PICTURE BY John Elfryn Owen shows Gwion Thomas of Llanerchymedd in red and navy blue.
IN WHAT is one of my favourite parts of any season, it’s time to highlight the absolute best of the best from tier 5.
It’s been a great season in the inaugural North Wales Coast West Division One campaign, with Llanerchymedd eventually crowned champions.
Of course, there is still the Division One Cup (Llanerchymedd v Bethesda Athletic or Caergybi) and NWCFA Junior Cup (Talysarn Celts v Llanfairpwll or Cemaes Bay) finals to be decided in weeks to come.
But with the league now done and dusted we thought we’d announce our official league line-up.
Here, blog founder Arron Fôn Evans has chosen his tier five Team of the Season. Enjoy!
GOALKEEPER – Kenny Hughes (Llanerchymedd)
A top, top shot-stopper who arrived back at Llan alongside a number of other former players last ahead of the first-ever Division One season.
And it’s hard for anyone to disagree that Hughes hasn’t been the best of the bunch in terms of the goalkeepers in the league this season.
The Llan captain has kept 10 clean sheets in 24 league appearances this season (the joint-most of any keeper) as well as a further two clean sheets in cup matches again Aberffraw and Mountain Rangers.
Llan also conceded the least amount of goals in tier five this season – just 25 in 30 matches. 33-year-old Hughes was a huge part of that success and thoroughly deserves his place in this team.
CENTRE BACK – Tomos Jones (Llanerchymedd)
Another huge part of Llan’s impressive defensive record this season and a player who’s ageing like a fine win it seems!
41-year-old Jones marshalled the Llan defence very well this season and they managed to keep 12 clean sheets whenever he was in the team.
The tough-tackling CB, who previously played for the likes of Gwalchmai, played 25 of Llan’s 30 league matches.
Jones led by example for his side on many an occasion as they marched their way to becoming Division One’s first-ever champions.
CENTRE BACK – David Aaron Jones (Talysarn Celts)
A player who also featured in my Anglesey League Team of the Season in 2019/20 while with Mountain Rangers.
‘DAJ’ (in green and white above) returned to former club Celts ahead of the 21/22 campaign, having previously been a firm favourite at Gloddfa Glai.
And his performances this season have shown just why, no matter where he goes, the defence stands strong when he’s there.
Celts had the third-best defence in the league this season and kept 11 league clean sheets whenever Jones played.
A defender who’s hard to get the better of, as many an attacker will testify.
FULL BACK – Ben Hughes (Llanerchymedd)
A top, top young talent who stood out in among some much more experienced players at champions Llan this season.
Hughes has had stints with Colwyn Bay, Bangor City and even Swansea City academies in the past before landing at Caernarfon Town Academy.
At Llan, the 17-year-old started the 21/22 campaign off with a bang scoring the only goal in a huge 1-0 away win over Cemaes Bay on the opening day of the season.
Since then, as well as being part of the league’s best defence, he has fired in 3 more goals in the league, as well as 3 assists and made 24 league appearances as Medd were crowned champions.
A seriously talented player with a great engine and drive. He should have a very bright future ahead of him in the game!
FULL BACK – Floyd Chapman (Caergybi)
Another fantastic young talent who has been consistent throughout for his club this season.
Alongside brothers Jake and Louis, Floyd joined Caergybi last summer and instantly became a vital part of the starting eleven for Dale Moffat’s side.
The 22-year-old has been ever-present in the Cybi side due to his reliability in that full-back position and his ability to get up and down the flanks so effortlessly.
Those qualities have seen Floyd play in 28 of Cybi’s 30 league matches this season during which he provided 4 assists from the full back position also and showed a fantastic understa
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER – Osian Hughes (Bethesda Athletic)
A player who hasn’t always got the credit he deserves this season particularly for his role in being the driving force behind several of Athletic’s victories.
Osian plays alongside younger brothers Noa and Dan in the Pesda side and is the son of manager Mark Hughes.
