26/04/2026
And as the sun sets on another brilliant season for myself as a Cymru academy coach, it feels like a fitting way to end.
A good 2–1 win today against Carmarthen to finish, and a great way to sign off my time with Pontardawe.
On the game itself, we were probably worth more than the two goals, but there was a spell early in the second half where it felt like an equaliser was coming with the number of free kicks we were giving away, and it did. Credit to the boys though, we stayed composed, didn’t get carried away and found a way to get the result.
More than anything, today summed up the journey this group has been on.
We started the summer with very little in terms of quantity and quality, and a really difficult Phase 1 where at times we simply couldn’t compete. Fast forward to now and we’ve built a strong squad, improved the players we had, added quality through recruitment, and become a very competitive team in Phase 2. In truth, we know we should have had more points, but that’s a good place to be. It’s far better than where we were at the start of the season, where we couldn’t compete and were finding our feet.
This group has grown into one of the best squads I’ve worked with. The players that have been here from the start have improved massively, and the players that have come in later have added quality and bought into everything straight away. It’s been a really enjoyable group to work with.
That’s why it’s bittersweet to be leaving. I’ve made the decision to step away from Pontardawe, despite the opportunity to continue with this group and the development team, simply because the time and travel next season isn’t something I can commit to.
I want to thank everyone I’ve worked with over the last two seasons. Coming to Ponty really helped me complete my UEFA A Licence, which was fully supported by Ángel Rangel, and I’m grateful for that. A big thank you as well to Kev and Andy, who brought me to the club and supported me right the way through, from coming in as an assistant to stepping back into a lead role again.
From working with Ángel Rangel and Gary and having the experience of becoming national champions as an assistant, to this season working alongside Johnny and Tom. Johnny’s experience speaks for itself and I’ve learned a lot from him, and the same goes for Tom, Ángel, Gary and Luke with the younger age groups. Also Meakes and Smithy, who were a big reason I wanted to come to the club in the first place after coaching against them and seeing how they worked.
Today being against Carmarthen made it a bit more special for me as well, getting to see some familiar faces on the other side that I’m still close with.
The next chapter for me is that I’ll be returning to Haverfordwest as the under 12s coach next season. It’s my local club and I’m really excited to get started, build on the work already done there and pass on what I’ve learned. The club is moving in a really positive direction and it feels like the right time for me to come back and continue my own development while helping the next group of players.
Finally, thank you to all the players and parents. Your support has been brilliant, and I’m proud to have played a part in the development of this group.
Uppaponty.
