Alison Witts and Stevie Donougher: Falling back in love with football in the second tier

Ahead of the Adran Playoff on Sunday afternoon, live on RedWall+ between Briton Ferry and Llandudno, we take a look at two players who have really left their mark on the season.

Ferry’s Alison Witts and Llandudno’s Stevie Donougher have cemented themselves as the elite goal scorers of the second tier.

Donougher has netted 16 times in 10 games, while Witts has bagged 19 goals in twelve games.

On the face of it, apart from being elite goal scorers, there are some differences between the two.

Let’s start with Witts, perhaps the more well-known of the two. When we talked to her after she had joined Briton Ferry at the start of the season, she said she didn’t really mind how many goals she scored, as long as Ferry got promoted.

Fast forward to April, and the prolific forward stands alone as the top scorer across the Adran Leagues.

“I’m not sure I’ve surprised myself as such. It’s hard to explain as I didn’t really come into the season saying I wanted to score X number of goals. I just wanted to make sure I contributed to the success of the team, and I can confidently say I’ve done that so I’m really happy with.

“I think what has made me the happiest is scoring in those games that really make the difference. Don’t get me wrong I love scoring hat-tricks but scoring the winner in the 85+ minute just hits differently.”

After being a bit part player last year with Pontypridd United, Witts decided to join Ferry. It’s fair to say the decision has paid off, and she’s enjoying the freedom of playing without any pressure on her shoulders.

“I’ve worked harder this season off the pitch than I have in a long time and that’s been a huge factor in my success this season. I’ve felt fitter and stronger, and it’s shown in my performances.

“Since my first conversation with Rhys James before signing, I’ve felt massively valued and appreciated and that’s continued throughout the season. For me I have felt less pressure this year I’ve been able to turn up, be myself and play my game with a smile of my face. Nothing beats that feeling.”

One question that fans of the Adran Leagues have frequently asked is what’s the gap like between the two tiers. In the past, we’ve seen Abergavenny finish bottom of the Adran Premier, while Wrexham have finished in the top three.

Witts says a couple of her teammates could play regular football in the topflight, while also believing the top teams in the Premier are pulling away from the rest.

“I think there are teams or players in our league who could easily complete in the Adran Premier and not be out of place whatsoever. However, I think it’s quite evident that the three teams at the top of the Adran Premier who have the backing from Championship and League 1 clubs at the top of the English Pyramid system are taking large steps away from the rest of the teams in that league and subsequent leagues below.

“Tier two is a competitive league, the games can be tough, and you have to graft out results, no team will make it easy for you especially when you are the league front runners.”

While Witts has come down a league, Stevie Donougher has made the step up to tier two.

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Having been top scorer in the third tier with Bangor, she made the move to Llandudno at the same time Witts joined Briton Ferry, and similarly to the South’s top scorer, didn’t expect to score as many times as she did.

“No, I definitely didn’t expect it. Coming up into a higher league, I knew I would be surrounded by higher quality defenders and back lines. I had my strike partner Maddie Williams up there with me, but also Kelcey Davies, Ella Jones; they’re all top strikers as well.

“I knew I had to be at their level and help them out as much as possible too, and if anything fell to my feet, then I had to make the most of it. I knew how hard the challenge was going to be, so to score has many goals as I have is a surprise.”

Life couldn’t have started much better for Donougher in Llandudno, as she scored a magnificent four goals on her debut against NFA.

“It was a good debut I’d say! I’d been to a few training sessions before the season started, and I went through a period where I wasn’t enjoying my football; I was just going through the motions of it all. But after the first couple of training sessions with Llandudno, I just loved it.

“The girls are so supportive, and I just really started to enjoy it. So, when I went out there against NFA, everything fell into place, and I enjoyed football again.”

Donougher is doing a Sports and Exercise Science Masters at Bangor University, but before making the move over to North Wales, she played in her native Australia.

The Aussie says the difference between football in Australia and Wales is similar and has enjoyed making the step up from tier three.

“I’ve really enjoyed the step up this year. I thought coming from Australia and playing in the league over there, the quality is similar.

“It’s nice to be back playing good football around good people, learning from coaches, and it’s definitely been a positive move and a good step up.”

While the two have been setting the pace on both sides of the country, neither are particularly familiar with each other.

However, it’s clear to see there is a respect between the two number nines.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any clips of her and haven’t been really aware of her this season,” Donougher said of Witts.

“I wish there were platforms and stuff where you can watch other leagues in Wales, but hopefully as the league progresses and comes more professional, we can see more and be able to watch more great players like herself.”

“I don’t know much about her to be honest,” Witts replied when asked about Donougher.

“Obviously she has been in the league headlines a lot this season and it’s clear she knows where the back of the net is, so credit to her.  I’ve seen clips of her and the team and it evident she’s got good movement off the ball; I think they all do at times.”

Both have got to the second tier in very different ways, but there’s one key similarity with both that makes their success the season all the sweeter; both have fallen back in love with football.

“Football has always been a huge part of my life and over the last few years I was falling out of love with it, it was becoming a chore and not enjoyable,” Witts described.

“I can safely say that hasn’t been the case this season. Playing on my doorstep has helped, but fundamentally Ferry is a family and I’ve loved being in that environment.”

“It’s genuinely been one of my best seasons since I’ve started playing football,” Donougher explained.

“I’ve fallen back in love with the game, scored a lot of goals, and have made so many friends with Llandudno. It’s certainly been a big highlight in my recent career. I couldn’t have asked for a better year.”

The Adran Premier may steal all the headlines with the big teams and big players, but what Alison Witts and Stevie Donougher’s stories show is that the Adran North and South provide players with an unbelievable opportunity to, not only play at a competitive level, but to enjoy football and to feel like you’re part of something big.

Only one of these two markswomen will have the opportunity to end their season on a high, and the winner of that will be revealed on Sunday afternoon at Latham Park.

(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell/FAW)