JD Cymru Premier
Friday 19th October
Carmarthen Town 0 Aberystwyth Town 0

On an occasionally torrential evening at Carmarthen, Aber Town gained their first JD Cymru Premier clean sheet of the season, earning the Black and Greens a crucial away point which stretches their unbeaten run to three matches. Fittingly on a night when  defences were on top Stuart Jones went closest for the visitors with a first half header, while his defensive colleague Lee Jenkins and keeper Connor Roberts also shone to safeguard the Seasiders' valuable point.

With two changes to the side which drew with Cardiff Met last week, Aber started well. Wes Baynes crossed a ball in from the right for Mathew Jones to shoot, but that was deflected over the bar, and Joe Phillips also brought a save out of Lee Idzi. At the other end Chris Jones had a shot deflected wide and Josh Bull headed over from a decent left wing cross, delivered by Cairan Smith. Stuart Jones headed over from a Baynes free kick, but in general Carmarthen, desperately needing a win, enjoyed more of the possession. Bull cut back from the byline for Lewis Harling to volley over from a great position, but then Ryan Wollacott brought another save from Idzi with a header, set up again by Baynes. Town’s right back’s next cross tempted Phillips to try an audacious overhead kick, which alas, failed to test Idzi in goal. Lee Jenkins pulled out a superb gaol defying tackle in his own box, then Baynes set up Stuart Jones, whose goalbound header brought a super save from Idzi, before Baynes crashed the rebound over via a deflection.  Luke Bowen brought a save from the impeccable Connor Roberts and a lively half ended goal less.

The second half saw the teams getting closer as a nice Aber move ended with Paulo Mendes curling a shot just wide, before Bull’s right wing cross somehow evaded two Carmarthen players – and the goal – at the far post. Bull again went wide, but with Jenkins, Jones and Ryan Wollacott commanding at the back for Aber clear cut chances were limited. Phillips centred for Aber left back Adam Hughes to shoot wide, and then Bowen was very unlucky to see his cute effort deflect off the crossbar for the hosts. Lee Surman then scraped a header over the bar with Carmarthen threatening a killer late winner, and Roberts brought out a terrific save to deny Chris Jones a big goal. With Aber’s visiting fans singing their encouragement on a nasty night, Phillips volleyed over but it was not to be, and Town’s defence held out fantastically to hold on for their clean sheet and a very valuable point.

Lee Jenkins’ Man of the Match award from Sgorio was symptomatic of the performance with the Black and Greens showing tremendous defensive determination last night, and a clean sheet away from home is a major step forward for Matthew Bishop’s men. Having played four away games in their last five matches, Town have lost only one and improved markedly at the back. They now need to add some positive home results to the mix to kick on in 2019/20, and have an opportunity to do so on Friday night when Connah’s Quay come to Park Avenue (ko 7.45pm). Not to be missed!

Photo courtesy of @podligo

JD Cymru Premier
Friday 18th October (KO 8pm)
Carmarthen Town v Aberystwyth Town

Unbeaten for almost three weeks, improving Aberystwyth Town are looking forward positively to Friday night’s JD Cymru Premier match in Carmarthen, with a victory needed to ensure the side can look upwards in the second half of the First Phase of the 2019/20 season. The match will be broadcast live on Sgorio, necessitating a slightly later 8pm kick off.

The Black and Green currently sit in eighth place, exactly where they ended last season, but will be disappointed with a return of 8 points from their first ten games. Town suffered a bad run in early September, but their fortunes turned with a 1-0 win at Cardiff Met in the MG Nathaniel Cup, and after a defeat at Bala, drawn matches away to Penybont and at home to Cardiff Met have improved the mood at Park Avenue.

The side is now defending much better, with keeper Connor Roberts making Sgorio’s five a side team for the last two weekends, and goalscoring midfielder Paolo Mendes being nominated in the JD Cymru Team of the Week (Top, right). Positive Instat results also showed that Adam Hughes won each one of his air challenges, while Mendes and Ryan Wollacott won 100% of their tackles against Met last Saturday. Ryan Edwards will return to contention after his suspension last week, but Geoff Kellaway and Luke Boundford are recovering from injuries and may not be fit.

