Aberystwyth Under 16s Girls looking forward to 2015
Aberystwyth Under 16 girls are hoping for a big home draw in the next round on the FAW U16s Girls Cup. This talented group on youngsters are eager to test themselves at a higher level under the guidance of Bryn McGilligan Oliver.
“The girls want a big team at home on Park Avenue, there’s no one they want to avoid really, we go into each and every game with a winning/attacking mentality” says Byrn. “I’ve heard that Prestatyn from the North group are strong and Coed Duon Dragons FC are a tough team to beat from the South group.”
Byrne manages both the under 16s and full Ladies teams at Park Avenue and has just signed on Mared Jones to play for the Ladies team from the under 16s. “Our first signing of 2015 is Mared Jones, she has just turned 16 so obviously eligible now for the senior team now. Mared is one of our Centre Halfs in the U16s, I’ve worked with her for 2 years now and you can tell she has talent and a wise head on her shoulders when reading the game. She is one of the girls I brought in from Ffostrasol, she has settled in and become very reliable for us.”
The Ladies team have recently lost long serving midfield player Kelly Thomas to Newcastle Emlyn but Bryn is impressed with the next group of girls coming through. “We have a very young Ladies team squad with around 7 of our starting XI usually under 20! We’ve built up a strong crop of talent already this season in the U16s. They play with no fear and complete belief in themselves which is amazing to see.”
This rebuilding of Aberystwyth Ladies and the under 16s has starting since the start of the season with Bryn using his connections in mid-Wales to attract new players to the club. “I brought in a few players from Ffostrasol and Aberaeron that have definitely strengthened our squad which helps with these cup games especially. I’ve coached a lot of the girls over the last 2 years as half of them are in the CWFA Girls Performance Centre that I am the Director for.”
One of the big pulling factors that Aberystwyth have is their ground and with the new 3G stadium in the pipeline and attendances rising. Bryn recalls the reaction of the under 16s in their 3-1 win over Corwens on Park Avenue in the cup back on the 30th November.
“There was a large crowd considering a lot of people don’t really know much about what goes on with our U16s and they handled the pressure superbly. The crowd and players got a real buzz out of the win as it was a hard game due to Corwens physique but the girls still played their attacking football and they deserved the win. Goal scorers F.Wyn, H.Davies and our captain B.Morris were the core for our victory.”