the rebound.
Russ Jones
added a third with a close-range header and Holyhead were reduced to 10 men in
the last minute when Dean Garmey was dismissed for a bad challenge.
After a
goal-less first half, Denbigh Town turned on the style to beat Mynydd Isa 3-0
at Central Park.
Luke
O'Mahoney struck on 47 and 51 minutes, latching onto through balls by Paul
Edwards and Tommy Harrison respectively to apply fine finishes. In the 90th
minute a foul on Harrison resulted in a penalty which Kenny Burgess put away.
Llandyrnog
United were thankful to pip Queen's Park 1-0 in a close call. Dyrny got the
only goal on 73 minutes through skipper Chris Williams who netted after Neal
Hughes pulled the ball back after a good run. Queen's might have levelled when
Ed Morris Jones's thunderous shot hit a post. Kevin Leach clattered the
crossbar.
ICW
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Sep-24 |
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Caernarfon
striker gets 7 month ban |
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Caernarfon Town have been rocked
with the news that striker Chris Noone, who has scored four goals, in four
League matches for the Canaries has been suspended for over seven months,
until 10th April 2008.
The suspension carries over
from an incident, whilst he was playing in the English system. The suspension
had not been processed by the FA at the time when International Clearance was
applied for following his transfer to Caernarfon Town from Vauxhall Motors.
The incident was brought to
the attention of the FAW by the FA who informed the Association that he was
subject to an interim suspension prior to the player appearing before a
Disciplinary commission to consider the charge against him. The FAW
implemented this suspension which resulted in him missing last weekend's match
at home to Rhyl and the midweek win over Llangefni.
Following a hearing this
week, the FAW were informed that the player would be suspended until April
10th next year, which means that his season is all but over and Caernarfon
Town will certainly miss the forward who has made an immediate impact at the
club. The International Clearance which was granted has been rescinded.
OWP
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Sep-23 |
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Ceri’s
hat-trick wins for Port Talbot |
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PORT
Talbot’s new manager Tony Pennock, with years of goalkeeping experience
under his belt, is learning a new trade, and he was understandably pleased
with this, his best result so far.
It
did wonders for the goal difference too, and he has the advantage of working
with a young squad. Speaking after the game, he was reluctant to single out
individuals – emphasising that it had been a good team effort, particularly
in the first half, when they built a 4 - 1 lead.
However,
you can't ignore hat-tricks, and new striker Ceri Morgan caught the eye with
two goals in the first half, and another 20 minutes from time.
Pennock
did single out Liam McCreesh, who has made the short journey from Afan Lido,
and who scored an excellent goal, with a fierce shot from the edge of the
area. Pennock praised his versatility and overall contribution to the team.
The final goal came from
Martin Rose, now in his second season at Port Talbot, and who is forging a
promising partnership with Morgan.
ICW
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Sep-23 |
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Neath
see off Caernarfon |
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A
DRAMATIC penalty, converted by Andy Hill three minutes into stoppage time,
enabled Neath to plunder an unlikely win on their first visit to Caernarfon.
Hill
steered the gift of a chance into the net past the hosts’ stand-in keeper
James Glendenning.
And
the lacklustre contest suddenly erupted as Caernarfon’s keeper Vinnie Whelan
appeared to head-butt Hill and was shown the red card.
Town
finished with nine players in a game where neither keeper was seriously
tested.
The
hosts forced seven corners to the visitors’ two, with nothing to show for
them.
Then
on 39 minutes Neath grabbed the lead when Brian Showdery headed on target
following a right-wing cross.
The
situation became 1-1 on 67 minutes, when Town’s sub John Rowley turned in a
corner from the left and that deadlock seemed to be heading towards the result
– until the stoppage time explosion.
ICW
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Sep-23 |
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Llanelli
10-men draw with Caersws |
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THE
HOME fans must have expected Llanelli to extend their 100 per cent start with
a win over Caersws, who have had a distinctly under whelming start to the
season.
Indeed,
the game could have been tied up within the first half hour.
First,
Rhys Griffiths found himself in a good position after just two minutes, but
shot over the bar.
Then,
Llanelli’s new young striker, Mark Pritchard, was twice in on goal but each
time the chance went begging.
Finally,
Pritchard made amends after 26 minutes, when he seized on a good cross from
Antonio Corbisiero and forced the ball past the despairing dive of Caersws
keeper Andy Mulliner.
The
first moment that brought a sense of unease to the watching home fans came
when Caersws striker Graham Evans raced clear after a through ball eluded the
Llanelli central defenders. He advanced on keeper Ryan Harris but shot wide.
The
shape of the game changed completely, however, in first half injury time, when
Corbisiero stopped a goal-bound effort, in the referee’s opinion, with his
hand. There were plenty of home fans who were prepared to swear it was some
other part of his anatomy, but it did no good.
The
Spaniard was shown the red card and Graham Evans rubbed salt into the wound by
converting the penalty.
However,
the old cliche about 10 men being more difficult to play against than 11 held
true, and a re-shaped Llanelli had the better of the second half. It was a
more compact formation, but they had the lion’s share of the possession,
although neither side could claim to have created much in the way of clear-cut
chances.
The
closest that the home side came to scoring was through the introduction of the
former Welsh international Matthew Jones. Forced to give up his career with
Leeds United after a bad injury, he still has to get back to full match
fitness, but he showed flashes of real class – the highlight being a 25-yard
shot that clipped the top of the bar.
In
the end, Llanelli were relieved to maintain their three point-lead at the top
of the table, after Rhyl were held to a one-all draw at Haverfordwest.
ICW
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Sep-23 |
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Rhyl
turn the heat up on Harry West |
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HAVERFORDWEST,
despite taking the lead in first half injury time, were content in the end to
settle for a draw – after Rhyl had pressed for most of the second half.
That
first goal, however, gave the home fans a warm glow, coming from 19-year-old
youth team product Nicky Woodrow.
He
raced onto a through ball and was confronted with goalkeeper Lee Kendal – a
mainstay in the home team for the last five years.
That
counted for nothing as the teenager coolly rounded him to open the scoring.
The
first half had been pretty even, but the visitors were clearly determined not
to lose ground on leaders Llanelli, and their pressure was rewarded when the
experienced Andy Moran shot home from 12 yards after a scramble on the edge of
the penalty area.
Rhyl
continued to press, but a well-organised Haverfordwest defence kept them at
arm’s length. The home team's new keeper, Lee Idzi, was not called upon to
produce any heroics, as one attack after another foundered on the edge of the
box.
ICW
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Sep-23 |
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Nomads
too late to attack TNS |
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THE
New Saints made up more ground on the leaders with their fifth straight win as
the Nomads endured another fruitless trek to the defending champions.
But
Ken McKenna's men were again guilty of taking the foot off the pedal after
opening up a three-goal lead inside the hour, with the Nomads sparking some
late scares as they threatened a comeback.
Having
lost their previous nine visits to the Saints, the Deesiders had hoped to
improve the record but found themselves two goals down in 20 minutes. First,
the impressive Luke Holden saw his left wing cross turned in the at the far
post by Mike Wilde.
Alfie
Carter then made it two with his seventh league goal of the campaign as he
broke through to lob keeper Paul Pritchard, with defender | | |