Last season saw the club finish in fourth place in the Genero Adran North; eleven points off of third place, and 25 points away from title winners Wrexham.
But having picked up ten points from their last 15 available to end the season, there was optimism amongst the squad that they had something to build on. However, no one thought Felinheli would be involved in a title battle this year like they are, according to Jenna Tugwell-Allsup.
“We didn’t expect to be where we are at all. I joined at the start of the season, and I always knew the Adran North was a very tough league. Playing the likes of Connah’s Quay and Llandudno is very tough from a mental standpoint and a physical one.
“We were kind of reorganising at the start of the season, so there wasn’t much pressure on us. Our manager, Aron Jones-Evans, had faith in us and had a certain expectation with the squad he put together, but I don’t think anyone would have thought we would be where we are.”
Felinheli certainly don’t have the attraction that more-established clubs like Connah’s Quay and Llandudno have, but that doesn’t show on the pitch. Having defeated the Nomads 4-0 away from home, there is a renewed confidence in the team, a confidence that has taken them to where they are now.
“We play like we’ve got nothing to lose because there’s no kind of expectation on us. We try not to put pressure on ourselves, some individuals will but we as a team try not to. Going to Connah’s Quay, we knew we had nothing to lose, and we also knew we had to pick up the intensity to really close that gap.
“We had a couple of key players missing from the home game who were available for the away one, but something just clicked during that game. We had a lot of new signings, and it did take us a while to gel.
“You compare that to Connah’s Quay and Llandudno who are well established sides, and their squads haven’t changed significantly in a few years. We took a bit of time to get up and going, and we had a few losses, but we played with so much confidence that day.”
When you look at it in finer detail, it’s pretty remarkable what Felinheli are doing this season.
If you were to ask Joe Bloggs off the street where Felinheli was, not many would be able to locate it on a map, but for Tugwell-Allsup, she and her side are very much enjoying defying the odds.
“If you talk to people outside of North Wales or even outside of the Gwynedd area, not a lot of people know where Felinheli is. We’re a very small village situated between Caernarfon and Bangor.
“With the squad we’ve got from such a small place, it’s amazing what we’re doing. Connah’s Quay are an academy level club, Llandudno is huge with a big catchment area. So, for us to be doing what we’re doing is remarkable.”
Now, they face their biggest test, as they take on top of the table Llandudno.
Dudno can win the league with a win, but if Felinheli win this and all their remaining games, they can overtake the Seasiders if other results fall their way. All of this said, the last time they faced off against each other, the current leaders won 7-2.
That result hurt Felin, but Tugwell-Allsup knows this time around, things will be difficult.
“That 7-2 defeat in Llandudno was tough. It was on a Wednesday night, and midweek games are always difficult from a nutrition and work standpoint. I think we had five of what I would call our starting eleven missing for that game, and sometimes the loss of key players can be a psychological one as well as a physical one.
“Sunday will be a very difficult game. It will be a big battle, and it’ll come down to who can control themselves and cut out their mistakes and express themselves the most. Playing at home will give us a boost, but we’ll go into the game with a mindset of, we’ve got nothing to lose. Llandudno need to drop points for us to win, so there’s a pressure on them to get the win on Sunday, because they are in a stronger position to win the league.”
Regardless of if Felinheli win or not on Sunday, this will go down as their most successful season to date, and the influential midfielder is looking forward to seeing what the end of the season will bring them.
“Being in the top three of the Adran North is a testament to our success. It’s a competitive league and it’s a real achievement for us to be where we are. We’ve also got a semi-final against Rhyl in the NWCFA Women’s Challenge Cup to look forward to, and then we could have a potential final against Llandudno, which would be very interesting.”
