The Genero Adran North title race was hotly contested last season, with another tight battle expected this time around.
Llandudno head into the new campaign off the back of winning the league title for the second time in three years, but they suffered defeat to Briton Ferry Llansawel in last season’s promotion play-off.
Dudno were the entertainers in 2023/24. In 14 games, they won 13 of them, while also finding the back of the net 80 times, averaging over five goals a game. As a result, three Seasiders occupied the top three goalscoring positions: Maddie Williams, Kelsey Davies, and top scorer Stevie Donougher.
All three of those players, along with the vast majority of last season’s squad, have stayed around, and they will be managed by Billy Fuller who has was assistant to Jordan Hardaway last year. Fuller has seen two new faces come in, in the form of Mollie Roberts and Caitlin Hadaway, and they will be hoping to retain the trophy.
The side that has so often tried to chase Llandudno down have been Connah’s Quay Nomads.
Finishing second for the two seasons in a row now, the Nomads have put together a squad that they hope can capture the title this time around.
Charlotte Bolland, Natasha Spearing, Nicole Samson and Mel Barlow arrive from Genero Adran Premier clubs, and the Nomads will be hoping their experience can help push them along towards the top tier.
Along with these signings, there is a young core to the team, with the likes of Phoebe Ellis and Alisha Whitehead-Hughes entering their second full season, while fellow youngster Polly Wild-McGregor takes the captain’s armband and has already bagged a hat-trick in the Genero Adran Trophy this term.
Last season’s unexpected challengers came in the shape of Felinheli, who eventually achieved a third place finish.
Having finished in mid-table in the 2022/23 edition of the Adran North, Felinheli shocked many as they took the title race down to the final few games, but in the end, their fairytale was ended by eventual champions Llandudno.
Transfer business on the Menai Strait has been quiet, with only three new faces coming in, while none have departed. Ellie Jones, Elizabeth Maffia, and Elsi Williams are three players who will be looking to make sure Y Felin are challenging in the upper echelons of the table once again.
Rhyl 1879 ended last year strongly in fourth place and, in a way, sent a message to the rest of the league.
The Lilywhites went undefeated in their final three games of the campaign and picked up a shock 2-1 home win over Connah’s Quay Nomads to ensure a fourth-place finish at the end of the season.
Like many clubs in the league, Rhyl haven’t lost many players and have instead strengthened. Jade Scott and Llinos Hughes join from fellow Genero Adran North clubs, while Jaz Mollat comes in from Prestatyn Sports, as Rhyl aim to catch out the bigger teams in the division once again.
Finishing one place behind Rhyl last season were their cross-town rivals NFA in their debut campaign in the second tier.
Niall McGuinness’ side stepped up to this level comfortably and enjoyed a solid campaign, picking up four wins and three draws. Their most notable success came when they did the league double over Bangor.
NFA have seen a lot of talent go to other teams in the Genero Adran North this summer, including Jade Scott who joined rivals Rhyl. Mana Daneshvar and Mia Wall are the only two to come in, both from Penrhyn Bay, and they along with the rest of the squad will be hoping for another solid season.
The other of last season’s promoted clubs was Bangor, who found life a little difficult in the second tier.
However, despite ending their inaugural season in seventh, there were a lot of positives to take from the campaign. The side only conceded 35 goals, which was one less than fourth- placed Rhyl.
Their defence has taken a blow this summer, as number one keeper Becca Elliot has made the move up to join The New Saints. However, her replacement is Catrin Roberts, who joins Bangor from the FAW Girls’ Academy. She’s joined by Carol Lewis and Ashleigh Jones, as the club look to push on in their second season at this level.
At times during last year, it looked like Llanfair United were in danger, but they bounced back well in order to stay up.
A poor run of results at the start of the season had Llanfair looking over their shoulder, but important wins over Bangor and NFA secured their spot in this season’s Genero Adran North.
During the off-season, Llanfair have conducted a mini raid on nearby Welshpool Town and have acquired three players from them. Naomi Evans and Jenna Bell-Tomkinson have made the short trip across, as has former Aberystwyth Town defender Lucie Gwilt, who will solidify the defence.
The final club to make up the 2024-25 season are newly promoted Flint Town United, who have already impressed with two wins from two games in the Genero Adran Trophy.
The Silkwomen finished top of the third-tier last season and did so without losing a game. As they prepare for their first campaign in the second tier, the club have been shrewd in their transfer dealings.
Alaw Jones has come in from Denbigh Town, who finished one place below Flint last year, India Howarth comes in from recently relegated Airbus, while Kaelyn Williams and Carys Chaisty will provide second tier experience for the team who are looking to make an impact.
