Author Archives: Rhys Skinner

Barry Town United 2-1 Llantwit Major | JD Cymru South | Match Report

Barry Town stretched their winning run to 12 league matches as they beat Llantwit Major 2-1 at Jenner Park to keep hold of top spot in the Cymru South.

Josh Graham’s second-half strike settled the game after Nathan Evans had cancelled out Liam Warman’s opener. Barry had been under pressure before Graham’s goal and endured a tough time until they went in front for a second time.

With their victory, Lee Kendall’s men remain a point above second-placed Briton Ferry Llansawel, who comfortably saw off ten-man Goytre United. Kendall’s only blemish since succeeding Gavin Chesterfield was a Welsh Cup defeat to Gresford Athletic.

The visitors almost opened the scoring in the first attack of the game but failed to take their opportunity. Matt Kimmins dribbled into the box but Rob Jones could not scruff his shot at goal having fallen to the floor.

Barry had seen their fair share of possession in the opening stages but it was a set piece that almost saw them take the lead. Chris Hugh’s corner-kick was floated in and Luke Cooper with a free header cleared it over the bar. Liam Warman and Jordan Cotterill then had half-opportunities from uncleared corner kicks, but could only blaze their shots from outside the box over the goal.

Barry changed their game up from crosses to playing on the deck and almost scored from it. Graham tackled and from the centre, Sainty played a pass out to Warman, before receiving the ball back in the box and scooping his wide.

The deadlock was broken in fortuitous fashion with Llantwit’s hard work undone by the slippery surface. Warman received the ball from Press and drilled a low shot underneath Jack Lansdowne, who fumbled his effort, with the ball going underneath him.

Barry’s lead would be short-lived however and it could be Mike Lewis that would be looking to the heavens after relentless rain. Nathan Evans let fly from 25 yards out and it slipped out of the Barry keeper’s hands into the net.

Llantwit finished the first half strongly with Kimmins twisting and turning but his teammates’ route was blocked for a clear run at goal. Rob Jones fizzed a low attempt just past the post. A similar opportunity fell in stoppage time with Kimmins again showing neat footwork and setting up Jones, but the shot would take a deflection as it agonisingly missed the target.

The second half started with a half-opportunity for Michael George, who enjoyed his partnership with Warman in front of him. George was influential down the right side and found Sam Johnson with a delightful ball, but he was blocked numerous times by Lansdown as he tried to touch a shot home.

Llantwit carved several opportunities with Lewis almost gifting substitute Ryan Harris a gift with a low cross nearly trickling underneath him. The tricky Kimmins then had two chances to score, with one saved and another going wide.

The tenacious Graham scored his fourth goal of the season to put Barry in front. He drilled a low shot past a sea of bodies that obstructed Lansdown’s view to restore the hosts’ advantage.

Barry’s second goal gave them fresh confidence to add a third and Johnson – who endured a difficult day in front of goal – could not get a first-time shot from George’s cross.

A raft of substitutions came as the game entered the last 15 minutes and that took the sting out of the game. Llantwit did have a few half opportunities to score with Joel Woodington flashing twice two shots, but ultimately they fell to defeat.

By of Y Clwb Pêl-droed

Barry Town United is supporting Shelter Cymru

Home stadium. Home colours. Home game. The football community knows the importance of home. But this year, thousands of people will be spending Christmas in dingy hostels, on friends’ sofas, or even sleeping in freezing cars. This is something we can’t ignore.

So we are making a stand. The JD Cymru Leagues is pleased to announce its support for the national #NoHomeKit campaign taking place across football in England and Wales.

Shelter Cymru are asking clubs and fans to swap their home colours for an away or third kit, show support and raise vital funds for those with no safe place to call home. Clubs in the JD Cymru Premier, JD Cymru North and JD Cymru South will get involved in the campaign in their fixtures on December 26 & 27.

The cost of living crisis is hitting hard. In the last year Wales has seen the highest rent rises in the UK outside London, while housing benefits have flatlined. 1 in 4 people in Wales fear they will become homeless within a year.

Rent has skyrocketed, people are unable to pay their energy bills, are cutting back on grocery essentials and are relying on food banks. Employment is no safety net; those in work are also becoming poorer, fighting to keep a roof over their families’ heads.

Whether you are watching at the ground or following along from home this Christmas, join the movement fighting to defend the right to a safe, secure and affordable home for everyone. Get involved by swapping your home colours for an away or third kit and text ‘HOME’ to 70480 to donate £10. You can also follow this link to donate.

Kerys Sheppard, Head of Fundraising at Shelter Cymru, said: “Last year it was fantastic to see fans and teams across Wales come together to fight the housing emergency. By taking part in No Home Kit in 2022, the football community will once again harness the unifying power of the game and do something special to help those facing and experiencing homelessness in Wales.

“Our frontline services are braced for an incredibly tough winter as the cost of living crisis bites, with 1 in 4 people in Wales afraid they may become homeless within a year. In these challenging times, it’s brilliant that so many teams and fans are stepping up and supporting #NoHomeKit this Christmas.”

You can learn more about Shelter Cymru and the work they do here.

 

£11,500 pound raised for Share a Smile!

We are delighted to announce we have raised a staggering total of £11,500 for this years Share a Smile Campaign. Every penny has now gone to buy gifts for 270 children who would have otherwise gone without.

 

This unbelievable achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of those within the club playing structure and their families, who have supported the cause through a variety of fundraising initiatives.

 

In a cost of living crisis where many children will go without we are thrilled to have been able to support our local community once again. This year we would not have been able to exceed our fundraising targets without the help and support of the following  individuals and businesses;

 


VOG Fire and Alarm

Movo insurance

A2B cars

Banter Cards

Spectrum Collections

Auto pro

Macron

Rim Motors

Gavin Beddard

Climate Solutions

A2Z taxis


 

We would also like to say a huge thank you to Emily, Jessica, Jane, Rachel and Hannah who have worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to raise the money and purchase the gifts. Thank you girls!

