Jess-t amazing! Llangefni striker reaches 50 goal mark in Ynys Môn thriller

BETTY PICKERING CUP SEMI-FINAL – MAY 12, 2024

Amlwch Town 4 (Hughes, Gadd 2, L Thomas)
Llangefni Town 7 (J Jones 4, 1 pen, Cox 2, George)

Jess Jones has become the first North Wales senior woman footballer to reach 50 goals in a season for at least seven years.

Grassroots North Wales records dating back to 2016-17, have Laura Pennington (2017-18) and Wrexham’s Rosie Hughes (2021-22) with 48 goals apiece as the top-markswomen before Jess arrived at the half-century mark on Sunday.

The 18-year-old phenomenon from Gwalchmai, Ynys Môn, has rattled up her 50 goals in just 21 appearances, notching 10 hat-tricks and netting her favourite haul of four in a match on SEVEN occasions.

Sunday saw Jess and her Llangefni team reach the Betty Pickering Cup Final with a thrilling 7-4 victory at Amlwch.

It was the fourth time the Cae Bob Parry side have beaten their Anglesey rivals this season.

Match report: Cymru Sport

Llangefni took the lead in this 11-goal thriller in the 10th minute.

Pressure from Cefni forced a corner. Marissa George’s near post effort curling into the goal.

Llangefni tried to consolidate, but it was Amlwch who surged back into the game. Tesni Hughes burst through the defence and her pace took her bearing down on goal and sending the ball past Mia Gleave for the equaliser.

It took until the 32nd minute for Llangefni to go ahead once more. Jen Cox picked up the ball on the edge of the box and passed to Jess Jones who slotted past Pritchard for 2-1

In the 36th minute. Cefni won a free kick just outside the box and Jones hammered a rocket into the top corner.

Amlwch had a determined start to the second half and Cerys Gadd pulled one back on 49 minutes.

Pouncing on the ball at the edge of the box, she lobbed Gleave to put the hosts back in the game.

It took Jones only three minutes to restore the gap and grab her hat-trick. A long ball came over the Amlwch defence and the uncertaincy of the bounce caught the defenders off guard.

A back pass to Pritchard was soft and Jones managed to turn it through the keeper’s legs, before steering it into the net.

Cox had been using her strength to keep the ball and intercepted a loose clearance, dribbling around Pritchard before netting for 5-2 with 66 gone.

Amlwch kept coming and Ellie Jones went close twice with medium range lobs over the keeper. Once clipping the crossbar and then just wide.

In the 80th minute, the home side produced probably the best goal of the game. Lowri Thomas broke through from the right, rounded the impressive George then jinked past Gleave before placing the ball home – a great piece of individual brilliance.

Four minutes from time, Cox made it 6-3

Gadd reduced the arrears with her second of the day two minutes into added time, but Llangefni fittingly had the last word.

Hannah Owen was brought down on the edge of the box and Jess Jones sent Pritchard the wrong way from the spot for that magical goal number 50!

Llangefni will meet Pwllheli in the Betty Pickering Cup Final.