Great to see CPDM Llanystumdwy make flying start to season

There are few better sights in football than watching a team which has struggled for a good while steadily coming good.

That’s been CPDM Llanystumdwy this season.

Formed in 2021-22, the village side from Eifionydd generally found the going hard over their first three campaigns, winning just 12 out of 59 matches in all competitions.

But the current season has begun so much better, producing five wins in eight games with their only losses coming against higher-tier sides Wrexham and CPDM Bangor in cups.

They are third in the North Wales League West Division and the only side with a 100 percent record, having won both fixtures so far.

It is early days of course, but things are shaping up promisingly for the team managed by village goalscoring legend Sion Parry.

Parry, 28, who was forced to retire this season due to injury having netted a phenomenal 342 senior goals in 314 matches, remains busy in the game as manager of the men’s and women’s teams at Parc Dwyfor.

The women’s side, who were NWCFA Coast Challenge Cup finalists last season, are progressing well with a mixture of experienced players and blossoming young talent.

Sunday’s goalscorer in a 1-0 win at Trearddur Bay, Nel Pritchard, is just 16 years old.

Manager Parry, whose partner Tash Matthews captains the team, gave his thoughts on why the season has started so impressively.

“It’s been a great start to the season for us, we’ve played 6 games against teams in the same tier as us, won 5 and drawn 1,” he said.

“I think the biggest reason (for the improvement) is the change in mentality this season.

“It’s one of the first things I said to the girls pre-season, we’ve struggled in previous seasons due to availability, not training, which in turn meant we struggled for fitness and when we then turned up to games with 10, 11, 12 players we really struggled.

“So that’s what I said to them, I wanted us to be fitter, I wanted us to have better availability. It’s time for us to grow up as a team. Even though some of the younger girls are experiencing their first full season in senior football, we as a club are entering our fourth season, and with the younger players coming in and adding to the squad, we can’t be content with just having enough players to play games, we have to look to improve.

“I think we now have a perfect mix, we have a handful of players that have been here since the start and have experienced the tough times we’ve faced, and we have the group of younger players who have been a huge breath of fresh air and are fearless. The difference they’ve made has been immense and so far it’s showing.”

Sion added: “The defence has played a huge role. We’ve kept 3 clean sheets in the last 5 games (compared to 4 clean sheets in the previous 3 seasons).

“The previous 2 games we’ve had players missing, but now with a bigger squad it meant we had players to step in.

“Sara Lacey lost her 100% appearance record against Denbigh when she was injured so one of our outfield players played in goal. To keep a clean sheet in that game I think epitomises the new belief we have as a team.

“Two seasons ago we scored 31 league goals, Grace Mpuku and Hana Wellings with 17 of them. We lost both of them at the end of that season (Grace to injury and Hana to Felinheli). It hit us hard last season, but with the younger players coming in this season we now go into games believing we can keep it tight at the back while also being able to score the decisive goals.

“I know every game is tough. I think the gulf between the top teams and the bottom teams from last season is getting smaller, as has already shown in games this season (Trearddur Bay vs Llangefni, Caernarfon vs Pwllheli).

“I know the top two from last season are still more than capable of turning it on and inflicting heavy defeats on teams, we haven’t played either yet and I’m not so naive to think we can just go and beat them, we are still in our own process of improving and can’t get ahead of ourselves, we’ve started well, won both league games, in a good position in the Betty Pickering Cup groups, and the job for us now is to keep working hard to make sure it carries on and we don’t get complacent.

“On a whole I’m delighted with the start we’ve made, I’m pleased with the turnaround in mentality and belief in such a short time, and everyone in the squad has played their part in that.”

FABULOUS FACT

When 16-year-old Anna Vaughan Pugh scored the winner for Llanystumdwy in a 1-0 victory over Denbigh Town on October 27, 2024 (manager Sion Parry’s 28th birthday) it was the team’s 100th league and cup goal since forming.

TEAM STATS (UP TO AND INCLUDING NOVEMBER 3, 2024)

MATCHES PLAYED (ALL COMPETITIONS): 67
WON: 17
DRAWN: 9
LOST: 41
GOALS SCORED: 101
ALL-TIME TOP GOALSCORER: Grace Mpuku 21
TOP SCORER IN CURRENT SQUAD: Ellie Williams 13
MOST APPEARANCES: Sara Lacey 66, Natasha Matthews 65
BIGGEST WIN: May 29, 2022 – 7-1 v Northop Hall (Grace Mpuku 3, Hana Wellings 3, Ellie Williams)