TT No.113: Mike Latham - Sat 10 Dec 2011: Welsh Premier League (3-45pm ko); Aberystwyth T 1-1 The New Saints; Attendance: 278; Admission: £5; Programme: £1.50; FGIF Match Rating: 4*.

 

 

 

Matchday images (7) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/AberystwythTownFC

 

I got my bracketed tick in here several years ago when I saw Caersws here in the Intertoto Cup; and finally achieved the full tick by seeing Aber play here at home. Ironically, without really attempting it, I had seen them for the third successive weekend after their WPL defeat at Prestatyn and their Welsh Cup win at FC Cefn.

 

Though they are in the relegation places in the WPL at the moment Aber look a decent side to me with several accomplished players and I would expect them to safely escape from the bottom reaches in the second half of the season.

 

What a beautifully maintained ground this is; the playing surface is immaculate and the floodlights were excellent. The shelter of the main stand provided a welcome respite from the winds though many of the spectators watched from the covered stand behind the nearside goal. A television gantry dominates the far side and the grass banking behind the far goal was out of bounds.

 

I really enjoyed the game, which was played at a fine tempo in good spirit with skilful build-up and interplay. Aber opened the scoring ten minutes into the second half through Kellaway, who I had seen score a hat-trick at FC Cefn with Draper equalising eight minutes later. Draper hit the bar in the closing minutes but a draw was a fair result in a game televised live on Sgorio.

 

The Aber club house and tea bar were well frequented on a cold evening and the club shop was a veritable treasure trove, bettered only in my experience of this league by Airbus. A thoroughly enjoyable day watching good football in West Wales was only marred by the long drive home on dark roads with the temperatures dipping close to freezing.

 

contributed on 11/12/11