Joy for Llangefni – but huge credit Llanystumdwy for fulfilling the fixture

NORTH WALES WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE – JANUARY 23, 2022

Llangefni Town 3 (Ginnelly 39; Cox 79 & 82)
Llanystumdwy 1 (O’Brien 11)

Llangefni celebrated their fourth win of a highly encouraging debut season at the expense of fellow newcomers Llanystumdwy at Cae Bob Parry.

It was a first appearance of 2022 for the Anglesey side and proved to be a memorable one.

Massive credit to the visitors, who were without their manager due to an emergency, could also name no substitutes, but still made the long journey to Ynys Môn to play the game!

Llanystumdwy started the game on top, piling the pressure on Llangefni, who started slowly.

Corner after corner followed until one finally paid off with Shona O’Brien finding the net.

Cefni then finally got going and created some marvellous chances with Eleanor Coulson going through twice one-on-one with the keeper. She couldn’t quite take them, but on another day would have buried them.

It took Llangefni until the 39th minute to get the equaliser, captain Nia Ginnelly leading by example as she has done all season, dragging the home team back into the game with a terrific strike from outside the area looping over the Llanystumdwy keeper.

Half-time: 1-1

The second half began the same as the first with Llangefni again slow out the blocks and becoming hemmed in, giving cheap corners away constantly.

On 57 minutes manager Dan Gregg reacted with two early substitutions, bringing on the returning Jen Cox and Sian Elin.

In the 79th minute the changes paid off.

Tash Jones picked out Cox with a perfectly weighted through ball, leaving the striker to finish well and make it 2-1.

Three minutes later Ginnelly capped off a player of the match performance with an assist through to Cox, who finished again like she’s never been missing with her seventh goal of the season.

Winning manager Gregg said: “First and foremost massive respect to Llanystumdwy today who could have easily called the game off but decided to travel and battle for 90 minutes.

“They made it really hard for us and 17 year old Leonie O’Hara produced one of the best last ditch tackles I’ve seen all season!

“Whether it was down to rustiness due to the time out or something else we just didn’t start both halves right, but again this group doesn’t know when they are beat! 13 points now! Incredible for a brand new team with some players that had never kicked a ball. So, so proud of the girls.”