Kayne Mclaggon believes that his Barry Town United side will need to perform at their very best as they prepare to take on The New Saints at Jenner Park in Sunday’s Nathaniel MG Cup semi-final (KO 17:45).
“If you’re not at 100% you will get beaten by The New Saints, and that’s a fact,” the striker explained this week. “We’ve got a big week to prepare, we’ll look at their strengths and weaknesses, and we have to make sure that we’re at it come the weekend.
“It’s hard to read too much into their results against different teams, judge where they are or what team they’re going to put out, so we just have to focus on ourselves.”
Victories over Llanelli Town, Trethomas Bluebirds and JD Cymru Premier leaders Penybont have booked Barry Town United’s place in the last four. Mclaggon came off the bench to score the winner in the 3-2 quarter-final win, but while the 34-year old has found his opportunities limited this season, the success of the team has compensated for his lack of minutes.
“Obviously I haven’t played as much as I would like to, but the three players in my position are playing really well,” he explained. “We’ve scored quite a lot of goals this season, so I can’t really complain about not having as many opportunities as I would like. But as long as the team are doing well, and we are, I’m comfortable providing help however it may be.”
Ollie Hulbert is one player in fine goalscoring form for Barry Town United this season and the club currently sit fifth in the JD Cymru Premier table. Mclaggon replaced Hulbert early in their last match against Connah’s Quay Nomads and scored in another 3-2 win, but it was a brace from youngster Ieuan Owen, a recent signing from Afan Lido, that sealed the three points. Sam Snaith and Keenan Patten have also contributed goals for Steve Jenkins’ side this season as they target a top six finish.
“We started the season really well in terms of performances,” said McLaggon. “In our first five or six games we played really well without always getting the results we deserved.
“We weren’t worried though, because our performance levels were high and that’s the most important thing. That’s what we look for as we knew the results would follow, and they did. It’s up to us now to find a bit of consistency, like we have over the last few weeks, and keep plugging away at it and keep getting results.”
The demands of competing on four fronts, including the UEFA Conference League, has tested the resilience of The New Saints this season, but McLaggon appreciates the effect of such an intense fixture schedule.
“It’s always tough against TNS,” he added. “Obviously they’ve got lots going on with their European commitments and also challenging in every competition, but they seem to be coping quite well with it, even though they have lost a few games in the league. With the volume of games they have to play, I think most people would have expected a bit of a drop-off from them.”
As a child growing up in the area, Mclaggon could see the Jenner Park floodlights from his home, and joined the club in 2017 after spells at Southampton, Salisbury City, Bristol Rovers, Weston-super-Mare and Merthyr Town.
It has been quite a journey with his home town club as McLaggon has experienced European football, relegation, cup finals and promotion during the last seven seasons. Wearing the captain’s armband, McLaggon has been a consistent goalscorer who carries a big influence on and off the field.
“I remember the day after we got relegated (in 2022) I spoke to the manager and told him I would stay if they wanted me to,” McLaggon explained. “I felt like we as players had let the club down and we wanted to show some loyalty and get the club back to where it deserves to be.
“We went straight back up the following season, and I was fortunate we did as it’s given me a few more years to play for my home club in the Cymru Premier. It wasn’t just me, the core of the team stayed, and I think we owed it to the club to do that.”
Winning the JD Cymru South title in 2023 gave Mclaggon his first silverware in the colours of Barry Town United, and the club also lifted the Welsh Blood Service Cup that season with a 6-0 win over Colwyn Bay with McLaggon on target.
However, it was at the turn of the millennium when the Nathaniel MG Cup was last on show at Jenner Park when the successful Barry Town side of that era claimed the trophy in 2000, and McLaggon is now targeting a place in the final.
“It would be massive for me,” he explained. “It would up there alongside playing and scoring for the club in Europe. It really would be the biggest moment for me to have the chance to lead the team out in a major domestic final, or even just play some part in it.
“My playing days are coming to an end, I know I’m not going to be playing for this club for many years to come, so at this stage of my career it would be huge.
“I’ve always loved playing for the club, my home town club, but it’s not really about me it’s, about what it means to the club. The team is growing and there’s some really good young players here who can take it forward for a number of years to come. The potential means it can really go on from where we are now.”
