Our first visit for a competitive occasion to the large field that is the hope of Clwb Pel Droed Y Trallwng yielded little in the way of entertainment but lots in the way of nice sunshine on the back. Just as well then that Aber did not throw away this game as Welshpool, lacking shirt sponsor and a crowd, are about the worst team I've ever seen playing in the LoW and I've seen Briton Ferry Athletic. The Lilywhites rely on team spirit rather than skill, much like Connah's Quay but whereas Connah's Quay's outfit is well drilled scousership, Welshpool's is not made of the same stuff and so they leave gaps and make errors. Gaps and errors which saw them lose 7-0 to Bangor in the Cup last week. If their visitors today had been more awake then they would have lost by more today and the Green & Blacks had fluffed five clear chances before the half hour mark. They dominated the opening stages and set up a 1-0 via the boot of Martyn Griffiths, a lead which they held until the break despite Welshpool remembering what attack was for after about twenty minutes of play. Welshpool may not have much in the way of facilities but they do have a clock next to the stand so looking at the watch is not required and so it was possible to work out that it was around the 75th minute mark that Aber got two goals in two minutes to finish the match off. Gavin Allen and Dai Parry got the goals which the 'keeper (Mr Cadwalladr) did not have much chance to stop. With six minutes to go, Welshpool pulled one back but they never looked like taking anything from this game. A point of view the bearded fellow next to me did not share and he spent the entire second half lecturing his boy about all the times Aber had blown certain victory before. His litany echoed in my ear: "Porthmadog, bloody Llansantffraid, I mean Padarn would bury this lot but us we just don't concentrate. I remember ..." I tell you, it's people like this that give football fans a bad name.
JDS Oct 97
LoW
17.8.96 Aberystwyth Town 2-2 Welshpool AFC
Six hours travelling to get to the game and they don't even manage to put my name in the programmefor sponsoring Damian "not currently playing" Burke.Oh, well. And the match was so typical of the Seasiders that I found myself wondering just how close to the whistle Aber could throw their lead away. Thirty seconds as it happens when they gifted Welshpool a clear shot on target and that was that. The Cymru Alliance runners up don't look to be anything special, although they did have a lot of the play, little of it was meaningful and Aber had better chances throughout, despite falling behind after five minutes to a ball that bounced over the head of a flapping Kinninmouth and was nodded in by Dunacan Gazillo. Aber responded through a goal forced in by Steve Williams and a chest in from the distance of a centimetre from Martyn Griffiths. The second half was uninspiring and Aber tired visibly towards the end. Of the first time for "me to se-ers", Gavin Allen looked good and there's potential in Wyn Thomas (was this his debut?, I don't think so). Off the pitch, Mark Aizlewood signed for the club, with 'Appy chasing after
him for long stretches. It was probably more fun than watching the match.
Spoke to Tomsky a bit, now no longer in Edinburgh. The temperature was illegally hot for Aberystwyth and Hag Harris was a linesman (surely Assistant Referee! Ed.). Next week it's Ton Pentre and hopefully, Aber will learn how to force a match.
