FOLLOWING a thunderous season which saw them win the FAW Cup and earn promotion from Welsh League Division Three, it’s safe to say Abergavenny Town had a season to remember. Let’s look at the highlights.

Town kicked off their season on Saturday August 5 with a big question mark hanging over them as to how they would perform in Division Three of the Welsh League, having won the Gwent County League at a canter in the previous season.

If they had any doubts, they needn’t have worried because in their first encounter they triumphed 2-0 over local rivals, Tredegar Town. In fact Town were hitting the ground running and followed this up with a mid-week win over Panteg and won again the next Saturday.

This 100% record would normally see them topping the table, but ominously the eventual champions, Pontypridd Town were also unblemished and with a superior goal difference pushed Town into second place.

In September Town’s form became jittery dropping valuable points at home against Llantwit Major, before a 6-2 demolition of Bridgend Street who were later to prove bitter rivals. Town dropped more points in the month with a 6-2 reversal at high flying Caerau, and a shock 3-4 defeat at home to struggling Newport YMCA.

October saw them return to winning ways, and they carried on their good form for the rest of the year, consolidating second spot and, seriously challenging table topping Pontypridd Town.

The first match of the New Year saw Town travel to Pontypridd for a wet and windy mid-week game which Pontypridd won, to strengthen their grip on top spot.

By now, Town had serious intentions of a lengthy FAW Trophy campaign, but that did not distract from embarking on a 13 match unbeaten run during which they scored 11 victories.

At their base in Pen-y-Pound Stadium, the talk was could they now displace Pontypridd, the long-time league leaders. However a defeat in a turbulent match at third placed Bridgend Street in April, put paid to any such thoughts and Town soon realised they had a different type of problems on their hands in the shape of a Bridgend Street side who couldn’t stop winning and were closing in on Town’s second spot and the promotion bonus which went with it.

Town eased the pressure returning home from Newport YMCA with a 1-0 victory, but dropped two points in the next match at Llantwit Major, and when they returned empty handed from STM Sports, a glance at the league table showed Bridgend Street had matched them on points, with Town only clinging to second spot by virtue of a better goal difference, with both sides having three games left to play.

Town stole an early advantage, by virtue of victory in a Friday night fixture at Treharris, but the next day Bridgend Street hit back winning against already doomed Newport Civil Service. It was Bridgend Street who were next in action on a mid-week Wednesday fixture, and their penultimate game was at home against Pontypridd Town and yielded only a point for the Cardiff based side in a 0-0 draw.

Town had slightly easier opposition on the Thursday night defeating Newport Civil Service 5-2 to open up a two point gap. The equation was, by now, very simple – win your final match at Treowen the following Saturday to secure promotion as runners up. In the event this equation never materialised. Bridgend Street slipped up in the Friday evening match at Panteg losing 1-0 leaving Town to travel to Treowen as a promoted side.

Promotion was not the only success to come Town’s way this season. Having been losing semi-finalists in the FAW Trophy last season, Town took the decision to enter once again, and met Tonyrefail BGC in their first match.

A 3-0 victory at Pen-y-Pound eased their passage into the next round where they met the students of Team Swansea, and gained a narrow 4-3 away victory.

It was tight in the next round when they travelled to the Rhondda valley to face Sporting Marvels, but they returned home victorious with a 2-1 victory thanks to a last gasp Jac Evans header. At the quarter final stage Town hit top form disposing of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant 6-1.

Next up, at semi-final stage, Town travelled to the neutral venue of Newtown FC to face Wrexham based FC Queens Park and arguably gave their best display of the season trouncing their opposition from a higher league to the tune of 7-0.

The FAW set the final at their Dragon Park complex in Newport where Town would face Sully Sports. A well-attended final where the majority of the crowd had travelled from Abergavenny saw Craig Norman give Town an early lead which they held to the final whistle, to claim the second most important cup in Wales.