The Adran North and Adran South boasts some of the country’s most promising talents, and on Sunday, those players get their seasons underway once more.
In the run-up to kick-off, we pick out five players that fans should keep an eye on this season, as they try and push their teams towards the ultimate prize.
Meg Kearle (Briton Ferry)
Meg Kearle had an astonishing season last year. With 20 goals and 13 assists, she was one of the most in-form and electric players in the Adran South. Having played on the wing in previous seasons, she made the move to the centre-forward role, and it proved to be a masterstroke by manager Rhys James.
An effort from a distance, a poacher’s finish, dribbling past player after player and slotting one past the keeper. Kearle can score a variety of goals. Along with that, her movement opens up space for others and she is so unselfish too.
The challenge will be, now that the other teams know what she’s capable of in that centre forward position, can she repeat last season’s success? With the talent around her, it’s highly likely that Kearle will get close to those numbers again and once again be the shining light in that Ferry team.
Jordanne Greenough (Y Felinheli)
Y Felinheli had some great results during last season’s Adran North. Beating Rhyl and Llandudno shows that this is a team that can cause upsets, and in an Adran North league that does seem to be pretty open, they can surprise once more.
A big reason behind their successes was Jordanne Greenough. What makes the midfielder a different test for opposition teams across the North is that she can do a variety of different things. Going forward, she can pop up with a goal and she can pick out the right pass to setup a teammate. Defensively, she is more than capable of sitting back, soaking up pressure, before leading Y Felinheli on the counter.
With this being the biggest Adran North season yet, expect Y Felinheli to grow and get better, and there’s no doubt Greenough will be at the forefront of their charge.
Sian Rees (Coed Duon)
If you’re looking for a player to get behind in the Adran North and South, look no further than Coed Duon’s Sian Rees.
Over the last couple of months, Rees has been on a rollercoaster of a journey. The winger has faced a long battle with ill health, but after a successful operation in the middle of this year, she’s back and playing football once more.
Over the summer, she left Barry Town United to join newly promoted Coed Duon, who are making their first appearance in the Adran North. If Rees can get up to the levels she was showing before her time away, Coed Duon will be a solid outfit in their first season.
Maddie Williams (Llandudno)
Dudno have lost a few players in the summer, but Maddie Williams still remains at the club, and she will certainly be hoping to drag her side to challenge for the title.
It felt like every week during last season you would see Williams’ name on the Cymru Football App, either scoring or assisting for her side. She might be the best player at what she does in the Adran North, and that instantly gives her side a real chance heading into any game.
The losses of Mari Gibbard and Louisha Doran from last season and this summer will of course harm the team, but keeping Williams and some of the supporting cast around her will certainly aid the seaside club, as they try and win the Northern title.
Casey Thomas (Cascade YC)
Casey Thomas was certainly one of the most consistent players in the Adran South last season. It never felt like her performances dropped beneath a seven out of ten, and with her at the heart of the defence, she is the pacemaker for this Cascade side.
Her team finished second in the Adran South last season, being pipped to the post by Briton Ferry. However, Thomas in that defence kept the gap close until the final few games of the season. Her awareness, her command of the back line and her fearlessness makes her one of the best defenders in the North and the South.
The Ystrad Mynach based club have recruited well over the summer, and with Thomas leading the backline, they will once again battle all the way until the end with Ferry.
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