TNS captain Beth Lewis is hoping her team can kick on in this season’s edition of the Adran Premier.
Last season, the Saints survived on a crazy final day. A few months down the line, and Lewis still can’t put into words what happened that day.
‘We tried not to think about the outcome too much. We went into it and just thought, we’ll go out, play how we always play and try not to think about it too much’
‘It’s hard going into a game like that and try not to think about what could happen. It was unbelievable the feeling after, pulling something like that off’
‘Respect to the girls for doing it, the determination to pull out those four wins when we needed it was brilliant and I still can’t put it into words, it was amazing’
As well as new signings, TNS have kept the majority of last season’s squad together. Lewis is really happy with the retention, and also describes just how much the club means to her.
‘Last year we were a new team, which was difficult. We were a brand-new bunch of girls who had never met each other’
‘So, it’s definitely important that we’ve kept most of the girls together this year, so we can keep building on what we built last year’
‘The club means the world to me. I haven’t played in a team where the girls mean this much to each other. We always joke about it, but it is like a family. We are all really close’
In a league that is very congested in South Wales, TNS are the only team situated in the North, something the club takes a lot of pride in.
‘It’s a big push for us. Obviously, it’s a big divide for us. We’re a bit further out than everyone else, but it’s a lot of pride for us. We feel like we carry a lot but it’s important for us to keep getting results and push on’
And on the subject of pushing on, it’s clear to see just what Lewis and the squad expect of themselves this season.
‘Last season was difficult. To just stay up was an achievement in itself but it wasn’t really what we were aiming for’
‘We had to change our goals while the season was going on and because of not really knowing what to expect, as we were a new team’
‘This season we’re hoping for a lot more, top four. New season, new players, we’re expecting a lot more this season’
This season’s Adran Premier takes place under the backdrop of a unique European Championships and a Wales team who are on the brink of history.
With so many positives around the women’s game, Lewis is hoping this will have a knock-on effect on the league.
‘The Euros bought the women’s game on so much, even day to day training you notice it a lot more, you go out and people are talking about it, asking you about it’
‘It’s such an exciting time to be a part of women’s football, and an exciting time to play at such a high standard of women’s football’
‘It will be a really exciting season and hopefully the spectators will grow, and we will have a lot more following’
‘We had a good following last year at TNS, we had a lot of fans down at our games, so hopefully this year it will continue’
While Lewis’ vision was clear to see for the club, the thing she takes most pride in is leading this group, a feeling that will stand out throughout her footballing career.
‘Staying as captain is a source of massive pride and it’s a big achievement for me. Certainly, it’s the highest point of my career to captain these bunch of girls’
‘They mean a lot to me, not just as footballers but as girls too’
TNS kick off their Adran Premier campaign at home against Barry Town on Sunday September 4th.
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