Welsh League Division One has a new name leading the table following an impressive derby victory for Afan Lido on Saturday.
The Seasiders saw off the challenge of local neighbors Briton Ferry Llansawel in a convincing 4-1 win to leapfrog Penybont at the top of the division, and the club have slowly crept under the radar in Division one to add another challenge to Penybont’s race for promotion with Haverfordwest County.
Penybont still have four games in hand on Lido with only one point separating the teams, but the Aberafan Beach-based outfit have piled on the pressure in recent weeks, continuing an unbeaten streak in the league which has now extended to seven matches.
The recent charge has been headed by re-signed strike duo Mark Jones, bagging eight goals since his move from Llanelli Town, and Chris Hartland who recently returned to the Marston’s Stadium from Gwent League outfit Brynmawr.
The prolific pair have added firepower to Mark Robinson’s side, and Saturday’s victory against Briton Ferry Llansawel underlined their attacking potency.
After a flurry of early chances, Mark Jones eventually broke the deadlock poking home a low cross from Jack Hurley. Despite suffering the setback of a Luke Harris equaliser before halftime, Lido restored their lead on the stroke of the whistle with a bullet header from midfielder Cai Owens. From there it was one-way traffic from the Seasiders who doubled their lead courtesy of a second for Jones from the penalty spot and a well-taken finish from 16-year-old forward Noah Daley.
Much of the focus in the division has turned towards Rhys Griffiths’ men in Bridgend and former Welsh Premier League outfit Haverfordwest County this season. Griffiths has been building a squad capable of promotion at the KYMCO Stadium over the last few years, and seem in prime position to take advantage of that this season. But they face firm opposition from a young Haverfordwest side, who added Lee Trundle to their ranks this summer.
But now they have another potential challenger in the form of Afan Lido.
The Reds’ position in the table belies an indifferent start, however. Robinson and his coaching team Andrew Mumford, Mark Jenkins and Gareth Couch had to dip into the club’s prodigious youth system early in the campaign, culminating in a string of inconsistent results and performances. This has, however, allowed the squad to take shape in recent weeks with a blend of young home-grown talent and experienced heads.
The Briton Ferry Llansawel match, however, lay testament to the club’s on-going production line; eleven of the sixteen-man squad, led by captain Liam McCreesh, had been – at some stage – developed through the Afan Lido youth system.
The Lido have been a staple fixture in Welsh footballing circles for quite some time; the club was a founding member of the League of Wales in 1992 and club legend Mitchell Patton can boast the record of being the division’s fastest goal-scorer on its opening weekend.
Despite an illustrious history, including a foray into European football and several League Cup final wins, the club has endured leaner times since its relegation from the top flight four seasons ago.
Next up for the Lido is a trip to Ammanford on 15th December where manager Robinson will be hoping to prolong the current unbeaten run and provide the club with a positive platform on which to build in 2019.
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