Aberystwyth Town on brink of Adran Premier survivial after beating Barry Town
ABERYSTWYTH, WALES - 27TH OCTOBER 2024: Rebecca Mathias of Aberystwyth Town celebrates scoring her sides second goal. Aberystwyth Town v Cardiff City in the Genero Adran Premier at Park Avenue on the 27th October 2024. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
Aberystwyth Town took a huge step towards Adran Premier survival with a vital 3-1 win away at Barry Town.
After Jasmine Turner put Barry ahead early in the first half, goals from Libby Isaac, Carys Bufton and Lily Moralee-Hughes gave a determined Aber side all three points.
The result leaves Barry in sixth and Aberystwyth in seventh, but Aber can confirm their survival with a draw in their next game, coupled with a Cardiff Met defeat.
Barry Town manager Stevie McCarthy-Campbell elected to make one change from his side’s 0-0 draw away to Swansea City last time out, as Keira Harris made way for Ellie Gunney.
Aberystwyth Town manager Chris Church made two changes from his team’s win over Cardiff Met last weekend. Jess Baker and Josie Pugh returned to the eleven, with Gwenllian Jones and Shauna Chambers dropping out.
A quiet opening was brought to life in some style by Barry in the twelfth minute. After Ingrid Ådland was fouled on the edge of the area by Imi Scourfield, Jasmine Turner stepped up and placed her free kick in the top corner. A goal good enough to grace any pitch in any country.
Yet, a minute later, Aber had a golden opportunity to equalise, as Holly Jenkins cynically fouled Lleucu Mathias in the area after some quick feet from the winger. Libby Isaac was tasked with converting the penalty, and she did so in a professional manner, finding the bottom corner with ease.
Both sides showed some good attacking intentions during the first half but struggled to string things together in the final third. But set pieces were dominating the day, and Aber took the lead through another one. Against her former club, Carys Bufton lifted the ball beautifully over Molly Arnesen to put the Seasiders in front. Anything Turner could do, Bufton could do better!
Barry had a half chance to equalise before the break. Erin Murray showed some great control and composure in the midfield before feeding the ball into the path of Ådland, but the Norwegian fired wide, as Aber went back into the dressing rooms ahead.
It was clear at the start of the second half that Aber could smell blood, and the confidence was beginning to flow. Bufton spotted Molly Arnesen off her line but couldn’t angle the ball enough into the bottom corner, while Jess Baker robbed the ball of the Barry defence, but couldn’t find the target.
The Linnets were in danger of wilting under pressure, but midway through the second half, they began to turn the tide. Gunney burst into a pocket of space unopposed, but Bufton came back tremendously to force her into taking an early shot, before Ådland forced Chelsea Herbert into a good stop.
Read more: Aberystwyth Town captain hails team’s resilience after important win
Yet Barry still showed signs of being their own worst enemy. A mistake at the back allowed Lily Moralee-Hughes to have a one-on-one showdown with Arnesen, but the substitute skied her strike high and wide, a glorious chance for the visitors.
But Moralee-Hughes wasn’t going to be denied once again, and in the final minute of normal time, she wrapped the game up. After some more dithering in the Barry defence, the youngster latched onto a loose ball and tucked away at the near post.
The afternoon went from bad to worse for Barry late on, as Murray was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time, as they now make it three league games without a win.
It’s the first time Aber have won back-to-back league games since April 2023, and it puts them potentially one game away from survival.
These two will face each other once again in the Adran Premier in their next game. This time it will be at Park Avenue, with the match taking place on March 23rd.
Player of the Match: Carys Bufton
Plenty of contenders to choose from in Green and Black, but Bufton gets the nod for me. It’s never easy to return to a former club, but the winger was full of confidence from minute one. Quick to get past her marker, superb at tracking back and defending, and scored a worldie to cap off a great display.
Barry Town
Molly Arnesen, Holly Jenkins (Lauren Harris 62’), Grace Corne, Erin Murray, Danielle Broadhurst, Jasmine Turner, Emily Freeman © (Lucy Attwood 73’), Ingrid Ådland, Amelia Herbert (Ellie Preece 63’), Ellie Gunney (Sienna Stone 63’), Angharad Beman
Unused subs: Chloe Tiley
Goals: Jasmine Turner (12’)
Reds: Erin Murray (90+3’)
Aberystwyth Town
Chelsea Herbert, Rebecca Mathias ©, Elan Jones (Hannah Davies 75’), Lleucu Mathias (Lily Moralee-Hughes 69’), Imi Scourfield, Libby Isaac, Ffiona Evans, Bethan Roberts, Jess Baker (Modlen Gwynne 69’), Josie Pugh, Carys Bufton
Unused subs: Sophie Steele, Shauna Chambers
Goals: Libby Isaac (14’ p), Carys Bufton (36’), Lily Moralee-Hughes (90’)
