Aberystwyth Town FC extends its deepest sympathies with the family and friends of Dave Kinninmonth, who has sadly passed away.

Kinninmonth was a fearsome goalscorer for the Black and Greens, who bagged 34 goals in 70 appearances between 1967 and 1972. His first season, 1967/8 was Aber's most successful for a decade, as they finished runners up in the Mid Wales League and won the League Cup, with Kinninmonth himself top scoring on 20 goals. Dave was later part of the legendary Aber Town side which regained the Welsh Amateur Cup after a period of 37 years, in 1970, and features in the attached photograph, second from the left in the front row. In later years Dave's son Stuart also represented the Black and Greens. 

Club Chairman Donald Kane said: "Dave was a great technically gifted player, extremely skilful in the days when tackles came thick and fast. His knowledge of the game was excellent, as was the advice he gave to players like myself early on in our careers...A gentleman and a players player, sadly gone. RIP Mr Kinninmonth".

Everyone at the Club commiserates with David's family and friends for their sad loss.

Aberystwyth Town FC can confirm that Gavin Allen has stepped aside from his role as First Team Manager, with immediate effect.

Chairman Donald Kane said: “Aberystwyth Town Board of Directors accepted Gavin’s offer to step aside this morning.
We sincerely appreciate Gavin’s hard work and commitment to the First Team as Assistant Manager and Manager over the past two years.

I would add that Gavin was dealt an extremely difficult hand this season. The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected pre-season and the season has been stop/start since September. Due to fixture rearrangements the First Team had to play the Top Three five times in seven games, which has also had an impact on results and confidence.

Gavin has dealt with the situation with dignity and the Board of Directors is unanimously delighted to confirm that he will remain in his role as Head of Academy with the Club.”

Club Assistant Manager Antonio Corbisiero will take control of First Team affairs with immediate effect.

Statement Ends

Two late goals from substitute Rob Hughes sunk Aberystwyth Town on a wet and miserable evening on the North-East coast of Wales.
 
The Silkmen had led thanks to a first half strike from last season’s top scorer Mark Cadwallader before the experienced Hughes added gloss to the score line.
 
The pitch was heavy and muddy as North Wales had been battered by the conditions over the previous 24 hours. However, it had passed an early morning inspection and the game was allowed to go ahead.
 
Manager Gavin Allen made three changes to his starting charges with local duo Jonathan Foligno and Steff Davies returning from injury as well as a return from suspension for Owain Jones.
 
In front of the Sgorio cameras, Aber started brightly and enjoyed the opening spells of possession. Looking to break a run of defeats, Allen’s men were looking to utilise the wings and force pressure in the box. Despite having the upper hand, it took until the 16th minute to muster the first opportunity of note as Matthew Jones fired over from the edge of the box following a half cleared corner.
 
Disaster was to strike for Town when Davies’ injury flared up again and had to be replaced by Jonathan Evans. Top scorer Marc Williams came into the centre forwards role to deputise for the former Penrhyncoch man.
 
As the game progressed, the hosts settled and began to gain a foothold in the game and were rewarded with just five minutes to go until the break. The Seasiders lost possession in the Silkmen’s half which allowed Alex Jones to play in Cadwallader who made no mistake slotting the ball home past Connor Roberts.
 
It was a bitter blow for Aber who’d arguably been the better side in a very tight affair through the opening 45.
 
The second half started much in the same ilk as the first stanza had with Aber enjoying large spells of possession but little in the way of clear goal scoring opportunities. A succession of corners came to nothing and at the other end, former Aber man Wes Baynes came within a whisker of doubling the advantage for the home side.
 
On the 70th minute mark, Neil Gibson introduced Hughes to the fray and within seconds, the former Prestatyn and Nomads man was in the thick of the action. His rasping shot from 25 yards ended up just wide of the post.
 
But it was fifteen minutes later he made his telling contribution. Substitute Richie Ricketts, who’d only been on the field a matter of moments, felled Hughes inside the area and from twelve yards, he put the game beyond the reach of Town.
 
There was still time for further heartbreak for Aber as whilst pushing men forward in a desparate attempt to salvage anything from the contest, Flint pushed forward with a counter attack. Hughes capped off a memorable night for the men in Black and White as he stroked the ball home despite the exasperating lunge of Jack Rimmer on the line to get prevent further misery for the men from Ceredigion.

Flint Town United vs Aberystwyth Town
JD Cymru Premier
Saturday 19th December
MATCH BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
LIVE on Sgorio
 
Aberystwyth Town go live to the nation once again this Saturday, as the Black & Greens visit the Essity Stadium – home of Flint Town United. The match will be screened live on S4C’s Sgorio, with kick off at 4.30pm.
 
This will be the first time this fixture has been played in nearly 23 years, with Wednesday 22nd March 1998 the last date that Aberystwyth Town visited Flint Town United for a league match, although the Seasiders did visit Cae Y Castell (as it was then named) twice during the 2006/07 season when Connahs Quay Nomads were tenants for a season whilst the Deeside Stadium was redeveloped.
 
