There was only ever going to be one winner of the Welsh Premier League’s Manager of the Season award at the league’s annual celebratory dinner on Saturday night.
Huw Griffiths was at the same event 12 months earlier having steered his newly promoted Cefn Druids side to an eighth-place finish. It had been a satisfying return season back in the top-flight as the club finished nine points above the relegation zone, achieving their pre-season objective of survival with no real drama.
Much of the talk around Druids that evening was would he be able to repeat the same feat the next coming season? Barry Town would surely be able to hold their own back in the Welsh Premier whilst fellow newcomers Prestatyn Town had won promotion from the Cymru Alliance at canter. Without weakened Rhyl or Airbus, it was widely felt that Cefn Druids would be exposed in the 2017/18 season and Huw Griffiths would have his work cut out avoid relegation, let alone bettering their eighth-place finish.
As we now know, Griffiths didn’t just avoid relegation with Cefn Druids he led the Ancients to their highest-ever league position of fifth, securing their safety by January, and surpassed the club’s wildest expectations by leading them to success in the play-offs in which they defeat Cardiff Met to earn a money spinning return into the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds.
Scott Ruscoe, who had led The New Saints to the league title in his first season in charge, and Welsh Cup winning manager Andy Morrison were the other two candidates, but despite their respective achievements both fell short of Huw Griffiths’ relative success at Cefn Druids.
On a modest budget, Griffiths has assembled a well-organised and efficient side – a team Chris Coleman would most likely describe as ‘streetwise’.
In Michael Jones they have, in my opinion, the league’s most underrated goalkeeper and the arrival of former Wrexham defender Neil Ashton this season added leadership and experience to the spine of the team. His defence partner Nathan Peate had an outstanding season and was one of the unsung heroes of the season while the arrival of Alec Mudimu, a strong dominating central midfielder, proved to be an inspired signing by Griffiths with the 23-year-old since going on to become a regular in the Zimbabwean international team.
Griffiths will be hoping that the club’s European prize money will allow him to keep the nucleus of the current squad together and the expectation will have grown considerably from relegation to top-six candidates.
Mullan and Wall Takes Player Accolades
Jamie Mullan was named WPL Player of the Season ahead of The New Saints team-mate Greg Draper and Aberystwyth Town’s Declan Walker.
The 30-year-old winger made 26 (2) league appearances during the Saints’ title winning campaign.
Former Blackburn winger Luke Wall, 21, claimed the Young Player of the Season award after an impressive debut campaign with Bangor City. Wall claimed the award ahead of Bangor City team-mates goalkeeper Matthew Hall and forward Dean Rittenberg as well as Tom Holland of The New Saints.
Mullan and Wall were also named in the WPL’s Team of the Season as one of four players from The New Saints. Connah’s Quay and Barry Town both had two representatives each.
WPL Team of the Season
John Danby (Connah’s Quay Nomads); Danny Holmes (Bangor City), Connell Rawlinson (TNS), George Horan (Connah’s Quay Nomads), Chris Hugh (Barry Town United); Jamie Mullan (TNS), Danny Gosset (Bangor City), Aeron Edwards (TNS), Luke Wall (Bangor City); Greg Draper (TNS), Kayne McLaggan (Barry Town United).
The subs bench was announced as: Matthew Hall (Bangor City), Declan Walker (Aberystwyth Town), Kai Edwards (Connah’s Quay), Alec Mudimu (Cefn Druids), Dean Rittenberg (Bangor City).