Sunday 21st August
Dafabet Welsh Premier League
 Airbus UK Broughton 0 Aberystwyth Town 1

Geoff Kellaway’s brilliant low strike won Aber a huge three points away to Airbus this afternoon, and the victory was no less than Town deserved for an exceptional defensive performance which restricted the hosts to two extra time efforts on target during the entire game.

Manager Matthew Bishop brought new signing Blake Davies straight into the starting eleven, with Ricky Watts and Chris Jones both also being promoted from the bench last week. With Aber’s orange kits resplendent in the North Wales sunshine, after a cagey start the visitors started to control possession and create chances. Ricky Watts earned a corner with an overlapping run, and from the resultant kick Captain Luke Sherbon had a volleyed shot cleared off the line by Matt McGinn. Impressive left back Ryan Wollacott made a great block to deny Airbus’ ever threatening Tony Gray and then the lithe Luke Borelli saw a low shot saved. Davies appeared to be bundled over in the box, and then back at the other end Gray hit the post with a low volley from a corner, and Aber had a let off. From this point on Town dominated and after Borrelli had volleyed a deflected effort over the bar, the key moment in a game of few chances came in the 32nd minute. Joe Clarke, bossing the midfield with Sherbon, played Kellaway in with a pinpoint ball from deep and Town’s right winger made no mistake with a low volley which nestled into the bottom corner of the net to gladden the heart of visiting Black and Green supporters. Watts was denied a shot by a late tackle, and another pearler of a ball from Clarke found Borrelli, but the chance never came, and Aber were rewarded for a composed first half with a 1-0 lead at the break.

Aber started the second half well and Davies would have wrapped the game up had not home keeper Ryan Neild made a brilliant low stop to deny the debut maker who had done so well to find space down the middle. Davies then brought another save from Neild after an exciting aggressive run and strike. Airbus did see a lot of the ball in the second half so Aber’s defenders had to come into their own and with Sam Rodon imperious in the air, and his colleague at Centre Back Will Bell looking a class act, the hosts failed to make a single coherent attempt on goal until injury time. Sub Ryan Fraughan sent in a ball which Tony Gray brought down before volleying high over the bar but on the break Aber were still a threat and Watts set up Kellaway who cracked the crossbar with a left footed volley. Subs Lewis Coyle and Kurtis March replaced the hardworking Davies and Chris Jones up front, and Coyle just failed to connect with another great delivery from Borrelli. In injury time an Airbus ball in bounced off the crossbar, then Wollacott had to make an inspired clearance off the line, before Gray brought out a an astounding 93rd minute tip over from Town  keeper Dominic Richards for the Save of the Weekend, and the job was done.

This hard earned victory which slips Aber into the top six represents a statement of intent from Matthew Bishop’s squad that they are not just here to make the numbers up, and after such a positive result the Supporters Coach is likely to be even fuller than it was today when Town visit Llandudno next Sunday afternoon (kick off 3pm). Orange is the new Black and Green!

​Photo courtesy of Chris Howells

Dafabet Welsh Premier League
Sunday 21st August (ko 3pm)
Airbus UK Broughton v Aberystwyth Town

Aberystwyth Town head off for their first of seven North Wales assignments on Sunday morning, to face Airbus UK Broughton at the Airfield, with a positive outlook after last weekend's stirring second half fightback at the home of Dafabet Welsh Premier League Champions TNS. With no fewer than 10 debutants at Park Hall Matthew Bishop's side looked good in the second half and Chris Jones' pearler of a free kick brought renewed hope: but Town were unable to get that all important second.

Sunday provides their next opportunity to get some points on the board - though an away trip to a side which has finished in the Top Six the past four years in a row will be a serious challenge. The Planemakers got their season off to a flyer last weekend as Tony Gray sniffed a winner from close range to edge out the students of Cardiff Met 1-0.

Kostya Georgievsky serves the second of a three match suspension, but Kurtis March returns to the Squad hoping to make his first official start in Black and Green - or rather Orange. Manager Matthew Bishop told atfc.org.uk earlier this week: “We’ve got 9 away games now. It’s another away performance we need. If we perform like we did in the second half (at TNS) and put certain things right then we’ve got a chance of getting something from the game.”

The Supporters Coach leaves Park Avenue at 11am and goes non stop to Broughton for the return fare of £10 Adults and £5 Concessions. Let's hope it's plane sailing all the way there and back! 

New signing Chris Jones reacted modestly to his stunning debut free kick goal at TNS last Sunday, in conversation with Matthew Wallace on the Club's Youtube Channel here.

"It's nice to get a goal but it was more important to get back in the game. We had one or two opportunities at the end but we couldn't get a draw."

Jones' free kick was a worldie, rifled into Paul Harrison's top corner with precision and power, and it earned Chris a place in Sgorio's 5-on-form selection for the weekend's games. It would be a major surprise if the goal is not nominated for their Goal of the Month competition but for now Chris' thoughts are on next week's game.

"(Our ambitions for the season?) We'll take each week as it comes. I liked what I saw in the second half today. We go to Airbus next week, hopefully we can get some points and crack on from there. If we get a run together we've got a good squad, so hopefully we can pick up lots of points."

