March 28, 2024

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AFC Butetown boss Allwood hopes players enjoy the occasion in Cardiff cup clash

It’s an all Cardiff affair in the JD Welsh Cup this weekend as AFC Butetown of the South Wales Alliance, taken on high-scoring STM Sports at Canal Park.

The two teams are seprated by three divisions, following STM Sports’ promotion to the Welsh League Division Two last season and Butetown’s relegation from the Premier Division.

But when the cup comes into play, leagues go out of the window as any team can win on their given day and for Butetown it’s just that.

Most Cup shocks come away for the receiving team but Matthew Allwood says that home advantage won’t play a factor and that he hopes the players enjoy the occasion against a top side.

“Home advantage, It won’t faze them. I just hope our lads embrace the occasion!

As for STM! They’re a really good side. But it’s a barometer for our lads.

We haven’t really got any one stand out player. We’ve more of a unit so we just hope our lads enjoy the challenge ahead of them.”

The last time the two sides met it was in a pre-season friendly, so there’s no competitive indictator for the two sides. The two met each other in the South Wales Alliance during STM’s rise through the Welsh pyramid system. 

“Last time STM came here we beat them 4-1 so they might have some nerves. But seriously that was a friendly the pre season they got promoted to the amateur league. Our last meeting they beat us 2-0 in another pre season game.”

One thing that Butetown will have to be way of is the free-scoring form that STM are in after beating AFC Porth 18-0 in their last league outing.

“STM are a few leagues above us and favourites so if we can keep them to 0-17 we’ve done better than Porth!”

Sometimes the Cup can provide a spring board for league success and the Butetown boss is aiming for promotion this season, despite the overhaul of the squad since suffering relegation last season. 

Butetown have also brought in STM Sports youth coach Ramos Kavrouniaris to help assist with the side this season. 

“We’re looking for a straight promotion. But after last seasons relegation we’ve had to make changes and added a lot of young new players to try and give ourselves a lift. 

Our management had changed with Ramos Karvouniaris coming in as assistant manager. So we’ll just see how everyone gels together.”

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