Hughes Sees The Positives Despite Defeat

Despite falling to 3-2 reverse in this season’s Dafabet Welsh Premier opener against Llandudno, manager Ian Hughes sees plenty of positives that can be built upon ahead of the upcoming Welsh Premier League Season, writes Matthew Wallace.

“We started the game really well and went 1-0 ahead and I thought we controlled the opening stages. We gave them a lifeline really in terms of their goal. It was our corner and then they made it 2-1 but I still felt we were in the game. We started the second half brightly but we conceded a third which again, we shouldn’t be giving a player that much time outside the box but when we got our goal back, I honestly did feel that we were going to get an equaliser. Surman’s hit the bar with a header and Venables has troubled the keeper with a long shot. We’ve created enough chances to win the game but it’s the same old story, we can’t score four goals every week to win games. It’s something we will address and address quickly.”

Aber went into the game without new signing Rhys Griffiths and last year’s supporters’ player of the season Geoff Kellaway thanks to injury and suspension respectively. This saw Hughes name a substitutes bench with three products of the club’s academy in the form of Liam Lewis, Thomas Jones and Jack Rimmer and it was the former, despite only picking up his GCSE results hours previously that made his senior debut in front of the Sgorio cameras.

“We felt that the season came upon us a week early with Geoff Kellaway’s suspension and Rhys Griffiths’ injury. But the academy deserves great credit at the club. The youngsters will be given an opportunity with the club. As a club we try and give as many young players an opportunity as we can. Jack [Rimmer] has come on and done well today and hopefully he’ll be in the squad again for next week.”

An opening day victory is never an assurance of success and this is the attitude the manager takes going into the season.

“There’s 93 points to play for until the end of the season and we’re only three points down so there’s lots still to play for. It’s the first game of a long, long season. We’ve got players in the dressing room who are capable of taking the game by the scruff of the neck and I’m sure they will do that next week against Rhyl.”


Aber Town's first home League game of the season takes place this Friday night at Park Avenue at home to Rhyl, with a 7.45pm kick off.