Hill feels pride from Llanelli Town title win

Llanelli Town manager Andy Hill says there is a feeling of pride after winning his first honour as a manager.

After winning the league last week after cruising to a 3-0 home victory over AFC Llwydcoed, Llanelli Town were crowned Champions of Division Two. Hill who played for Llanelli as a player, won his first trophy as as a manager with the club he has featured for over the years.

“As an individual it means everything, I want to win leagues and I want to win cups and to win my first honour as a manager is simply amazing.”

With 101 appearances made for Llanelli, promotion and a league title means the world to Hill and he has thanked those who have been there alongside him in Llanelli’s success.

It does mean a lot because I know what kind of club it is, it’s full of good people who deserve good things, they have experienced some dark times of late so to be back winning trophies is really pleasing.

As the side remain unbeaten throughout the season, Hill has put it down to having a squad he can choose from, with injuries not a regular occurrence this season.

“I think having a healthy squad is the most important thing, healthy as in the amount of players in it and healthy as in not many injuries to the players throughout the season, training is really important as well as we do patterns of play over and over and over so everyone knows what they are doing plus our amazing team spirit which is undoubtedly our strongest point.”

With 100 goals scored this season in the league, the former Neath man put credit down to talisman Lee Trundle as well as long term servant of the club Jordan Follows.

“It’s really pleasing, but when you’ve got players like Trunds and Follows who are the best finishers around it does make it so much easier, we scored over 100 goals when I won division 1 as a player for Neath in 2007 but it’s a much better feeling achieving it as a manager.”

Hill even took motivation from YClwbPelDroed, in seeing that statistically Porth and Briton Ferry had the best defence in the league at one point, but Llanelli have tightened up their defence now and boast both the best attack and defence in the league.

“We have a very experienced back 5 and we work hard in training with them, I’m always on their case but they have been magnificent of late.

An article you guys did earlier in the season about Porth and Briton Ferry having the best defensive record in the league got me annoyed because I want the best defence in the league. I want the best attack plus the best midfield and that drives me on to try and make sure we are the best we possibly can be.”

As well as persuading former Swansea City striker Lee Trundle to turn out in a Reds shirt, Llanelli also signed Kurtis March and Joe Clarke, two players who were not long ago playing in the Welsh Premier League, highlighting the Reds pulling power as they build something special.

“One thing that I’m really interested in is intelligent players and both of them are really clever footballs, they make the right decisions in the right areas and the both of them technically are arguably the best in the Welsh leagues, gave us a massive lift when they signed and push us on to the next level.”

Asked if Llanelli will rest a few players as they prepare for their League Cup final next week as well as giving the chance to fringe players, Hill says the squad will remain as strong as possible as they aim for an unbeaten run.

“We will be full strength in every game as we want to maintain our unbeaten record which would be some achievement, it’s obviously must have been done before but I’ve never been involved or seen it happen.”

(Featured Image: Llanelli Town AFC)