It had to be. Several teams across the north have shone this year, but none as brightly as Llandudno.
Tier 2 Genero Adran North champions at the first attempt, North Wales Coast Cup winners and NEWFA Cup finalists.
They have also this season broken a huge jinx by beating one of the south’s ‘big three’ in knocking Swansea City out of the FAW Trophy.
That was probably the best result for a North Wales women’s team since Bangor City were at their prime in the 1990s and early 2000s.
What a lot of people forget is Sarah Colville and her management had to build a nearly whole new squad at the start of 2021-22.
After resigning from the Welsh Premier in 2019-20, then the 2020-21 campaign being wiped out by the pandemic, Sarah had to rebuild almost from scratch, trying to bring back departed players from the WPWL era and unearth new ones.
What a job she did. Maddie Williams was plucked out of recreational football and scored 32 goals over the season. Only the amazing Rosie Hughes of Wrexham netted more.
A revitalised Stacey Tradewell, one of the ‘old guard’, banged in a career-highest 20 goals from midfield, while Jasmin Dutton and Rebecca Jarvis-Evans were absolutely colossal at the back.
New Zealander Indie Hassall became part of club folklore with her title-clinching double in the final game against Wrexham, Madison Williams sailed along in leaps and bounds to secure international recognition – and what about the goalkeeper?
Sara Williams, for most of her career an outfield player, ‘had a go’ between the sticks to help with Tudno’s lack of a regular keeper crisis and was totally magnificent.
After years of suffering endless long trips and regular away hammerings in South Wales in the WPWL, due very often to lack of players available to travel, lasting eight seasons and in the end serving as the north’s sole surviving member, Llandudno took the brave decision to pull out of the national league in December 2019.
They were refused mid-season entry into the North Wales League and by the time football returned after Covid, there was a whole new competition to contend with – the Genero Adran North which included the highly ambitious Wrexham and Connah’s Quay Nomads.
But it was Llandudno who took the title and deservedly so. Those end-of-match celebrations in the March sun were unforgettable.
Nothing was more heart-warming than captain Sofie Owen, the long-serving leader, roaring with joy and hugging and kissing the cup as if it was a long-lost relative.
They had been to hell and back and came out the other side as winners. No-one can ever take that away.
Well done Llandudno – Team of the Year 2022.
Despite winning their first-ever North Wales League match 5-2, Llangefni were a brand new team and very much novices at the start of 2021-22.
As the months passed, fortunes were mixed. Some great results, but also a few hefty beatings at the hands of more experienced teams.
It was all part of the learning process and accepted that way. Under the inspired leadership of manager Dan Gregg, Llangefni ended their debut season with plenty to be positive about.
A hard-working summer, followed by more heavy losses in cups against sides from a higher level ensued, but Cefni took it in their stride and continued to learn.
In the league, those experiences they have gained continue to serve them well.
Four wins in their first seven matches and sitting top-half rather than bottom-half.
Dan’s belief in molding local players into a team and building an indomitable spirit rather than spend and poach from elsewhere pays dividends. And who is anyone to argue!
The striking partnership of last season between Jen Cox and Ellie Coulson which showed promise is now really flourishing – 19 goals between the pair already as opposed to 14 throughout the whole of last term.
Cox’s determination to battle back from injuries and play a regular part had inspired others.
Captain fantastic Nia Ginnelly, who seems to improve by the week, hates the very thought of missing a game.
She was injured recently, but the match she was due to miss got cancelled – so she still hasn’t missed a fixture. Milkas all round (I have difficulty finding the strawberry ones at present).
Ffion Thomas is absolutely flying right now, with six goals to date, and the talents of keeper Jess Marshall, the versatility of Hannah Owen and the industry of Marissa George and Sharlee Owen is among those things getting Llangefni Town players noticed.
Not only was she magnificent in 1879’s invincible North Wales League title-winning season, captain Rachael has also been outstanding since her team’s promotion to the tier 2 Genero Adran North.
A tremendous passer of the ball, she has been deadly from set-pieces, netted more than her share of goals and been a true leader on and off the pitch.
Rachael (formerly Nattrass) notched 18 goals for the championship winners of 2021-22 and has pocketed four this term at the higher standard.
Highpoints in 2022 include her late equaliser from a free kick to ensure 1879 protected their unbeaten record against Amlwch and a Player of the Match display in Rhyl’s 1-0 Welsh Cup win over town rivals NFA this season.
Having played and enjoyed plenty of success in the past with teams such as Prestatyn, Rhyl FC and Connah’s Quay Nomads, Rachael also represented Wales in her younger days and she is no doubt a jewel in 1879’s crown.
This was a really tough choice, but the way this 17-year-old has stormed onto the Genero Adran North tier 2 scene with such pace, skill and goals makes her our number one in this category.
