There are surprise names at opposite ends of the JD Welsh Premier League although the season is still very much in its infancy.
Three rounds have now been played giving us nothing more than a flavour of what is to come but there is already a surprise element with Llandudno topping the table and Carmarthen sitting in last place.
It would be a major surprise should either side remain in their position come the end of the season but their respective results have been intriguing to date.
In similar fashion to Aberystwyth last season, Carmarthen are finding life on the road difficult as the installation of a 3G pitch at Richmond Park, or the Cymru Tyres Stadium as it’s now known, forces them to begin their campaign with six successive away games. Aberystwyth Town were in a similar predicament last season and although they did record a couple of early away wins, they were never able to establish any momentum and their jittery form struggled to pick up until late into the season. Carmarthen will be hoping to avoid mimicking Aberystwyth’s season but there will be some early concerns around the Old Gold camp, particularly after being on the receiving end of a 4-1 defeat to Newtown.
Having already conceded 10 goals so far, Carmarthen have just been very… unCarmarthen-like! They place an enormous focus on being hard to beat and well-organised, built from back to front. Mark Aizlewood, one of the league’s smartest and most experienced managers, has established this team using a strong defensive base as a solid and stable foundation, and then demands high work-rate, physicality and strong set-play organisation to bolster the team going forward.
Whether Aizlewood will iron out Carmarthen’s form is not in question but he might just face a tougher task than expected this season in providing another season of stability.
At the top of the table, Llandudno have been fantastic so far with the highlight and result of the weekend’s action being their victory over Connah’s Quay.
What a difference a summer can make. They looked stale last season and for me, were never really top-six candidates and although they denied it at the time, from the outside at least, their distinctly average season, a year after finishing third in their first ever WPL season, did smack of the so-called ‘second-season syndrome’.
It was always going to be an interesting summer for the club and if Llandudno are to have a more positive season this time around, it was vital that Alan Morgan freshened things up in attack – if he didn’t, I believe they will risk spending more time this season looking behind them rather than upwards but the early indications are very encouraging.
Toby Jones and Ryan Edwards have slotted in effortlessly breathing fresh life into the Seasiders’ attack. They also have Sam Ilesanmi, a long-term target of Morgan’s, waiting in the wings to make an impression and young Sean Cavanagh, hungry for a chance after limited playing time at Bangor.
I’m not saying I expect Llandudno to be among the chasing pack of teams when league positions settle over the next few months but from what we’ve seen so far, they look a dangerous side who can definitely challenge for a top-six spot.
Matchday 3 results: Bala Town 2-1 Cardiff Met, Bangor City 1-0 Prestatyn, Barry Town 0-1 The New Saints, Cefn Druids 2-0 Aberystwyth, Llandudno 1-0 Connah’s Quay, Newtown 4-1 Carmarthen.
Featured image courtesy of JD Welsh Premier League / Llandudno FC.