This season, he’s captained the club to a second-placed finish in tier five and proven to be a top class player in the middle of the park, earning countless Man of the Match awards along the way too.
20-year-old Osian, a former player of Conwy Borough, Bangor City and Wrexham, has popped up with 10 league goals and has been a real standout thanks to his ability to drive his team forward.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER – Jac Pearce Jones (Talysarn Celts)
A player who has been sensational for the Celts down the years and this year has perhaps been his best season of all for the club.
The attacking midfielder (I’ve put him in as a cm here because he’d still boss it there) has totally run the show for his club from the middle.
In the free-scoring Celts side, Pearce Jones – who also captained the club on many an occasion – was one of the top scorers too, second only to Luke Baum (who also features further down).
Pearce Jones scored 28 goals in 35 matches in all competitions. 20 of those came in 27 league appearances, as well as 4 assists.
He also has the best penalty conversion rate among the Division One players, having scored from the spot 10 times in all competitions, missing just one penalty.
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER – Joe Todd (Bethesda Athletic)
My Division One Player of the Season and I’m sure he would be many other people’s pick for that prize also.
Right from the start, Todd caught the eye with a string of brilliant performances for Athletic.
Originally from Burton-on-Trent in the midlands, Todd moved up to North Wales with work in August 2020. The former Rocester FC player previously told AFE that he moved up to Bethesda and quickly found out about the club he now represents in the process.
And it proved to be a fantastic move for player and club as he finishes the season as their top scorer and their standout star.
Todd’s ridiculous goalscoring record has seen him net 27 goals in just 21 league appearances. All in all, he has scored 29 goals in 25 appearances for Pesda this season.
One of his most impressive performances came when he netted four goals – including a stunning free-kick – in a 10-0 win at Llangoed back in January.
Todd also netted two important goals in the 3-3 draw at Cemaes Bay and another brace in the big 4-2 win over Talysarn Celts too.
Big game player and the best of the best in tier five.
FORWARD – Luke Baum (Talysarn Celts)
Exciting young winger who finishes the season as the Division One top scorer in terms of league goals.
20-year-old Baum has been in unbelievable form this season, starting the campaign off with a five-goal haul against Bordorgan on the opening day.
The attacker scored 41 goals in his 27 league appearances and 49 goals in 35 matches in all competitions.
In the league, Baum scored 3 or more goals in a match on 8 separate occasions including two five-goal hauls v Bodorgan and Llangoed.
His attacking prowess has been clear to see and very hard to stop for many a defence this season.
An amazing talent!
FORWARD – Louis Chapman (Caergybi)
Another top young player who impressed greatly in what was his first official season in senior football.
Louis burst onto the scene last summer with 16 goals in his first 8 Caergybi matches in all competitions, scoring at least one goal in each of those games.
Fast forward to the end of the season and he has now proven that that was no fluke as he has scored a total of 38 goals in 24 league appearances.
All in all, he has netted 49 goals in 31 matches and has also provided 10 assists for team mates giving him 59 goal involvements and making him one of the most deadly players around across all levels.
FORWARD – Sion Parry (Llanystumdwy)
No surprise whatsoever to see this man among the top scorers in North Wales once again given his fantastic record of finding the back of the net over years gone by.
This campaign was one to remember for Parry however as he managed to pass the 300-goals mark for his career with a free-kick in a 10-2 win over Llangoed back in September 2021.
A five-time winner of the Gwynedd League top scorer prize in the past, Parry returned to Dwyfor Park with Stumdwy last summer.
Still only 25 years old, he has undertaken a player-coach role with the club this season and has once again shown why he’s one of the best finishers around.
Parry has scored 36 goals in 28 league appearances and is the Division One top assist provider too with 18 of those to his name.
He has netted 40 goals in 34 appearances all in all and helped Llanystumdwy onto an impressive 6th placed finish in the league.
REST OF THE SQUAD
GOALKEEPER – Daniel Jones (Cemaes Bay)
Played 29 of Cemaes’ 30 league matches, keeping 10 clean sheets along the way.
