Lowest-ranked side Fairwater hoping for Welsh Cup upset over Clwb Cymric

Fairwater FC, the lowest-ranked team left in the Welsh Cup, are hoping to prolong their run in the competition.

The Cardiff Combination League side, which sits at the seventh tier of Welsh football, travels across the capital to face Clwb Cymric on Saturday.

A place in Round One awaits the victors, the stage of the competition in which Cymru South clubs enter. 

This is not uncharted territory for Casey Warren’s side. They once defeated league rivals Aberystwyth Exiles to progress in the 2019/20 edition.

They lost to Garden Village, who at the time were five leagues above them, playing in the Welsh League.

But after defeating their Cardiff West rivals Ely Rangers, there are reasons to be optimistic as they hope of progress.

“We’ve got to this stage before but year on year I always look to improve where we can on previous years. With the way the league finished and being forced to play parks football for another year at least, progression in the cup competitions is where we’ll look to make those improvements.

“As a club, we’ve entered the competition for the last four seasons and it’s great to be part of it. We want to be playing against the best teams and this competition gives us that little taste of what we can have a week in week out.

Ahead of the match, there have been some additions to the first-team squad which could help towards a victory.

Andre Phillips, who netted twice against the Rangers, has joined the squad. He had previously been playing in the higher divisions for Canton Liberal.

Phillips played for Wales in the UEFA Regions Cup, highlighting the calibre of signing that they have pulled off. 

Following him to Poplar Park is goalkeeper Aaron Fettah, who after 15-years at the club, has sought pastures new. 

So how could a club like Fairwater attract players like them? 

“I think you just need to look around the quality of players we have and the coaches that we’ve brought in,” revealed the FAW C Licence coach. 

Whilst keeping the squad together that won the Combination and then coach Daniel Cameron, Matt Boyd-Anderson, and Matt O’Keefe all coaches that have been in and around China, America, and higher-ranked teams like Dinas Powys, Bridgend Street, and Caerau Ely. 

“I’d like to think we’re a club in progress and if it’s not results that we can improve then off-field is where it will happen. It’s great to have Aaron on board and glad he chose Fairwater as his next club they play for. A big thanks to Libs too they’ve been great to deal with and now Fettah is available for selection straight away.

“As a club, we’ve entered the competition for the last four seasons and it’s great to be part of it. We want to be playing against the best teams and this competition gives us that little taste of what we can have a week in week out.

Clwb Cymric, are two divisions above Fairwater and they themselves had a small upset in the previous round.

Bridgend Street, who were relegated from the Welsh League, were on the receiving end of a 1-0 defeat at Ocean Park Arena.

But Warren isn’t phased by the task in hand: “This is the whole reason for entering these competitions.

“We get a chance to pit ourselves against higher league opposition. As long as we’re giving a good account of ourselves we’ll continue to enter it. Everyone loves a cup run the further you go the better the competition you play against.

“Clwb Cymric are quality opposition and it’s a privilege to test ourselves against them.

“We don’t know too much about them but from seeing their results they’re obviously a well-organised team that doesn’t concede too many goals. We’ll have to be at our best and take our chances when they come.

There isn’t as much of a plucky underdog story feel to this that you would see in Cups, but there is perhaps a sense of what is to come, should Water’s league campaign begin.

Fairwater have been a club that have faced a number of setbacks in recent years in their story for recovery.

After reforming following their demise in 2014, they remain in the lower tiers of Welsh football.

Not for the art of trying though. They have won their league title in the last three years.

Twice, they lost out in the playoffs, with one being unfairly contested as their South Walian counterparts were first split into a knock-out round group, whereas the other group was a round-robin.

Their manager perhaps views this as a treat for his players, as playing higher opposition isn’t a thing that comes out regularly: “These boys in the squad deserve to play against as good an opponent as possible.

“I can not fault their commitment to the club after a couple of setbacks they just go again and again for each other.