Match Details
Date: Friday 11 August 2017
Result: 0-3 (won)
Starting XI- Josh Roberts, Sean Jones, Jamie Foulkes, Paul Griffiths (c), Dion Gibbins, Nic Jones, Kien Morris, Jimmy Jones, Alex Williams, Oliver Davies, Conner Kendrick
Substitutes – Andrew Jones, Callum Taylor, Darnell Prescott, Jack Richards
Goalscorer(s):
Jimmy Jones
Nic Jones
Conner Kendrick
Tonight missing two key players in Nathan Williams & Daniel Cox we visited the 2017 welsh trophy champions Chirk AAA in a tough opening game to begin the 2017/18 WNL campaign. We headed into the fixture as the underdogs against a team who finished 5th last time around and have further strengthened in the summer.
The Albion who started with three new signings in Jimmy Jones, Conner Kendrick and Josh Roberts were quickly in control of the games with a high press causing our hosts problems. We were on the front foot asking lots of questions. 17 year old Kien Morris and 18 year old Dion Gibbins were given the nod in the midfield and were standing out alongside Nic Jones in the center. After a Jimmy Jones free-kick rattled the crossbar early on the hard work and early dominance was finally rewarded when new signing Jimmy Jones volleyed home excellently to give the team a 1 nil lead. Cefn continued to dominate and the hosts were struggling to cope with the fast play and movement from our offensive players. The lead was soon doubled when Nic Jones slotted home with his weaker footer to make it two nil and further rattle the home team. It was about to get worse for the Chirkers when a lovely through ball by Kien Morris assisted new signing Kendrick who was the coolest man in the box to make it three and give Albion a fully deserved lead. A dominant display which could have seen us add more goals, nevertheless a great first half display that we were more than happy with. Everything that the management have been working on over the summer was being executed by the lads.
Second half we expected our host to come at us and if truth be told although they showed a bit more urgency they huffed and puffed without any real conviction and the game turned a bit scrappy. Chirk were thrown an early lifeline when a penalty was awarded but Josh Roberts guessed right and saved the resulting penalty kick on his second Albion debut. Our defence marshaled by man of the match Paul Griffiths were excellent and stood up to any questions that the Chirk team asked and apart from the penalty kick robbo didn't really have much to do apart from a few long range efforts which were dealt with easily. Credit to the teams defence tonight. We could of piled more misery on the home team and make it 4 but Nic Jones' effort struck the bar for the second time on the night. Not many will visit the 2017 welsh trophy Champions and win 3-0 and with the added pressure of a local derby its a very welcome but fully deserved three points. FT 0-3
Not many would have predicted this outcome but our young exciting team delivered and recorded a fully deserved 3 points, great to get a decent derby win to open our season. We would like to thank our fantastic support who turned up in their numbers tonight. It felt like a home game at Chirk tonight. We now turn our attention to another very tough away fixture on Wednesday when we visit Llanuwchlyn.
#UPTHEALBION
#TOGETHER
#DERBYWINNERS
#WEARECEFNALBION
#CONCENTRATEONOURSELVES
