Given Aber’s parlous run a 3-1 Welsh Cup defeat at home to Cardiff Met at the end of January was not a surprise, although Wollacott’s headed opener did see Aber lead in a game for the first time since the previous round; however Town supporters could be forgiven for a pessimistic outlook as, like in Phase I, a visit from Llandudno opened Phase II.

Geoff Kellaway’s brilliant strike, allied to an injury time goal line clearance from Steff Edwards earned Aber a very valuable point which stopped the rot, and Kellaway was on great form the following week as the Seasiders won 4-2 at Llanelli to move up to seventh place. Goals from Mendes, Baynes and Kellaway just before half time gave Neville Powell’s men a cushion, and another strike from Kellaway secured the game. Town’s Druids bogey struck again the following week and despite Marc Williams’ first Aber goal a 3-1 defeat dampened Aber’s enthusiasm, but as in the first phase, a defeat at the Rock heralded another great run.  

Town faced Cardiff Met at home in late February with five at the back, and the game plan worked superbly as a defensive masterclass, allied to a double strike from the impressive Marc Williams earned a 2-0 win which kept his side right in the hunt for a Europa League Play Off Spot. Two games in a truncated March saw The Black and Greens beat Carmarthen at home 3-2 (Wollacott, Kellaway, Surman og), and Llandudno 2-1 away, thanks to Ash Ruane and yet another blockbuster from Kellaway which caused supporters to rush the length of the field to celebrate. Despite Mendes’ late red card Town then beat Llanelli at Park Avenue to formally relegate the Reds, with Baynes, Ruane and Marc Williams scoring, and with four wins in a row and three games left Town had played themselves into serious contention.

Their final home game, a 0-0 draw at home to Cefn Druids attracted a good crowd, thanks to a Ticket promotion offer, but the most memorable incident of the night was probably the floodlights failing in injury time. The valuable point however meant that two wins in their last two games, away to Met and Carmarthen, would guarantee a UEFA Europa League Play Off Spot.

Sadly Aber’s form was once again to desert them when it mattered most, and with the injury hit Seasiders looking tired Cardiff Met fully deserved their 1-0 win on a hot day at Cyncoed, meaning that Carmarthen away was a dead rubber. A much changed and very youthful Town side suffered a second half collapse, and despite Mendes’s customary Carmarthenshire cracker and Jamie McDaid’s first goal in Green, Aber ended the season with a painful 6-2 defeat.

In truth an eighth placed finish on 44 points was a marked improvement on the two previous seasons, and most Aber supporters would have gladly taken that back in August 2018, however after two dizzying runs of victories in October-November and February-April it could of course have been so much better. The season gives new Manager Matthew Bishop a solid base to build on and with most of the first XI already committed for next season, more continuity will help the squad develop.

As Assistant Manager Gavin Allen told Sgorio after the final game: “The biggest thing for us this year was staying up. I have said that four or five times but I will not be saying it next season. Next season is about making the Top Six – and the hard work has already begun”.

Aberystwyth Town FC will announce a pre-season schedule soon with friendlies likely to start the second week of July.

​Match highlights available on Sgorio's website here.

Another deluge failed to prevent a spectacular away following cheering on Neville Powell’s men at Llanelli on the last Friday of October, and despite travel woes and a delayed kick off, upwards of 50 away fans saw a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Paolo Mendes (who was later sent off), Ryan Wollacott and Kellaway gave Aber four wins out of four against the League’s bottom two sides.

Few if any could have foreseen what would happen in the next dream like sequence of games in November. A Friday night visit of TNS which coincided with a celebration of Aberystwyth’s Junior League saw injury depleted Aber losing Jack Rimmer to injury on the quarter hour, and young Lee Jenkins, now seventeen, coming on in his place. Brilliant Aber defending saw them going in even at the break, with Joe Phillips even seeing a super strike disallowed for offside, and then Jenkins tapped home a corner after the break to give Aber something to hang on to. This they did, brilliantly, to create a huge shock and a 1-0 victory. Three wins in a row saw one home supporter whispering “We’re doing a Leicester,” and the joyous celebrations and singing in the John Charles Lounge after the game were a sight to behold.  Two very hard away games followed, and a Sunday afternoon rendez vous with Cardiff Met began badly, with the off colour Black and Greens again two down at the break. Crucial goals from Declan Walker and Ryan Wollacott got Aber back into it, and then an injury time winner from Ash Ruane caused more wild celebrations, and the players and supporters singing and dancing together. Surely Aber could not do it again at Bala? In fact they could! Kellaway opened the scoring for Powell’s men, but two goals put the Lakesiders back in control. Late strikes from Ruane and a soaring header at the back post from Declan Walker earned a fifth win in a row, and with tongue in cheek Aber fans sang “we’re going to win the League!”

After such a run a 1-1 home draw with Carmarthen at the end of November, thanks to Declan Walker’s goal, was nothing to worry about and with Aber on 27 points with six matches remaining, and Nev Powell winning the Manager of the Month award the Top Six seemed there for the taking. A 4-3 Welsh Cup win at Cwmamman United, inspired by Ahmadi and a 15 minute hat trick for Ash Ruane, was watched by another great away following thanks to a supporters coach and all in the garden seemed rosy with Christmas just two weeks away.