Carmarthen have had a difficult start to the season and sit bottom of the league after ten games with three points. With ex Aber players such as Lee Surman and Declan Carroll wearing the Old Gold Town fans will be familiar with Carmarthen’s side: Aber meanwhile will be desperate to revenge a 6-2 drubbing at Richmond Park at the end of last season, and a good result will confirm Town’s upturn in fortunes this Autumn.

Kick off at Richmond Park is 8pm and the match will be televised on Sgorio. Get your hair done and get down to Carmarthen in time for kick off! 

Saturday 12th October
JD Cymru Premier
Aberystwyth Town 2 Cardiff Met 2

Aber Town dug deep and battled hard to earn an honourable draw with Top Six contenders Cardiff Met at Park Avenue on Saturday afternoon, which moves them back up to eighth in the JD Welsh Premier after ten matches. Paulo Mendes gave the hosts the lead on 13 minutes, but then 60 seconds turned the game on its head as Elliot Evans (pen) and Mael Davies put Met ahead six minutes into the second half. Thankfully Ryan Wollacott equalised with a powerful header on the hour and the scores remained at 2-2 as the full time whistle sounded.

On a mercifully pleasant afternoon after a rainy week Met enjoyed the best of the early possession and Will Evans picked up Elliot Evans out on the right but his shot pulled wide. The thirteenth minute however was lucky for Aber, when Marc Williams’ delightful lob allowed Paolo Mendes to overlap the visitors’ back line, and pull out a great finish down low to give Town the lead. Met once again went on to dominate possession, but with Aber working so hard to close them down all over the pitch and at every opportunity their goal chances were few and far between. Will Evans sent a half chance over the bar and the excellent Adam Hughes pulled out a great block to deny Elliot Evans. Will Evans fired over and wide again, and Emlyn Lewis lobbed wide. Aber put a few nice moves together, but a half of few chances ended with the hosts a goal to the good.

With the Black and Greens looking to score a killer second Tom Price sent in a low effort early in the second half but Alex Lang was not overly troubled, and then Aber’s world turned upside down on 50 minutes. A ball in from Joel Edwards was controversially adjudged to have hit the peerless Ryan Wollacott’s hand, with a penalty kick awarded, and Elliot Evans converted confidently. Met attacked from the kick off and in no time Mael Davies had sneaked into the near post area to snatch a second. All of a sudden Met looked like world beaters and Kyle McCarthy lobbed over before Will Evans almost made it three. Credit to the Seasiders, they weathered the storm and on the hour Wes Baynes’ beautifully angled free kick was headed home powerfully by Wollacott, to restore parity. From then on Aber battled hard and defended stoutly to retain what they had and weathered a late push by the Met. Adam Hughes, Ryan Wollacott and Stuart Jones all played their parts, denying in turns Will Evans and Elliot Evans, then super home keeper Connor Roberts pulled off the save of the weekend down to his left to deny sub Chris Baker a crucial third. Baker looked to have scored the winner just before the end, but he was denied by the offside flag, and when Mael Davies’ injury time shot was blocked, the job was done.

Aber’s point was a victory for hard work and defensive organisation and they did well to score twice from remarkably few opportunities. Their supporters will point to a disputed penalty call which turned the momentum of the game in Met’s favour, but the offside decision which denied Baker the winner was also a close one. The bigger picture is that a win and two draws from their last four matches against tough opposition will give Aber the confidence to look forward positively to next Friday’s match away to Carmarthen Town (ko 7.45pm).

Town Delighted as Richy Ricketts Signs Twenty Month Contract

Aberystwyth Town are delighted to announce that young winger Richy Ricketts has signed a twenty month contract, which commits him to the Black and Greens until the end of season 2020/21.

Academy product Ricketts only debuted in senior football at the end of last season with Bow Street, and made an impression in pre season with a goal and an assist against Llanidloes Town on him First Team bow. His surging runs and positive play down the left have pleased the eye to date and have earned him three consecutive first team starts, away to Cardiff Met, Bala Town and Penybont.

16 year old Richy from Llanfarian sacrificed a promising international career in fishing to commit to the Black and Greens, and everyone at Park Avenue is delighted that this decision has been shown to be a good one.

Club Chairman Donald Kane said: “Richy joins Alex Pennock and Mathew Jones, who are on our Scholarship Programme with Aberystwyth University, alongside Lee Jenkins, who made his debut at 16 last season. The JD Welsh Premier is a tough league, but we are committed to playing and developing our local young players, if they are good enough and committed enough.”

Good luck Richie for a great career ahead!