ABERYSTWYTH Reserves retained the Spar Mid Wales League title by signing off their season with a comfortable victory over Newtown Reserves at Park Avenue last weekend, writes Adam Hughes. The Seasiders needed just one point to be crowned champions and were never really troubled by the bottom-placed club as they fired two goals in each half, without even having to move into second gear. There was none of the dramatic tension which had seen the Reserves clinch the title from the grasp of their former arch rivals Penrhyncoch in the last game of last season. The hard work had already been done and, against all the odds, Aber had emerged firm favourites in recent weeks to hold off the challenge from pre-season favourites Rhayader Town and Llanrhaeadr. Few had expected this young Reserves team to retain the title at the start of the campaign, with a host of players from last season's squad going on to play Cymru Alliance football up the road with Penrhyn. However manager Richie Jones and his assistant Emyr Jones have achieved this with a much-changed and an even younger squad, which has steadily matured to finish as the deserved champions. Big-spending Rhayader and an experienced Llanrhaeadr side have both lacked the consistency and focus that Jones maintained from the start would be the key to success. "We've exceeded our expectations," admitted Jones. "At the start of the season we were certainly not expecting to be challenging for the league title with such a young squad. "As the season went on the players started to realise their potential and our expectations steadily grew, but for this side to achieve what it has this season is quite unbelievable. "Out of the team that played on Saturday, seven of the boys were playing district league football last season, so I have got to take my hat off to the way that they have performed. "We've had a few ups and downs through the season because we were an inexperienced squad, but there seems to be more players in this league that have played at a higher level than there were. "Newtown are also a very young side, but they have struggled this season, and no disrespect to them, but I could not see them getting in our way of winning the league." It took just eight minutes for Aber to draw first blood as good early pressure resulted in dangerous front-runner Jamie Morris being impeded for a free kick wide out on the left. Louis Hunt delivered the ball into the direction of Iestyn Thomas in the box, but it took a slight defection off a home defender, and eluded the keeper en route into the net. With Hunt and Martin Naughton enjoying ascendancy in the middle, and with wide men Thomas and Tom Egan both threatening down the flanks, there seemed no way back for disjointed Newtown. However they somehow restored parity after 16 minutes when a free kick from player-boss Michael Fletcher was parried by young Aber keeper Daniel Pritchard for Neil Gorman to slot home. The Reserves stayed focused on their task with determined skipper Tim Turner leading the charge up front alongside Morris, and further pressure resulted in the hosts restoring their lead after 28 minutes. Morris latched onto a loose ball in midfield and played it on to livewire Thomas, who in turn released Shaun Jenkins on the overlap to cut in and square for Naughton to crash the ball home from 12 yards. Newtown struggled to stamp any real authority on the game as talented strikers Gorman and Andrew Williams were left chasing shadows against a defence led by Huw Bonner. James Shields gave very little change in the aerial challenges as the Robins ran out of options, while at the other end Turner and Naughton both went close to scoring as the hosts attacked with purpose. The Spar Mid Wales League trophy looked to be firmly within the home side's grasp at the interval, and they tightened their grip on it by scoring a crucial third on 57 minutes. The tricky Thomas played a neat one-two with Turner before breaking into the box, but he was pulled down for a penalty which striker Morris stepped up to coolly convert to the keeper's left side. An almost triumphant Aber reeled in the changes as 16-year-old Steffan Antoniazzi and favourite Geoff Kellaway, having recovered from illness, both stepping off the bench. The hosts continued to dominate and they sealed a convincing win when Egan latched onto a neat ball from Turner to cross to the far post, where sub Kellaway steamed in to superbly fire home his 12th goal of the season for Aber. The strike effectively brought down the curtain on a fine season for the Reserves and it was left to Aber's managing director Tony Bates to present the trophy to Aber skipper Turner. Bates declared that this side represents a bright future at Aberystwyth Town, before the team celebrated with "We are the Champions" blasting out on the tannoy system. ABER RESERVES: Pritchard, Douglas-Jones (Antoniazzi 60), Jenkins, Shields, Bonner, Thomas (Kellaway 58), Egan, Hunt, Naughton, Turner, Morris (Hinton-Jones 78). • RHAYADER Town's hopes of finishing runners-up in the Spar Mid Wales League hang in the balance after they finished their campaign with a 1-1 draw at lowly Berriew. It was not the finish that the Weirglodd men had wanted, with Graham Hughes and keeper Steve Price being dismissed for violent conduct. The draw meant that Rhayader finished six points above third-placed Llanrhaeadr, who have three games to play. Callum McKenzie had opened the scoring for Rhayader after the interval, but Ed Baldwin levelled for Berriew, who also missed a penalty when Mark Jones fired against the crossbar following the dismisal of keeper Price.