Flint have had a difficult return to the Cymru Premier and currently sit bottom of the table with 9 points from 15 games. The Seasiders sit only one point and two places better off themselves, so this is a match of real significance for both teams.
 
Saturday’s hosts have scored 16 goals so far this season, conceding 37, and their top goalscorer is Richie Foulkes who has netted 4 times. They have a familiar face in their ranks in Wes Baynes, who departed Park Avenue in the summer having made over 50 appearances in two seasons in Black & Green.
 
This will be only the second match in charge for Flint’s new manager, Neil Gibson, who replaced Niall McGuiness at the start of December. The former Prestatyn Town boss left Bastion Gardens in October, having led them to the Cymru North title last season only to be denied promotion back to the Cymru Premier. His Prestatyn Town team famously lifted the Welsh Cup in 2013.
 
Aberystwyth Town come into the game on the back of a difficult run of fixtures, with four of the last five fixtures having been against teams currently in the top six, including the current top three! There was a welcome sight for the Black & Green army in Tuesday’s home fixture against Caernarfon Town, as long serving fan favourite Geoff Kellaway made his first appearance of the season following some time out due to injury.
 
A home fixture against Mid-Wales rivals Newtown follows quickly after Saturday’s game, and a couple of positive results would certainly bring some Christmas cheer to Ceredigion!
 
Coverage of Saturday’s match starts at 4.15pm on S4C, with the match kicking off at 4.30pm. Our Media Team will bring you all the action on Twitter as usual too (@AberystwythTown) so although no supporters can be admitted into the ground, the Black & Green Army will not miss a kick as the Seasiders look to get back to winning ways on the North Wales coast!

First half goals apiece from Jack Kenny and former Aber man Darren Thomas sunk Aberystwyth Town on a cold but clear night at Aberystwyth University Park Avenue.
 
Despite skipper Marc Williams grabbing his 5th of the season and a flurry of chances late on, the Seasiders could not muster their way past a stubborn and organised back line to claim a much needed three points.
 
Four changes were made to the starting line up from last week’s defeat against Bala. In to the starting eleven came Mati Etchegoyen, Jamie Veale, Louis Bradford and Gwion Owen.
 
Having been on a poor run of form, Gavin Allen’s men knew the importance of getting a positive result to begin a series of crucial fixtures and they flew out of the starting blocks. The early possession and territory was dominated by the men from Ceredigion and a series of corners signalled their early intent. A well worked routine was superbly blocked by the Cofi defence to keep parity with the scores.
 
The Canaries, who came into this game after back to back defeats, were well drilled and a threat going forward. A make shift defence had their hands full with the lively Jack Kenny and the experienced Mike Hayes. They created chances of their own with Thomas hooking the ball wide and Sam Jones fired wide.
 
However, with the Seasiders looking confident, disaster struck on the 20 minute mark. Possession was lost in midfield and Thomas gathered the loose ball. He passed the ball to Hayes who rode the challenge from Bradford to feed his strike partner to open the scoring for the evening.
 
The goal left Aber reeling and a flurry of half chances fell the way of the men from Gwynedd soon after. Thomas, a thorn in the Aber defence all night, hit the side netting and Hayes was denied by Connor Roberts in goal for Town.
 
But with the half growing to a close and the Black and Greens regaining some control of the game, the visitors doubled their advantage. An innocuous in-swinging free kick from the left hand side from Thomas evaded everyone, including the Aber defence and nestled home in the bottom corner of the net.
 
Allen reacted at the interval with the introduction of Jonathan Evans and Geoff Kellaway to spark a response. Both men were lively and gave the hosts an outlet out wide which had been missing in the opening stanza.
 
The game was nearly out of site within five minutes of the second half for the visitors. Referee Huw Jones deemed that Stephen Hewitt had handled the ball in the area but Kenny was to be denied a brace for the evening by a superb stop from Roberts, who managed to keep hold of the ball as well to deny any scraps for the onrushing attackers.
 
The final half an hour saw Aber dominate possession but they were struggling to break down a well marshalled defence to create clear cut chances. Jack Rimmer was Town’s main source of attacking intent as he and Evans combined well down the right-hand side and was happy switching the ball from his right flank to the left wing. Matthew Jones’ cross came within a whisker of getting a touch at the far post and Jack Thorn was unable to trouble Josh Tibbetts in the opposition goal.
 
With the game hurtling towards its conclusion, the home side reduced the arrears and got the goal their dominance richly deserved with just two minutes of regular time to go. A corner from the left-hand side was whipped in by Jones and it was the skipper, Williams, who met the ball from just four yards out to nod it home and give Aber some hope of a revival.
 
With time being of the essence, the green shirts were camped inside the attacking half looking for an equaliser. With the added time showing three minutes, Tibbetts produced two world class saves to keep the three points from his side. Jones’ free kick was tipped brilliantly over the bar and from a free kick out wide, he produced another outstanding stop to break the hearts of the vocal home support from behind the ground and sinking the players to their knees in disappointment.