This weekend sees the Adran South kick back into gear, as all eight teams are in action.
Last season saw Briton Ferry clinch the title, but they narrowly lost out on promotion in the playoff final.
This will be the third season of the restructured second tier, and it promises to be one of the most exciting, with three new sides entering the Adran South.
Ahead of Sunday’s kick-off, we predict who will be the title contenders, who could push the leaders and who are the teams to keep an eye out for.
Title Challengers
It is incredibly difficult to look past Briton Ferry for the title this year. There are so many factors to consider that makes them such strong favourites.
Firstly, the pain of last season. They outplayed Wrexham for large parts of that playoff final, but a momentary lapse of concentration allowed the Red Dragons in to pick up the win and promotion. That moment will have lingered in the minds of those players for the next couple of weeks and months. They know the pain of missing out, and that group of players and those coaches are not going to let that happen again.
Second, the squad remains more or less the same. Ferry have retained all of the players that got them to the playoff final and the Welsh Cup final. What that does for morale is indescribable. That group know what each other have been through, and they know how to get the best out of each other. The only addition to the squad has been Alison Witts from Pontypridd, a player with great experience and could really help push Ferry over the line.
Finally, they have match winners all over the pitch. Courtney Young is an incredibly safe pair of hands, Lowri Ridings is a rock at the back, Laura-May Walkley is the best passer of a ball in the second tier, Lowri Baker is a tricky customer, Meg Kearle finishes every chance given to her. In many ways, it’s an Adran Premier squad.
The only team I can see coming close to challenging Rhys James’ side is Cascade YC. Like Ferry they have retained a large bulk of their team. However, they have had to deal with two departures, as both Charli Carroll and Beth Lloyd headed Stateside.
While they have lost two players, they have strengthened very well. Ellis Lunn and Lauren Boyd added a lot of experience to the squad, while youngsters Erin Parry, Mali Summers and Phoebe Ware will certainly add more depth to the team.
The biggest difference for me is the fact that, Ferry have been so close. While admittedly this could hurt them and last season’s demons could come back, I feel the mental fortitude of that team is stronger than ever. It’s also worth looking at the results between these two last season. Ferry won three of the four meetings. Of course, the sole Cascade victory will give them a lot of hope, but they will know they need to perform better against the Reds if they are to pip them to the post.
Ones to Watch
For all the star players in the top two teams, Pontardawe Town have an absolute superstar on their hands in Catryn Cook. The forward was prolific last year, with a total of 19 goal contributions for her team. The biggest loss for them will be Sophie Topper. Topper was a commanding presence at the back, but having left to join Pontypridd United, there’s a hole in the defence.
They had some up and down games last season, but with a run of more consistent results, you could see them, with Cook leading the line, challenge the likes of Briton Ferry and Cascade.
The other team that will certainly be one to watch will be Caldicot Town. They did finish bottom of the five-team league last time out, but they have been incredibly active in the transfer window. Twelve players have come through the door at Jubilee Way, and there’s now an exciting blend of old and youth in the squad.
Surely, the only way is up for Caldicot, after only picking up a single point last season.
The Underdogs
The other returning team from last year’s dance is Swansea University. They do have match winners in their ranks with Katie Horsburgh and Rachel Currie, but they certainly haven’t been as busy as other teams in the league. They did record some good results, including a win over Pontardawe and a draw with Cascade, but things need to be better this season for the university side.
There are also three new teams entering the Adran South this season. Coed Duon finished second in the third tier and are the highest-ranking new side entering the competition. They were very impressive in securing that second place, as they only lost two games all season. To add to a strong core, they’ve bought in players with Adran Leagues experience, as they look to consolidate their place in the second tier.
Cwmbran Celtic finished on the same number of points as Coed Duon, and they will have similar aspirations to their rivals. The big positive going their way is that they’ve retained their lethal attacking duo in Fiona Anthony and Eloise Meaney. Chelsea Cochrane adds some Adran Premier experience, and everything is pointing to the Celtic having a solid season in the Adran South.
The final team in the 2023-24 lineup is Llanelli Town. The West Walian club finished fourth in the third tier. Transfers haven’t been flowing into the club in ways they have been for the other two promoted sides, but clearly, the team is a solid unit. I think for Llanelli, this will be a learning year, but they are more than capable of holding their own in the second tier.
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