It’s been eight years since Jamie Reed first made his debut in Black and Green. In the meantime, the marksman has had a memorable journey through both the Welsh and English league systems, playing in Welsh Cup Finals and making two appearances at Wembley with York City.

“It’s good to be back here. It’s nice to be back, I’ve enjoyed my life since leaving and it feels great to be back on the pitch playing again,” Reed told atfc.org.uk reporter Matthew Wallace after last Friday night's game.

The last time Reed wore the Town kit on debut, he managed a stunning hattrick as the Seasiders thumped his current employers TNS 5-1 and it took the former Bangor man just eight minutes to open his tally as he unleashed a stunning curling shot from 25 yards against his former employers.

He doubled his tally with 38 minutes gone from close range but away stopper Terry McCormick denied him a second debut hat trick with an acute save from a one on one situation late in the first half. But despite not matching the heroics of that famous day, Reed was happy with his own and his side’s overall performance.

“I had a lot of chances created for me and it’s great to be on the end of them. The first goal, you could hit ten of them and nine of them end up flying over the bar, but it’s nice that it’s flown in today. The main thing is to get some minutes under my belt, get some match fitness and get some goals“

With injury keeping Rhys Griffiths out at present, manager Ian Hughes worked swiftly to ensure that reinforcements were available to him following last weekend’s disappointment.

“It was early last week I found out about the move. I haven’t had much of chance so far with TNS so this was a great opportunity to get some minutes and some confidence under my belt. I was happy to come here straight away.“ Reed stated. “It was great to get the win and lift the pressure after the first game. Scoring a couple of goals as a striker, that’s what you want from a game”

Jamie's next appointment with the Black and Greens in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League comes on Friday night at Port Talbot, with a 7.30pm kick off.



Photo courtesy of Chris Howells

There’s no place like home and that certainly was the case for Aber Town on Friday night as they racked up their first points of the season courtesy of a 3-1 scoreline against Rhyl.

“It was certainly disappointing last week but it’s great to get back to home comforts. It’s been a good home for us over the past three years and it was great to return here and score three goals on the way to the win.”  Manager Ian Hughes stated post match, speaking with Club Media Assistant Matthew Wallace for Aberystwyth Town's Youtube Channel.

The Seasiders were boosted ahead of their maiden home match of the season by the news of the return of former striker Jamie Reed on a one month loan from Welsh Premier League champions TNS. The striker, who has since played for Bangor and York City in the Football league, took just eight minutes to register his first goal during his second stint with the club and doubled his tally with seven minutes to go until the break and the instant impact of the club’s new signing delighted the boss.

“Jamie’s been here before so I didn’t think it would take long to hit the ground running. He knows the people and he knows the people around the club. It was a great first goal and that’s Jamie all over. He scores different types of goals. The first was 25 yards out and the second equally as important goal was from 2 yards out. He’s played here in the past, gone away and done really well for himself. We’re thankful that he’s back.”

Following last week’s disappointing result away at Llandudno, Hughes spoke of his disappointment and frustration in the build up to the game and his side’s defensive work. But these early season jitters were cast aside this week with two terrific team goals and a resolute defensive performance that will be used as a marker for the rest of the campaign.

“Rhyl have scored a freekick but except for that, we’ve defended exceptionally well particularly at set pieces as Rhyl are a big, big team.. They’ve got big physical players. Levi Mackin, Greg Stones and Jamie Brewerton are all six foot plus and of course they’ve got Aaron Bowen. They’re a big, strong physical team but I thought our boys more than matched them tonight. I felt the Stuart Jones and Lee Surman at the back were excellent, putting their bodies on the line and defending our goal.”

“I said last week that the season had come a week too early for us and I feel that’s still the case. We were working on the Jamie Reed deal last week and if he’d have been on the field last week it could have been a different result. We’ve got good attacking players at the club and Jamie is a focal point for them. As well as that, Darren Thomas and Craig Williams did really well. It was great to see them back to their best putting in crosses, one of which we scored from. I felt that the third goal was excellent. We won the ball just outside our own 18-yard box and fiver or six seconds later, Luke Sherbon is the other end of the pitch scoring a great goal.  It was a great attacking move and it just shows that we can play possession football and play on the counter as well.”

Watch the interview in full on Aberystwyth Town's Youtube Channel here.

Photo courtesy of Chris Howells

Dafabet Welsh Premier League
Friday 28th August
Aberystwyth Town 3 Rhyl 1

Two super debut strikes from Jamie Reed, and a thunderbolt from Luke Sherbon earned Aber a 3-1 win against a very competent Rhyl side at Park Avenue this evening, in front of a bumper home crowd of 461. All four goals were excellent and the match was a superb spectacle and a great advert for a burgeoning Welsh Premier League.