 

Thank you to everyone for their support! See you in 2023!

 

Mo Djalo signs first contract

Barry Town United AFC are delighted to announce that 18 year old Academy striker Mo Djalo has signed his first contract with the club. Mo made his JD Cymru Premier debut on 12th March away at Connah’s Quay Nomads and has impressed throughout his involvement with the senior squad both in training and in games.This season Mo has already scored 21 goals for our Development team who sit third in their league and also scored in the Senior team Nathaniel MG Cup game in August away at Haverfordwest County. Lee Kendall, Manager commented:“Mo has shown an excellent work ethic to earn his first senior contract, he has scored 21 goals in 16 games this season and deserves this opportunity. Our academy is going from strength to strength under Damian’s stewardship and it’s fantastic to see a number of exciting prospects coming through our ranks. I and the club are looking forward to seeing Mo continue to develop both with the development and first team squads.” Damian Flynn, Head of Academy commented: “It’s been a pleasure to contribute towards Mo’s development & it’s been great to see his dedication, commitment to growth and his willingness to challenge himself weekly, which in return has granted him signing a first team contract! At the academy, we ensure we do our very best to provide players with a platform for the above to materialise and Mo is an example of that, along with Merv Bennett last season. The coaches and I are looking forward to continuing to watch Mo grow and showcase his qualities across the rest of the season!”Mo Djalo on his signing commented: “I’m delighted to have signed my first contract and to have done that with Barry Town. Since joining the club I’ve been lucky to have worked with excellent coaches who have helped me develop my game immeasurably. I’d like to thank all for this opportunity and I look forward to continuing to work hard, developing and scoring goals for this great club.”

Barry Town United 2-1 Cwmbran Celtic | JD Cymru South | Match Report

Barry Town United came from behind to claim a 2-1 win over a sturdy Cwmbran Celtic at Jenner Park.

Alex Bonthron opened the scoring for Celtic, notching his 12th goal in 11 league matches with a header. Two minutes from half-time, Josh Graham equalised with a composed finish inside the six-yard area and then Liam Warman seized the initiative by scoring the match-winning goal in the final ten minutes.

The win opened up a seven-point lead over the chasing pack after promotion rivals Llanelli Town suffered a shock home defeat to Trefelin BGC, whilst Briton Ferry Llansawel thumped Abergavenny Town to overtake the Reds.

The visitors started brightly and carved a meaningful opportunity. Alex Bonthron weaved his way through several Barry defenders but Mike Lewis in the last line of defence came out and blocked his finessed shot.

Cwmbran broke the deadlock as they made the most of their positive start. Isaac Powell’s shot deflected for a corner kick and in a crowded penalty box, Bonthron forced the ball over the line from Tom Meechan’s delivery.

Barry searched for a response after a slow start and the cautioned Graham went near as how slow shot fizzed past the post. Kayne McLaggon followed up with a header sailing over the bar from Chris Hugh’s cross.

Cwmbran almost doubled their lead through the same route as their first as Meechan’s corner landed perfectly on Andrew Hewitt’s head but Lewis tipped his shot over the bar.

Barry players appealed for a penalty kick as Graham went down under the challenge but the referee and linesman both deemed the tackle to be fair. Graham – on a yellow card – walked a tightrope as he discussed the situation with the linesman.

The scoreline was levelled up towards half-time with Celtic’s defence conceding cheaply having defended so resolutely. Graham was found in a pocket of space by Evan Press and he sliced his shot past home past Lewis Watkins.

In the second half, Barry started on the front foot and almost went in front, but for an impressive save from Watkins. Warman teed up McLaggon for a simple finish but Watkins put all of his body behind the shot to block his attempt.

The hosts controlled possession for a large chunk of the half but almost rued their ability to capitalise on their dominance as Bonthron burst down the line but as he curled in, blazed over the bar. Into the final quarter of the match, Barry created more opportunities but McLaggon miscalculated his volley.

After biding their time, Barry finally took their chance and took the lead for the first time with less than 10 minutes on the clock. Warman raced down the right flank and punished an indecisive Watkins, who retreated after coming off his line but was caught out by the quick-thinking winger.

Cwmbran sought an equaliser and were only denied by the woodwork after Shaun Moss’ shot cannoned off of the post. Adrian Maguire’s corner kick then caused problems but Barry cleared their lines. Another corner kick came in again, but Lewis stood firm when Hewitt headed at him from a tight angle.

Despite several half-opportunities for Cwmbran, they could not get back on level terms and Barry ground out for the victory.

By Jordan Jones Of

Share a smile

In 2020 we launched our “Share a Smile Campaign”, which incredibly raised £8500 in its first year and over £10,000 in 2022. The money raised in both years bought Christmas gifts for over 300 children.

We are delighted to now launch our 2022 campaign which will one again see us raise more money to make Christmas extra special for those families who need it most. Every penny of the money raised will be used to purchase high quality toys which will be donated directly to the families that need it most in our community.

How are we going to do this?

The first team squad will once again be donating a percentage of their wage while carrying out other activities such as auctions and raffles. The womens team will also be taking part in activities. The academy and grassroots sections will be running their own training based challenges.

How can supporters help?

We have an ambitious fundraising target which we know supporters will want to help us hit. You can contribute via our Go Fund Me Page or by popping into the clubhouse. Supporters can donate as much or as little as they can. Every little helps to make a magical Christmas possible for those who need it the most. You have until December 6th to donate.

We will be sharing lots of updates and photos of our fundraising activities over the coming weeks.

Please help us once again to share a smile this Christmas.