In the FAW Women’s Cup and Genero Adran Trophy combined, Elana has slammed in five goals in four matches.
She has always added something to the Nomads first team attack when appearing as a substitute and her form for the under-19s is exemplary – 10 goals in seven outings.
Elana was part of the Wrexham Under-19 side which won the Genero Adran North Development title last season.
She has also enjoyed some great achievements in the recent past for NFA Under-16s, had a spell at Chester and has taken part in a Wales Under-17s training camp.
Players such as Sienna Strapp (Nomads), Ava Suckley (Wrexham) and Madison Williams (Llandudno) were big contenders in this category. What does that say about Elana!
Who else? Our north star seriously deserves some sort of national recognition.
Since joining Wrexham at the start of 2021-22, Rosie has netted a phenomenal 72 goals in 30 matches for the Dragonesses.
In 2022 alone, she has scored 44 times in just 17 games.
That sort of ratio is something special. Wrexham’s Hollywood men have noticed her – so should the Wales selectors.
Rosie has hit eight hat-tricks this year, including an eight, a six and a five. Her goal-getting is like watching rolling dice – and she knocks spots off the rest.
The great AC/DC sang about a ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’. Wrexham fans definitely cannot get enough of her.
Mari Gibbard had scored six goals in the Welsh Cup previously for Llandudno in a 13-0 caning of Corwen in 2018/19, but she was from a different planet when she took on Rhyl 1879 in the competition this October.
Tudno won 10-0 at The Flyover, Llandudno Junction, with all of Mari’s double-hat-trick coming in 36 second half minutes.
Rhyl brought on a substitute keeper, Bethan Thomas, for her debut after the interval. She must have wondered what had hit her.
Her manager Sarah Colville said: “Mari just took off, she couldn’t stop scoring. She was playing a different game to the rest.”
On the very first day of the season in September, Mari had turned her second debut for Llandudno into a masterclass – also versus Rhyl 1879.
Many were expecting a close battle between Tudno and newly-promoted 1879, but it was a procession. Tudno won 8-0 and there could have been many more.
Mari scooped a hat-trick and made the game look so easy. She might have doubled her tally on another day.
I’ve always worked under the premise that CPDM Bangor is run by a management team – Aron Griffith, Andrew ‘Lefty’ Wright and Lois Regan.
However, I see Aron referred to often as the manager, so as he’s a young lad learning the trade and doing really well, he is my Manager of the Year.
Aron has been part of the management set up from the start and is highly thought of and respected by all the girls. He knows his football and relates especially well to the younger element.
At the end of their debut 2021-22 season, 1876 had finished third in the North Wales Women’s League.
Pretty good, but this season they are absolutely flying and threatening to set all types of records.
The blues are top of the table with a log of: played 11 won 11 goals scored 82 goals conceded 5.
1876 have kept EIGHT clean sheets in those 11 games – largely down to the good work of experienced keeper Rebecca Elliott.
Dal i fynd Aron – all the best and well done.
I love something different and the emergence of an Australian goal machine out of the blue is right up my alley.
Fast in the footsteps of the magical Kiwi named India Hassall comes Stevie Donougher, who has chalked up 17 goals in just seven games for Bangor 1876.
Two of her first three matches featured four-goal hauls from the flying Aussie and she added three for good measure against Flint recently.
Student Stevie is not just making waves at football. She is a winger with the Bangor University Women’s Rugby Union team (BUWRU) and has scored tries in both the side’s wins so far.
She is currently second in the Goalden Girl North Wales women’s football chart behind Rosie Hughes.
Ripper Stevie! just ripper!
Llandudno had never previously beaten one of the ‘big three’ – Cardiff City, Cardiff Met or Swansea City – in many, many league and cup attempts.
So this result at Llandarcy Academy of Sport on November 20 was a BIG surprise.
After a goalless first half, Tudno’s very own ‘golden girl’ Indie Hassall fired the visitors in front on 58 minutes.
Nieve Jenkins levelled three minutes later, but Kelsey Davies blasted in a fantastic winner from 25 yards with 65 on the clock.
Keeper Caitlyn Bibby-Fry had a great game for the underdogs on a big occasion, but overall it was a magnificent team performance from the North Wales Team of the Year!
What a year it has been for Tesni on and off the football field.
The 19-year-old has notched 14 goals in 14 games for Amlwch Town in 2022. She was also the top woman goalscorer on Anglesey last season.
Tesni’s hard-running, direct attacking game makes her a crucial part of the Amlwch side.
But that’s not all! This dazzling talent writes and performs her own music, conducts interviews for the media and also advertises up and coming events in a lively and groovy style. She is also constantly busy gigging up and down the land alongside top acts.
As I always say….Chesney Hawkes – The One and Only….Tesni (sounds like Chesney) Hughes (starts with H and six letters like Hawkes) – The One and Only.
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