Wrexham lead the way in Adran North/South Team of the Season
NEWTOWN, WALES - 16 APRIL 2023: Wrexham Women's Rebecca Pritchard scores and celebrates during the 2022/23 Genero Adran North & South play-off fixture between Wrexham AFC Women & Briton Ferry Llansawel Ladies FC at Latham Park, Newtown, Wales, 16 April 2023. (Pic by John Smith/FAW)
What a season we have had in the Adran North and Adran South, as Wrexham conquered all their opponents to seal a place back in the Adran Premier.
While the Red Dragons will take all the plaudits, there have been a number of standout performers across both leagues. We take a look at our Adran North and South Team of the Season.
Goalkeeper: Delyth Morgan (Wrexham)
What a season it has been for the long-serving Wrexham goalkeeper. Steve Dale’s side only conceded six goals all season, with Morgan keeping seven clean sheets. Her most important game will of course be the playoff final against Briton Ferry. Against a team with many attacking threats, Morgan stood tall and produced save after save to help her team over the line. It will be interesting to see how she fares in the top tier next season.
Honourable Mention: Courtney Young (Briton Ferry)
Young has had a brilliant season too. Keeping eight clean sheets, she also made some standout saves against Wrexham, but she really showcased her quality in the FAW Cup Final against Cardiff City, making tremendous saves to deny some of the best talent in the country.
Right Back: Lowri Baker (Briton Ferry)
Utilised more as a wing-back and further forward at times this season, I had to get Baker into this team. Her statistics have been great this season, scoring 13 goals and assisting eight. More than that, her work down the right wing is tireless, and her aggression in tackles and her tenacity to win the ball back at any opportunity is a special trait.
Honourable Mention: Libby Mackenzie (Wrexham)
The youngster has been in fine form for Wrexham this season and has looked more than capable in the right-back spot. As next season progresses, I’m sure Mackenzie will get even better.
Centre Back: Erin Lovett (Wrexham)
A towering presence in the backline, Lovett has been the heartbeat of the Wrexham defence this season. Her positioning and defensive awareness has been nothing short of superb this season, and she has been a brick wall that not many opponents have been able to navigate past. If Wrexham can build their defence around her next season, they will be in a very good place to stay up.
Honourable Mention: Lowri Ridings (Briton Ferry)
The Briton Ferry captain has had another great season. As well as marshalling the defence, her leadership qualities have been clear for all to see, and no doubt she will rally her troops ready for their promotion push next season.
Centre Back: Casey Thomas (Cascade YC)
If you are looking for a player who consistently gives a minimum 7/10 performance every week, look no further than Casey Thomas. If anyone sees the Adran Leagues Team of the Week, Thomas’ name is one that often appears, and there’s a reason for it. She sets the standard for a lot of defenders in the North and South, and she will no doubt be a contender for next year’s Team of the Season too.
Honourbale Mention: Katie Sharp (Wrexham)
Lovett’s defensive partner certainly deserves praise this season. In the playoff final, in particular, the way she marked the opposition and didn’t give them a moment of space and open field to glide into was great.
Left Back: Lili Jones (Wrexham)
Similarly, to Baker, being deployed in a wing-back position or further forward, Jones has burst onto the scene this season. With nine assists since breaking into the first team towards the end of 2022, Jones has looked unstoppable at times this year. To think that she is still only 17-years old, the sky really is the limit for her.
Honourable Mention: Louisha Doran (Llandudno)
I think Doran has had a solid season for Llandudno in the left-back spot. While the team didn’t reach the heights they did last season, I’m sure they will be battling for top spot next season, and Doran will be a crucial cog in their push.
Centre Midfield: Laura-May Walkley (Briton Ferry)
Walkley’s quality has been clear for all to see this season. Her vision, her passing ability, she has it all. The midfielder has suggested on social media that she might be stepping away from the football pitch, but with a staggering 15 assists this season, Walkley certainly still has the quality to take Ferry to the top and beyond. If this is to be her last season, she will be a big miss to the league.
Honourable Mention: Molly Chapman (Cascade YC)
Another player at Cascade who has done well this season is Chapman. With five goals and five assists from midfield, Chapman is an all-round player, and has showcased that this season.
Centre Midfield: Kirstie Kural (Connah’s Quay)
Where would the Nomads be without Kural? Kural has scored 14 goals from the middle of the park, but she isn’t just a goal scorer. She’s a creator, she’s a metronome for the rest of the team, and she raises the level of everyone else around her. While her performances may have gone under the radar this season with the strength and star power Wrexham have, next season could be Kural’s for the taking.
Honourable Mention: Jordanne Greenhough (Y Felinheli)
Y Felinheli have had a great season, and Greenhough has been a key reason for that. Often popping up with an important goal or assist, I believe she is a very underrated player in the Adran North this season, and she deserves credit, along with the rest of the team for their work this season.
Centre Midfield: Amber Lightfoot (Wrexham)
What a productive season it has been for Lightfoot. She has been a creative force for the Red Dragons this season with 16 goals and eight assists, and some of her displays this season have been nothing short of electric. She’s scored three hat-tricks this season, and in a team full of young talent, Lightfoot is certainly one of the hottest of prospects going into next season’s Adran Premier.
Honourable Mention: Fleur Jenkins (Briton Ferry)
Alongside Walkley, Jenkins has more than played her part this season. With nine goals and seven assists, Jenkins also is well equipped with defensive skills, and the combo of her and Walkley in midfield has worked well this season.
Forward: Meg Kearle (Briton Ferry)
Kearle has this season moved from a wing position to a more central one, and my word what a move it has been. With 20 league goals this season and a whopping 14 assists, she is certainly a candidate for player of the season. Her speed and movement in the final third is so difficult for defenders to deal with, and no doubt she will keep this form up heading into next season.
Honourable Mention: Annaliese Lewis (Cascade YC)
Lewis has been Mrs. Reliable for the red and blues this season. With eleven goals and six assists, Lewis heads an impressive spine for Cascade, and as they long as they can retain them all next year, they will be a handful for any opponent.
Forward: Rosie Hughes (Wrexham)
What hasn’t been said about Rosie Hughes this season? Can she score goals? Of course! Can she set up other around her? You bet! Can she drag defenders out of position? Guaranteed! There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the impact she has had on this team, and fans across the country will be chomping at the bit to see if she can carry on her goalscoring form against the best sides in Wales.
Honourable Mention: Ella Harvey (Connah’s Quay)
While Kural will take the headlines for the Nomads, Harvey has had a good season leading the line. Her goal at the Racecourse I’m sure will be a moment that will live long in her memory, but she, like the rest of the Nomads, will want to kick on and win the North next season.
Forward: Catryn Cook (Pontardawe Town)
It’s been a middling season for Pontardawe this season, but for star striker Catryn Cook, it’s been a brilliant one. She is only second behind Meg Kearle in the goalscoring standings in the Adran South, and with six assists too, she is the most creative player in this Ponty side. They will certainly be outsiders to clinch top spot next season, but with Cook up front, anything is possible for Pontardawe.
Honourable Mention: Katie Horsburgh (Swansea University)
It’s difficult for a team towards the bottom of the standings to perform against the heavyweights of the league, but Horsburgh has done an admirable job for the students this season. With eight goals this season, she’s made sure Swansea have stayed in games this season, and she will be hoping for more of the same next year.
