Impetus’ Martin Townley heard from Aberystwyth Town head coach Gavin Allen and player Ffiona Evans ahead of a huge fortnight for the club. Plus, the thoughts of Aberystwyth Town’s Emily Thomas ahead of the semi-final ties (9/2/23).
Above: Aberystwyth Town’s Emily Thomas in possession. Photo: Ika Bajus.
Aberystwyth Town look to reach two Cup finals over the next fortnight as they face semi-final ties in both the Adran Trophy and FAW Welsh Women’s Cup.
Gavin Allen’s team will head to Cardiff Met on Sunday in the Adran Trophy before facing off against Briton Ferry Llansawel in the FAW Welsh Women’s Cup the following week.
First Team manager Allen spoke to the media ahead of the two vital semi-finals about his sides’ chances of reaching multiple cup finals this season.
Aber will face Cardiff Met at Cyncoed Campus this Sunday in an all-Adran Premier clash. Cardiff Met won both games between the sides in the league this season but as Allen explained, it’s all about what happens on the day.
“I’m quite confident. We’ve got a hard game on Sunday against Cardiff Met which you know, if you look at the form of the of both teams obviously, they’ve got to be favourites.
“From past experiences of semi-finals, it’s all about what happens on the day and you need luck and if we can make it difficult for them we’ll get chances. That’s guaranteed and if we can take them, I’m crossing every finger and everything that I have got that we will be in two finals”
Allen was realistic about his team’s style, and thinks that it can make them tough opponents for Cardiff Met.
“We’re not pretty I will be honest. We don’t play pretty football, but we make it very difficult for the teams and that’s the one for me. If we can make it difficult we’ve got some very influential players that can change the game and if you can get them on the ball, I’m looking for them to make that difference.”
Missing players
“I think if we can keep everybody fit, that’s the most important because we’ve had some horrendous injuries in the last couple of weeks.
“We’ve added some sad news this week about our centre half Elin Jones. Basically, she’s got an ACL injury, so, she’s gonna miss basically a season. But then, we’ve got to look at the current squad that we’ve got, we got enough to go and compete.”
Aber’s last game saw them draw with Adran Premier champions in a game where two late first-half goals saw them trailing at the break after leading.
“I think personally for 40 minutes we were well on top, there was no plan B for them, they couldn’t break us down. We scored, we probably had five shots on goal to their one in the first half. But unfortunately, we just lost our concentration for the last five minutes.
“We conceded one and then the referee found seven minutes of injury time, so they scored again.”
Welsh Cup Semi-Final Preview:
Looking ahead to the FAW Welsh Women’s Cup final and Allen expects a tough game from the Adran South leaders Briton Ferry Llansawel.
“They’ve got a lot of experience; I know that recruited well.”
Allen made special mention to Briton Ferry’s former Welsh international midfielder Laura-May Walkley.
“They’ve got Laura-May Walkley in midfield who can cause issues. She’s awkward, she’s different as I will call her. She played for Cardiff Met last season so she’s played at a very high level at that Welsh Prem.
“But we’ve got an individual in our middle of the park that makes it difficult for a lot of girls when we do play against the higher teams and I’m sure she’ll be having a specific role on that day to counter basically what she can offer.”
“You know, I’m not expecting an easy game. It’s their cup final and it’s our cup final on that day, and then whoever progresses will be the best team on the day. But for me, if we play as what we have been doing in the last in the last three to four games, I’m hopeful that we’ll have too much them.”
With two big games coming up there is an air of excitement around the club with Allen saying: “It would be fantastic for Aberystwyth Town Football Club, as a community, for the area if we can get into the two into the two finals.”
Aberystwyth’s Ffiona Evans, who played the last time the Seasiders were in the Welsh Cup Semi Final added: “I’m feeling really excited it’s a long time come in getting back especially into the Welsh cup semi. It feels like a lifetime ago was when I was there last time.
“I think we’ve got a real buzz in in the team at the minute where we’re excited and you know potential getting to two finals, it’s gonna be tough. But, yeah, exciting times.”
Carmarthen footballer Emily Thomas is looking forward to playing in her home town on the biggest of occasions – a cup semi-final, writes Carrie Dunn.
Thomas is one of the stars who have got Aberystwyth Town Women to their first FAW Women’s Cup semi-final in 12 years – and on Sunday 19th February, she and the rest of the Seasiders will be at Carmarthen’s Richmond Park to take on Briton Ferry Llansawel for a place in the final.
The 18-year-old, who was born in Glangwili Hospital and now lives in Llangyndeyrn, hopes that the town will turn out in their numbers to support a local girl.
And she has her fingers crossed that she’ll be able to play in two cup finals before the end of the season – the week beforehand, the Green and Blacks travel to Cardiff Met in the semi-finals of another cup, the Genero Adran Trophy.
“I’m very excited to be going into two semi-finals – it’s just pure class from the girls to be honest,” she said. “If we work hard and take our chances, there’s nothing stopping us from reaching two finals now.”
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