Congratulations on the fantastic achievement of winning Division Four with Camrose 2nds Chris and and Lewys you finished 3rd last season, narrowly missing out after a great run in the second half of the season, what was the mood like in the squad ahead of this season?
Confident mood in the squad, we’ve been trending upwards for a number of seasons and we came into the season with a good mix of exciting young talent and more experienced players.
As I know from my own experiences, managing a Seconds team is never easy with your squad often changing week by week depending on decisions beyond your control - how have you found managing the team this season and keeping everyone happy?
As always it’s really hard to keep everyone happy but I think with constant communication and honesty with the team most are understanding, also very important to work closely with the first team management so make sure everyone’s on the same page and pushing the same direction.
It’s been a strong Division Four this year with the likes of New Hedges Saundersfoot and Tenby 2nds having great seasons but also some strong teams just behind them like Newport and Angle. Would you say the competition has pushed you on to do even better as a team?
Absolutely, it would be a lie to say you don’t look at these teams results week by week and it became clear early on that the league would be decided by the games against these teams with no margin for error.
It really helps focus minds and get training to a high standard when everyone knows there’s no margin for error each week.
Looking back over a fantastic season with so many wins, what are the key moments, goals and games that stand out for you?
Newport away in the cup 4-1 up.
To 4-5 down to make it 5-5 scoring in last minute of normal time to win 6-5 in extra time.
Tenby home was a real statement, as was beating Saundersfoot to all but confirm promotion. I also think games vs Monkton were key against strong side including some of their seconds.
With how the league shaped up and how dominant the top three were every game and point was vital as any slip up against teams below could have had a huge impact.
Going up to Division Three now, and with the Firsts having a solid season in Division Two which must be helpful to you too, what are your goals for the upcoming season?
Ultimately we need to stay in the league which I feel we’re are more than capable of doing. It would be a waste to work hard all season to have it undone within a year.
Teams who have gone up in recent years like Kilgetty and Neyland have shown that the strongest teams in Division Four can more than compete in Division Three.
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