On a pleasant evening with a glorious sunset as a backdrop, Jamie Reed started up front for Aber and once home keeper Mike Lewis had parried Derek Taylor's free kick to safety, Reed announced his arrival with a remarkable seventh minute strike. Finding himself at the left hand corner of the area, Reed turned on a sixpence and instinctively hit a right footed arcing volley into Terry McCormick's far corner, to the utter delight of the home supporters. Aber then went rampant, and Chris Venables was just denied by McCormick before Captain Supreme Stuart Jones had a headed goal debatably disallowed. With Aber on top Reed attempted a cheeky lob which was gathered by the visiting keeper, but then, as so often happens the home side was punished for those misses, as an innocuous free kick on the edge of their area gave visiting captain Dean Keates the chance to loft a beautiful free kick into the top corner on 26 minutes to equalise. Rhyl then showed their mettle, with Taylor drawing a great stop from Lewis with a flick header and Connor Bell bringing Lewis back into action. Seven minutes before the break though Aber regained the lead with a special move, as Craig Williams controlled with a wonder touch down the left before crossing deep for Darren Thomas to leap like a salmon and head the ball back to Reed, who nodded home his second from close range. Levi Mackin's snap shot again drew Lewis into action before Reed fired wide from a Sherbon through ball, and then drew yet another save from McCormick, and an excellent half ended with the hosts 2-1 to the good.

The second half began with a waxing moon shining down on Park Avenue and with the visitors still showing frequent signs of menace, Lee Surman headed a Mackin effort off the line. The game developed into an exciting end to end spectacle with Darren Thomas and the irrepressible Venables going close for Aber, and John Owen doing the same at the other end. Lewis then did well to gather Taylor's volley, then Greg Stones headed over the bar from six yards and it looked like the next goal would decide things: then on 73 minutes another great Aber move settled the contest. Once again Williams was the instigator with a cross from the left which found Venables, and he laid the ball back inside for Sherbon to crash home a spectacular 25 yard volley which took the roof off the Dias Stand. Stones went heart stoppingly close once again for Rhyl as they continued to battle, and the impressive Connor Bell created mayhem down the right, but with Corbisiero, Jones, Surman and Davies strong at the back there was no way through. Rhyl sub Tom Donegan somehow escaped uncarded after two trademark desperate lunges at Venables and a superb game ended in a slightly flattering 3-1 win for Aber.

The Black and Greens needed this result after last week's reverse at Llandudno, but the manner of the performance, the goals and the win in front of a big Park Avenue crowd will give Ian Hughes' men a big confidence boost going into next Friday's tough looking encounter away to Port Talbot Town. Kick off at the Genquip is 7.30pm.

Please note also that Aberystwyth Town's matches against Airbus UK Broughton have now been switched to Saturdays, on September 12th at Park Avenue, and 21st November at the Airfield. Both those games will kick off at 2.30pm.

Aberystwyth Town have been handed a massive boost with the news that legendary striker Jamie Reed will be joining the Club on loan from The New Saints with immediate effect. Jamie will go straight into the squad for tomorrow night's WPL game at home to Rhyl, wearing Squad Number 9.

It was eight years ago yesterday that Reed emerged into Welsh Premier League folklore, as a hat trick on his home debut for the Black and Greens, against TNS, helped Town to a remarkable 5-1 victory (see photos opposite and below). Jamie had debuted for Brian Coyne's side at Airbus the week before, coming on for Glyndwr Hughes, and his loan period at Aber really made his name in Welsh Football, with a return of 9 goals from 20 games.
 
Since then Jamie returned to Wrexham from his loan period and went on to win a WPL title at Rhyl in 2009. He then moved to Bangor and won the Welsh Cup in 2010 before scoring 18 goals in their Championship winning season of 2010/11. Reed then transferred to the Football League and York City, for whom he played twice at Wembley, winning FA Trophy and Football League Play Off Finals. 

He has also played in the Conference for Chester and Cambridge United before his return to TNS last year, where he won another Championship medal. Overall Jamie has scored 112 goals in 271 appearances in Senior Football, including 67 goals in from 97 Welsh Prem starts. 

Reed was also one of the original three musketeers from the WPL to ply his trade in Australia, playing for Dandenong Thunder with Luke Sherbon and Geoff Kellaway in 2010, returning later to represent South Melbourne.

Everyone at Aberystwyth Town FC looks forward to welcoming Jamie back home tomorrow evening! Kick off at Park Avenue is at 7.45pm.

Photos courtesy of Alan Cookson

Aberystwyth Town Fans will be delighted to learn that joint Programme Editors Llinos and Dilwyn Roberts Young have been retained for 2015/6, meaning that the Black and Greens' bilingual Matchday Programme, known as The Seasider, will retain the high standards Llinos and Dilwyn set last season.

Bydd cefnogwyr y Gwyrdd a'r Duon yn falch iawn o gael cadarnhad y bydd Cyd Golygyddion Llinos a Dilwyn Roberts Young yn aros wrth y llyw i gynhyrchu Rhaglen Swyddogol y Clwb, The Seasider, eto eleni. 

Featuring exclusive articles by Club Chairman Tony Bates, Manager Ian Hughes, Captain Stuart Jones and Academy, Youth, Womens and Disability pieces, not to mention Guest Articles and Match Reports, The Seasider is the first point of call for anyone wanting to catch up with goings on at Park Avenue on Matchday.

The Seasider, artfully designed by Jenksdesign of Machynlleth, will be on sale for £2 tomorrow evening. Online subscriptions can be arranged by request to Club Marketing Director Thomas Crockett at [email protected].