Watch the whole interview on Aber Town's Youtube Channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oatjuVOAtM8

In terms of opening fixtures, Town couldn’t have asked for a more difficult opening assignment after being paired with champions TNS away from home. The treble winners from the previous two campaigns form a stern challenge to opposition the length and breadth of the country and only a few teams have taken points from there, including Aber in the previous two seasons. With two players from his Squad unavailable, Manager Matthew Bishop was in the main pleased with his team's efforts:

"Playing TNS away is tough at the best of times but although we had two out (Kostya Georgievsky out suspended after being sent off at the end of last season and Kurtis March unavailable due to a personal issue), I think the boys did quite well."

Aber were to return to the Cambrian coast with no points after falling to a 2-1 defeat thanks to First half goals from Ryan Brobbel and Adrian Cieslewicz  although a pleasing second half performance saw the Seasiders nearly claim a famous point after Chris Jones’ stunning free kick halved the deficit late on.

“In the first half we gave the ball away cheaply and in situations that didn’t need to be. We played a shape that didn’t suit us. We changed a few things at half time and that helped us second half in terms of performance and getting hold of the ball." Manager Matthew Bishop told atfc.org.uk following the match.

“There was no point going in to the dressing room and shouting at the players, we decided the tactics and I put my hand up to the group and said we’re going to change it and this is going to be better for us . We got our goal and kept a clean sheet in the second half.”

Aber were rocked early on after conceding with little over a quarter of an hour played and the unfortunate injury to Greg Walters although the former Bluebird has thankfully recovered thanks to sterling work by both Aberystwyth and TNS medical staff.

“He’s fine now. He’s taken a bump to the head and he wasn’t sure where he was when he came off but he’s fine in the dressing room. We’ll assess him in the week and hopefully he’ll be ready for next weekend. “

Walters’ withdrawal saw the introduction of Ricky Watts into the match, the first of three substitutes used that day that all impacted on the game. Bishop’s final changes, strikers Lewis Coyle and Chris Jones, combined together for Aber’s goal with the former winning the freekick for the latter to curl home. The impact of his bench pleased the boss.

“When I came to the football club, I wanted to get a squad of players together that can challenge for positions and bring that quality off the bench and we’ve seen that today. Obviously we’ve got a few lads missing today. Kurtis March and Kostya Georgievsky are to come back in and we’re still looking to improve the squad until the end of the window.”

Aber return to action playing away at Airbus UK in Broughton next Sunday who themselves earned an excellent 1-0 victory against Welsh Premier League newcomers Cardiff Met. Aber know they will have to be at their very best to earn their maiden victory of the season.

“We’ve got 9 away games now. It’s another away performance we need. If we perform like we did in the second half today and put certain things right then we’ve got a chance of getting something from the game.”

Dafabet Welsh Premier League
Sunday 14th August
​The New Saints 2 Aberystwyth Town 1

Aberystwyth Town recovered from a tough first half to take Champions TNS to the wire on Sunday at Park Hall, where Chris Jones’ stunning free kick brought the Black and Greens right back into things before they eventually succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.

There is no denying that the hosts started well, and dominated the first half with an impressive performance. Aber keeper Dominic Richards was busy from the start and made a string of crucial saves to keep his side in it, denying Scott Quigley and Aeron Edwards early on. Adrian Ciesliewicz hit the cross bar with a volley, then Will Bell saved Aber by deflecting Simon Spender’s low volley on to the post. 15 minutes had gone when the ball dropped to Ryan Brobbel from 5 yards out and he tapped home to give the hosts a logical lead. Aber did respond when Geoff Kellaway’s flick on found Jonathan Evans down the right channel, but his shot went wide. Richards then denied Ciesliewicz again, and Ryan Wollacott made a fine block to frustrate Quigley. An injury to Greg Walters brought about a stop in play and the appearance of sub Ricky Watts, but the offensive pattern of TNS’ game continued, and after Edwards had hit the post with a volley they doubled their lead on 38 minutes when Ciesliewicz lobbed Richards from the left pocket and despite a brave effort Cledan Davies was unable to prevent the ball crossing the line. Richards pulled off yet another injury time save and to tell the truth visiting supporters were glad to reach the break at 2-0, with TNS having thoroughly dominated proceedings.

The Black and Greens’ second half showing was much better. A couple of slight tactical switches by Matthew Bishop made a world of difference, and although Richards again did well to deny Ciesliewicz a second, Aber were now competing, and with Watts making swashbuckling runs down the right, a recovery looked possible. Watts set up sub Chris Jones with a delightful flick and the Gower Goal Getter shot wide with his first touch. Kellaway was next to burst down the right and he tested Paul Harrison’s gloves with a low shot, but TNS were still dangerous with Greg Draper and Simon Spender threatening the away goal. However Will Bell and Sam Rodon created an excellent defensive barrier in front of the goal, and with Luke Sherbon also working hard defensively just in front of the back four, the chance of a recovery was there. Then on 81 minutes, Jones himself ran at the heart of the back four and earned himself a free kick, before rifling a brilliant strike right into the top corner for a certain Goal of the Month Contender for August. Luke Borrelli’s free kick was then nodded goalwards by sub Lewis Coyle, and Aber were dreaming of an incredible comeback. Sadly though, it was not meant to be, and the hosts prevailed, though not without undergoing a stressful last 20 minutes.

So Aber’s spirited fightback was not quite enough, but having competed very well away to the Champions in the second half they will take great confidence heading into next Sunday’s equally tough assignment, away to Airbus UK Broughton.