Former Bangor City keeper Jones was part of a defence that conceded just 33 times when he played.
DEFENDER – Shane Pell (Cemaes Bay)
Highly reliable full-back who is another very underrated player for the Bay.
The energetic Pell played in all 30 of his club’s league matches this season, racking up 2396 minutes in total – a record not many could beat by my counting.
DEFENDER – Tom Philp (Mountain Rangers)
Young centre back who has received high praise from many for his performances this season and it’s not hard to see why.
Despite being just 19 years old Philp is captain at Rangers and shows great leadership time and time again on the field.
This season, he’s passed the 50 appearance mark for Rangers and has played in 27 of their 30 league matches, scoring twice.
Last summer, many members of the Anglesey League runners up of 2019/20, departed Rangers but Philp remained, kept working hard and became the skipper – and deserves huge credit for that.
DEFENDER/MIDFIELDER – Rhodri Jones (Talysarn Celts)
They say you cannot argue with stats and that certainly rings true for this Celts star.
Jones – who has played both at left back and on the wing this season – is one of the Division One top assist providers with 13 assists in 24 league appearances.
All in all, he’s scored 9 goals and provided 16 assists, giving him 25 goals contributions in just 34 appearances across all competitions.
MIDFIELDER – Matty Roberts (Cemaes Bay)
A consistently great performer at this level for a number of years now, Roberts started the season with Cefni but then made the switch to Bay where he helped them turn their difficult start to the season around.
As with in years gone by with the likes of Bryngwran Bulls, the talented winger has again hit double figures this seasons managing a total of 17 goals and also 8 assists in 34 matches in all competitions.
MIDFIELDER – Kaine Bentley (Holyhead Town)
Definitely couldn’t leave this young star out of this team as he has been a one man army for Holyhead Town at times this season.
18-year-old Bentley has been one of the most creative players in the league, scoring 16 goals and providing 13 assists in his 27 league appearances.
ATTACKER – Jay Finter (Llanfairpwll)
Another top young talent who really stood out for his club in the attacking department.
Former Llangoed player Finter, 20, scored 24 times in 30 appearances in all competitions and looked the real deal for Pwll, forming a great partnership with fellow attacker Marky Holland.
One of his most memorable moments came when he scored a last minute winner to beat former club Llangoed 3-2 at Maes Eilian.
ATTACKER – Matt Reynolds (Cemaes Bay)
A change of position saw this man become unplayable in Division One.
Like teammate Roberts, Reynolds joined the Bay to help them turn their fortunes around, arriving from Premier side Aberffraw, where he scored twice at the start of the 21/22 season.
Previously a midfielder, Bay manager Darren Thomas moved Reynolds up top as a striker and the rest, as they say, is history.
Reynolds was the 4th highest scorer in the league with 33 goals in just 23 appearances and he scored 38 goals in total for Cemaes this season.
ATTACKER – Gwion Thomas (Llanerchymedd)
A player whose goals went a very long way to helping Llanerchymedd win that inaugural Division One title.
Thomas, a former Gwalchmai player, took up a more central role under manager Meirion Grieves for Llan and that has paid off to no end.
The 20-year-old has proven to be a sensational finisher racking up 27 goals in 34 matches in all competitions. Top player!
There are, inevitably, so many fantastic players who are left out of this side but those will, in due course, feature in our Stars of the 21/22 Season series.
Some of those will include the likes of talented defenders Dylan Williams (Llanfairpwll) and Dan Thomas (Llanerchymedd), midfield maestros such as Tom Scott and Michael Edwards (Caergybi), Keenan Downey (Cemaes Bay ) and Chris Bennett (Llanerchymedd) and great goalscorers like Adam Lloyd Jones (Waunfawr) and Scott Hughes (Bethesda Athletic).
We will also have an article highlighting some of the TOP YOUNG TALENTS FROM DIVISION ONE coming out and YOUR CHOSEN DIVISION ONE TEAM OF THE SEASON too.
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