Cardiff based STM Sports will make their Welsh League Division 2 debut this August under new management whilst retaining the nucleus of their promotion winning squad.
The St Mellons side won promotion to Division Two under former manager Nathan Cadette and now Gareth Morgan is the man chosen to spearhead the clubs continued rise.
With a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal, Sports notched 91 goals in 30 games last season on their way to the club’s highest ever finish, but they have even higher ambitions ahead of the new season .
A key component of the STM side is midfield talisman Chris Worsley, who is looking forward to the challenge Division 2 will bring.
“It will be a lot tougher because there are some decent teams in this division challenging for promotion and I think it will be a lot more physical but I’m looking forward to it.”
Few could argue that the brand of football STM play is a far cry from the all too prevalent misconception of lower league Welsh football, as nothing more than long-ball football with more emphasis placed on physicality than skill.
It is testament to the attractive, modern style implemented by former manager Nathan Cadette and the trust placed in the players that saw STM claim second place last season as Worsley is quick to acknowledge.
“He had a massive effect on the club and helped us get promotion by understanding how we wanted to play and not questioning our ability.”
With a new management team at the helm, Worsley is hoping to seal another promotion into the upper echelons of the Welsh Football pyramid.
“The new manager knows what we are capable of and we are a team who likes to play football so I’m sure he won’t change it too much, however we are willing to learn and adapt to how he wants us to play.”
STM use the 3G surface at their Llanrumney home to maximum effect, articulate and accurate passing from defence through midfield, bolstered by the electric pace of Lamin Conteh and the goal-scoring ability of Curtis Scotto. With this group of players, Worsley believes the club can continue its remarkable rise that has seen four promotions in eight seasons.
“Our aim is to hopefully get promoted again. It will be tough to go for the title but the main focus will be achieving promotion. If we don’t we just work harder and go again.
I think the club can still go a lot higher. We still have a lot of things to work on to progress further as a club but with the new manager in change, I think he’s the right man to do that and bring out the best in us.”
This season will be a test for STM, with a new manager in charge and a new league ahead of them many would suggest it is a sizeable task, but STM have a quiet confidence, and one thing is for sure: no one will be taking them lightly.
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