A third-place finish and a fair points total off Connah’s Quay Nomads and Wrexham left the squad heading into this season with no real idea of where they could finish. For Jasmin Dutton, the prospects and what could be achieved this year were very much up in the air.
“It was difficult to predict how this season would go because of how we ended the last one. If you asked me pre-season, there would have been a massive question mark over if we would be in this position.
“Last season, Llandudno had a lot of issues with their pitch, financial issues with both the men’s and women’s teams, we didn’t have a coach at the time, and we just weren’t sure where we were going.
“Two seasons ago we won the league and were quite successful as a team. I personally thought, if we got the right coaches in place, we could contend for the title again.”
Dudno went and appointed Jordan Hadaway as their new manager last summer, and results started coming thick and fast. Scoring 17 goals in their first two games was a clear indication that his new style of play certainly had legs.
However, their first and so far only defeat of the season came early on against Connah’s Quay, handing the Nomads an advantage in the race for the title. Despite the setback, Llandudno got their revenge in the reverse fixture and got the win they needed to regain top spot.
“That first game where we did lose to them, we weren’t at the top of our game, and we all knew that individually. But to beat them was a real turning point for us because it proved to us that we can push on and win the league. We just have to keep fighting for each game and each win we can get.”
It always seemed at the beginning of the season that the title would go to either Connah’s Quay or Llandudno. That’s the way the league used to be, but Dutton has praised all the teams in the league, and says the competition is improving year on year.
“For the most part we always thought Connah’s Quay would be our main rival, because since the Adran Leagues started, it was always ourselves, them, and Wrexham battling for the league.
“With that being said, I’ve noticed a massive improvement in the league. Each team seems to be getting better and better and everyone has been a credit to themselves and their teams. As we’ve gone on season on season, this league has become far more competitive.”
And nothing epitomises that more than this weekend’s game, where Llandudno take on Felinheli in a game that can decide the title.
With victory, Dudno can win the Genero Adran North and take a step closer to promotion, but drop points, and it gives Felinheli a big chance at the title themselves. Back at the beginning of the season, the leaders beat Felin 7-2, but Dutton knows how difficult the game will be and insisted her team’s eyes will solely be on the game.
“Felinheli have improved quite a lot in this second half of the season. They got the win over Connah’s Quay, they’ve got some really good players. It happened last year as well where they really kicked on towards the end and got some good results.
“It’s going to be a big game on Sunday. Hopefully we’ve put all the preparation in place, and we can get all three points to win the league.
“For us, it’s more of just wanting to get through 90 minutes. We’re all pretty level-headed, we all want to keep improving as a team and not just get a win and move on. We want to get through this 90 minutes, and what will be will be come the end of it.”
This is a Llandudno squad who have been together for a long time, and their second title win would be confirmation that this team and club are trending in the right direction.
“Winning the league this year would reaffirm that we are actually a good team, we just needed to have the right structure in place,” Dutton says. “Our squad hasn’t changed much across three seasons of playing in the Adran North, so having Jordan come in and put things in place has shown that’s what we were missing last season.
“We can compete for titles, we can compete for trophies, and it’ll be a nice feeling as a team if we can do it. We’ve been through some hardships as a club, and we’ve come through a pretty bad season and now there’s a light shining at the end of it for us.”
