The ambition of several teams in the lower divisions of Welsh football is to reach the Genero Adran Leagues, and to compete on the highest stage possible. Anglesey-based side Llangefni Town have been knocking on the door of tier two for many years now.
This season feels different. Unbeaten at the top of the North Wales Coast Llandudno Kia Women’s League, experience in the Genero Adran Trophy, and taking teams in the league above all the way. Led by Dan Gregg, this is a Llangefni side that mean business.
Despite their success, they’ve had their fair share of barriers along the way already. Movement of players, injuries, uncertainty around their league placement, and heartbreak in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup. It just makes their success all the more impressive this season.
Llangefni defender Beth Jones is into her third season at the club, and spoke on the Adran Leagues Show about the squad as we enter 2026.
She told Cymru Sport: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. It was a bit of a rocky pre-season with a few signings, and I think we’ve come out of that really well, and where we are today, we’re feeling really confident and strong. We’re very settled with where we are as a team.
“Not everybody always gels. We’ve had players move on recently, and that does happen in teams. It’s important to us that the people that we do have, that their personalities fit. That’s how you move forward as a team.
“We say it all the time how important depth can be in football, and I think that impacted us last season. Having those extra players in, being able to rotate and keep people fit and healthy is great.”
Llangefni’s depth is a key part of their success this season, and what stands out is the quality in goal.
Katie Spruce has been a regular for Llangefni since the start of last season, whilst Mia Gleave has also returned to Cae Bob Parry. Both goalkeepers with Adran Leagues experience, and impressing in those games too.
Aberystwyth Town goalkeeper Mia Gleave in action.
Aberystwyth Town v Cardiff City in the Genero Adran Premier at Park Avenue on the 27th October 2024. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
Jones said “Mia is a young keeper, was fantastic for us and we’ll never forget that season before in the Betty Pickering Final when she saved that penalty which kind of decided the game for us. A great personality to have.
“Katie has been great. She’s come into her own this season. It’s difficult when you bring a keeper in to a new backline. You have to be able to trust your goalkeeper as a defender, and it can be really difficult sometimes if you’re not sure how they play, some play a bit higher, some don’t. I think we’ve found a really nice dynamic now with Katie where we’re quite settled at the back.
“Some of our results recently have shown that, with the amount of clean sheets we’ve had recently, it’s been fantastic. She’s pulled off some really important saves for us.
“The consistency has been really important from Katie this season, and having Mia who’s had a couple of niggles unfortunately so hasn’t been involved very much this season, but it’s still involved in the training aspect and is still a personality in the team, and that’s just as important.“
Another addition for Llangefni Town has been exciting upcoming forward, Amber Brown.
The 18-year-old joined the club in January from fellow league side Caernarfon Town, and at times struggled for minutes and form. This season, she’s hit a new level, and is Llangefni’s top scorer.
15 goals in 9 games so far, Brown is one of the most talked about players in North Wales. Only Lexi Walsh, who like Brown is making a name for herself, is above Brown in the leagues goalscoring charts with 21.
With that said, even the most in-form players can have moments which challenge their mentality. After Llangefni fought back against tier two Llandudno in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup, it was heartbreak for Brown who missed what would be the key penalty in the shootout.
However, she responded immediately the week after, scoring twice against CDPM Llanystumdwy in a 5-0 win.
Beth Jones said on that Cup game: “It’s really important not to dwell on what could’ve been, especially when out priority is the league.
“Especially for players like Amber, who was really unlucky, penalties are just the worse thing. But the way that she’s responded as a player I think encapsulates what Llangefni has been this season.
“The following week she gets her head back up, gets a goal and we’ve moved on.
“She’s been fantastic, a hard worker. It hasn’t faulted her, it hasn’t put her out her stride. We felt it on the day, I think we all did.“
Another difference this season for Llangefni has been their participation in the Genero Adran Trophy. A competition for clubs in tiers one and two, but after CPD Y Rhyl 1879 folded, a spot opened up, which Llangefni took. They also took part in the competition in 2022/23.
Defeats to CPDM Bangor and Llanfair United, but an impressive win against current Adran North title chasers Flint Town United, and a brilliant 4-1 scoreline too.
Jones believes those games were key in the build up to the league campaign for the squad.
She said: “The performances were fantastic. It was a period for us to get to know each other before the league started.
“We went at it as there’s nothing to lose in these games. It’s more game time, so that when we get to the league we’re gelled and we’re ready.
“It paid off early with Flint. I think that was a great demonstration of how we developed over the few weeks of that period. I wasn’t at that game but there was a few missing, so it really demonstrated the importance of all of those players we’ve got.
“You could take a few people out the equation and show such bravery to run at Flint who have gone up above us, and just not flinch at it. It gave us a lot of confidence.”
As well as the extra games from the Trophy, the formation of the North Wales Coast League has meant a bigger league, therefore more games. In recent weeks we’ve highlighted the lack of games for clubs in tier two, but in tier three, it has not been a problem for Llangefni.
Jones explained: “What’s really benefited us is being in this new league structure is we’ve played every week. We’ve had some really good momentum going and it’s been absolutely fantastic, and I think it’s been great for us that we’ve just taken that confidence and applied it every week.
“One of the most important things is consistency, and it’s so hard to be consistent when you’re playing on different pitches.“