What followed was a heartbreaking and disastrous run of six defeats which killed off Town’s hopes of a Top Half finish. Town were already a goal down at Caernarfon when Walker was sent off before the break, and a second half collapse brought a 4-0 defeat which brought the Cofis right back into the Top Six mix. Another deluge on Black Friday saw Druids quick out of the traps and they strolled to a two goal win in a game Aber really had to get something from. Newtown came to Aber on Boxing Day and also win by 2-0, and to end a dismal December, a late consolation from Ahmadi was the only bright spot of a 2-1 defeat in the return game four days later, despite late claims for an away penalty at Latham Park. Town were not out of the race yet, but in their first match of 2019 a crushing 6-1 defeat at home to Connah’s Quay which was broadcast live on Facebook, despite another cool Ahmadi finish, put paid to Aber’s dreams. A 2-1 defeat at Barry, again softened by a sublime free kick from the in form Ahamdi saw Aber ending the first phase of fixtures in eighth place on 27 points, dogged by the desperate feeling that a super opportunity of a magnificent achievement had slipped through their fingers. Fortunately, the run was soon to end.

Matches 23-32 to follow on Friday

​Match highlights available on Sgorio's website here.

We have picked 5 of Aber Town's best matches of 2018/19 and now it's time to vote for your favourite.
Please watch highlights of each of the five games and scroll down to the bottom to vote.

Voting will close at 9am on Friday 24th May!

Aberystwyth Town started the 2018/9 season as somewhat of an unknown quantity, with a wholesale squad turnover following the Welsh Cup Final defeat of May 2018. Only Ryan Wollacott, Declan Walker, Matthew Jones and Joe Phillips of the starting eleven remained from the previous season, but Town started well with Walker’s fine 15th minute strike calming nerves on a sunny opening night at home to Llandudno. Debutant goalkeeper Leigh Jenkins was injured with 35 minutes to go, and he was replaced by Rio Ahmadi who did brilliantly to keep a clean sheet and ensure a perfect start for the Black and Greens, with 16 year old Centre Back Lee Jenkins impressing at the back.

A rude awakening awaited the following Friday as Cardiff Met bossed their way to a 4-1 win at Park Avenue in Sgorio’s live game. The one silver lining, which came with Aber already four down was Wes Baynes’ superb volley from the right wing, but it was a bad day at the office for the Black and Greens. Things didn’t get any easier with Neville Powell’s men next facing Connah’s Quay away on Bank Holiday Friday night. Despite a positive start from Aber Nomads were 2-0 up by the break and dominated the second half. Despite a nasty injury to Ryan Wollacott Town were only two down when Declan Walker’s late penalty was saved by John Danby. Baynes then smashed home with another great finish and Aber threatened an unlikely point, but in vain.

After falling behind two goal Geoff Kellaway and Joe Phillips inspired Aber to a 3-1 win at Welshpool Town in the Nathaniel MG Cup Second Round, but after two League defeats Town’s match at home to Llanelli on the last Friday of August was looming large as a crucial game. The match also gave the Club the opportunity to remember the late great Emyr James who had tragically passed away that week. The livewire James Loveridge beat the offside trap to put the visitors ahead but a super second half comeback and a fifteen minute burst of goals from Rio Ahmadi, Geoff Kellaway and Joe Phillips ensured a vital 3-1 win and a respectable six points from the first four games.

A heavy 6-0 defeat away to TNS on a Tuesday evening was no great surprise, but back came Aber again four days later with a stirring 3-2 victory over Bala, in Sgorio’s live game with the rumbustious Matthew Jones earning a Man of the Match Award for his midfield commitment. Kellaway’s opener was equalised by a Mike Hayes stunner, but Ahmadi and new signing Ash Ruane scored in the last ten minutes to ensure that Bala’s late penalty was meaningless. As at the end of the previous season Aber’s raucous supporters were starting to make their influence heard, inspiring the Black and Green players to exceed expectations, in tight games. A pallid first half at Carmarthen the following Saturday saw Powell’s men deservedly two down, but second half strikes from Ruane and Declan Walker saw Aber grab what once had looked an unlikely point and kept the positive momentum going. A much changed side then fell to defeat at Cambrian and Clydach in the Nathaniel Cup Third Round with Town going out 3-1, with Kellaway’s goal the only consolation.

The Black and Greens were poor again at home to Barry the following week in a 1-0 defeat which could have been more, and when Cefn Druids sneaked a late winner up at The Rock at the start of October some Town fans were fearing a bad run. They could not have been more wrong as the Black and Greens embarked on a remarkable seven game unbeaten sequence which transformed the Club’s outlook!

The amazing run started in the driving wind and rain at the eye of Storm Callum, with a goal less draw at home to ten man Caernarfon Town, for whom Noah Edwards saw red, which steadied the ship somewhat. A further crucial away victory away at Llandudno, where a late penalty from Declan Walker, allied to a ridiculous sending off for Zac Edwards, transformed an unspectacular game into a fantastic away win; and half way to the split Aberystwyth Town were on 14 points from 11 games. With the Black and Greens retaining hopes of a Top Six finish, “Encouraging Start, Better Yet To Come?” was atfc.org.uk’s half term report. Better was indeed yet to come!!

Matches 12-22 to follow on Wednesday.

​Match highlights available on Sgorio's website here

Declan Walker has this morning announced his departure from Aberystwyth Town FC.

Club Captain Walker played in a number of positions for the Black and Greens, including right back, centre back, right wing and centre midfield, but he was rarely out of the action. Dec's best moment in Black and Green probably came in last season's Welsh Cup Semi Final at Bala Town against Newtown, where his diving headed goal and euphoric celebrations caused scenes of delirium amongst the Black and Green supporters (see photo, below).

Everyone at the Club sends their best wishes for the future to "Trigs" after two memorable seasons at Park Avenue.