Briton Ferry Llansawel players and staff have one big goal for this season, and that’s to win their first piece of major silverware.
Ferry had a bit of a shaky start to the season, but according to midfielder Lucy Powell, Rhys Thomas’ side are starting to find their groove heading into the second half of the season.
“It’s not difficult to see that we had a bit of a rocky start, but that’s to be expected when you’ve got a new manager and a few new players in the squad.
“On top of that, we had a couple of senior players who left at the end of last season, so it was always going to take some time to bed everyone in. We’ve turned it around since the opening few games and it does feel like we are getting somewhere now.”
Genero Adran Trophy
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Ferry so far in this season’s edition of the Genero Adran Trophy.
In the Round of 16, they needed a 91st-minute winner from Lauren Payne to defeat Cwmbran Celtic 3-2 at Old Road.
“Cwmbran Celtic gave us a really good game,” Powell says. “We were in the Adran South for three years, so we know just how well-equipped teams in the second tier are.
“We tried a few new things as well, whether that be different players in the eleven or different formations, but overall, we knew Cwmbran were a good side. The most important thing, however, is that we got the win.”
Then in the quarter-finals, Ferry put in an assured performance to beat Barry Town United 2-0 at home, a result that Powell says boosted confidence around the side.
Genero Adran Trophy
“We went into the Barry game knowing that they were a side that we’ve had good results against in the past. We didn’t have that mental block heading into that one.
“Last season was incredible, and you don’t become a bad team overnight, so it was important that we had that bit of confidence going into games like that, and now we’re in a semi-final.”
The obstacle Briton Ferry have to navigate in order to reach a major final are Wrexham. These two teams have a long and storied history, but they did meet on the opening day of the Genero Adran Premier season, with Jenny Sugarman’s side prevailing 5-2.
Powell believes that Ferry are a very different side to what they were back then but still acknowledged that Sunday will be a difficult challenge.
“It’s going to be a hard game. They are the league leaders for a reason. We lost 5-2 in the end on the opening day, but we were a pretty new team back then with new players, new manager, new ideas.
“We competed well in that first half, but in the second half we showed that we were a team that are still gelling. We know it’s going to be hard, but we have to back ourselves, otherwise you have no hope.”
Briton Ferry have been in one major final before, which was the 2023 Bute Energy Welsh Cup final. The then-second tier side were beaten 4-0 by Genero Adran Premier champions Cardiff City.
Powell, who is celebrating a decade at the football club, doesn’t want that game at Penydarren Park to be their only final appearance. A major trophy is something everyone at Old Road wants, and the squad are determined to make their dreams a reality.
“It would mean a lot to us to reach a major final. It meant a lot to us to reach the Bute Energy Welsh Cup final while we were in the Adran South, but we want to win something. Personally, I’ve been at the club for ten years, and we’ve not won a major piece of silverware. To get one like the Adran Trophy under our belts would be incredible. It’s the main aim for us.
“People can say we played well or we competed well, but if you haven’t got any trophies to back it up, then there’s always a what if lingering over you. We’ve got a chance of winning something, and we have to believe that we can do it.”
