PICTURE by Trevor Owen shows James Ryan playing for Caergybi.
I HAVE officially been covering Anglesey League football week in, week out for a season and a half now and I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed it.
One thing this division never fails to provide is goals. With that in mind, I thought I’d compile a list of the AL’s highest goalscorers since I first started keeping track in the summer of 2017. Who are the deadliest goalscorers around? Find out below …
James Ryan (Bryngwran Bulls/Caergybi) – 103 goals
Cybi’s main man up top sits at the top of the goalscoring charts for the year. Prolific Ryan has been a consistent scorer in the league and it’s several cup competitions throughout 2017 and 2018.
Whilst with Bryngwran Bulls in 2017/18, he bagged 54 goals, including a Lucas Oil cup final strike against Mynydd Tigers and a triple hat-trick (nine goals) against Llandegfan towards the end of the season.
Upon making a shock switch to league rivals Caergybi in the summer, he has continued his fine form. He’s come back to haunt his old team-mates and his eight goal haul against Llanfairpwll at the weekend saw him break through the 100 goal mark. Machine.
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Scott Hughes (Arriva Bangor) – 86 goals
There’s no doubting that Arriva’s little talisman belongs in a higher league, but nevertheless the Anglesey League has been blessed to have a player of his calibre playing in it for the past two seasons.
His ability to get in behind defences, thanks to the likes of Matty Jones, Marc Williams and Kieron Davies playing him in – has been great to watch at times and his form last season helped Arriva onto a cup double.
This time around, he’s bagged himself 40 goals in the first half of the season, despite missing two months of footballing action after sustaining an injury. He’ll no doubt be looking to reach that 50-goal mark by the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
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Gary Jo Owen (Valley/Caergybi) – 74 goals
One of the most prolific strikers on the island in recent years, Owen has scored goals wherever he goes and finished last season on 58, beating the previous personal record tally he held at hometown club Morawelon by one goal.
He proved to be unstoppable at times last season and even a couple of injuries failed to put a spanner in the works. It was in the Car Boot Cup that he proved to be a real game changer, bagging five against Valley in a 7-4 semi-final win and a hat-trick and Man of the Match performance in the final, although his side eventually went on to lose 6-4 to Arriva Bangor.
The pinnacle of both his and Caergybi’s season however was when he netted the winner in a 3-2 Megan Cup final win over Bryngwran Bulls to earn the club its first piece of silverware.
Despite many a rumour, Gary Jo re-signed with Caergybi in the summer of 2018 and managed to hit 16 goals before later departing for Welsh Alliance Two side Holyhead Town in mid-September, where he has continued to score goals.
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Justin Williams (Valley/Caergybi) – 46 goals
A pacey forward who was part of a prolific front three for Valley last season. Between himself, Mike Williams and Konner Druce, they bagged over 100 goals in a season where Valley were very efficient in front of goal.
After a fine campaign in 17/18, Williams moved to Welsh Alliance side Trearddur Bay in the summer to try his hand at higher league football. However, after they folded, he returned to the Anglesey League soon after.
Upon eventually moving to Millbank with Cybi, he continued his fine form, bagging 10 goals before an injury ruled him out for the past few weeks. I have no doubt that when he returns to the pitch, he can make a real difference within Dale Moffat’s side and will offer something different going forward.
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Mike Williams (Valley) – 46 goals
Forward who has a reputation for his height and physical stature. The 6ft 5′ striker leads the line well for Valley and can be a real game-changer at times, particularly in the air.
The old phrase “good feet for a big man” rings true for Williams as it’s not just the headers he’s capable of scoring. The 2017/18 season showed that he was a real threat to any defender in the league, bagging 30 goals.
This season, he’s been a little quieter than the last but nevertheless he’s still managed 16 goals and remains Valley’s top scorer in all competitions.
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Luke Allaway (Bodorgan) – 40 goals
Bod have come on leaps and bounds within the past two seasons and Allaway has spearheaded their attack throughout that time. Thanks to those around him, the chances just keep on landing at his feet and he’s almost certain to score in every game.
Great in the air due to his height, Bod have used that to their advantage at times and its certainly worked. An Elias Cup final goal was one of the highlight’s of his 2017/18 season, although Bod did go on to eventually lose out on pens to Arriva.
Allaway has now moved to Welsh Alliance side Aberffraw, so we won’t be seeing anymore AL goals from him, for the time being at least!
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Craig Moore (Bryngwran Bulls) – 39 goals
He may have only just started in the Anglesey League in the summer, but Moore has already proved to be a goal machine. Having brought with him a wealth of experience of having played higher league football, he has made playing in this division look very easy at times this season.
His pace and movements on the ball make him a real nightmare for defenders to try and deal with and his finishing has been on point throughout. An injury scare in November, kept him out for a couple of weeks but he has now returned to action and looks as though he could easily pass through the 50-goal barrier if he picks up his form once again.
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Herbie Hofsteede (Mynydd Tigers) – 32 goals
Attacking midfielder/striker (in yellow above) who helped fire The Tigers to the Anglesey League title back in May and to promotion to the Gwynedd League. The 18-year-old former Caernarfon Town youth player was a class above the rest during 2017/18 and was a joy to watch within the youthful Tigers side.
His vision when he played in behind the striker was great and his movement off the ball made him hard to deal with too as you never knew what he was capable of doing next. A fine season in 2017/18 for the wonderkid was eventually capped off with two goals on the final day of the season – in a 4-2 title-deciding win over Bryngwran Bulls.
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Andrew Bailey (Bryngwran Bulls/Valley) – 30 goals
Before moving to Valley in the summer, Bailey was captain of a Bulls side that won a cup double last season.
He netted 20 goals from central midfield and was a standout in that area, with his physical presence and willingness to drive his team forward. After making the switch to Cae Mwd this season, the experienced middle-man has added 10 more goals to his overall tally for 2018.
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Konner Druce (Caergybi/Valley/Bryngwran Bulls) – 28 goals
Druce may be a goalkeeper nowadays, but he spent most of last season terrorising defences as a winger for both Caergybi and Valley. As part of the latter’s frightening front three (alongside Justin and Mike Williams), he became a regular goalscorer and one of the best wingers in the league.
His pace and determination saw him always wanting the ball and he hit 24 goals in total last year and four more during 2018/19 before switching positions this season to earn himself a place within the top 10.
Matty Roberts (Bryngwran Bulls) – 25 goals
Dynamic winger who has been a mainstay in The Bulls’ starting eleven and is easily one of the best wide men in the Anglesey League.
Last season, Roberts helped his side onto a memorable couple double and was in good form throughout the season, hitting 15 goals – including one in the 3-0 Lucas Oil Cup final win over Mynydd Tigers.
10 more goals during 2018/19 has seen him continue to perform week in, week out. He may not get the credit all too often, but he’s certainly been a vital part of Bryngwran’s progress as a team.
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