A very decent workout for our U21s at Trefelin BGC today in baking hot weather. We won the match 1-0 and in truth could have scored more in the 2nd half as our fitness told over an otherwise hard working Ynys Park side, who finished 4th in Cymru South last season. No teamsheet.
We started 4-3-3: Evan Anderson; Zac Jeanes, Iestyn Jones, Blair McKenzie, Ben Phillips; Jacob Cook, Dan Watts, Thomas Woodward; Ramon Rees-Siso, Luke Enright, Aimar Govea.
There were multiple substitutions in the 2nd half, with only goalkeeper Evan Anderson, Blair McKenzie, Iestyn Jones and Ramon Rees-Siso completing the 90 minutes.
We finished the match with an adventurous 3-4-3 formation: Anderson; Jones, Brogan Popham, McKenzie; Thomas Searle, Mitchell Bates, Rees-Siso, Yori Griffith; Josh Pescatore, Morgan Bates, Caleb Demery.
The 2 trialists are apparently from Brentford and Stoke respectively. It was difficult to form a strong opinion on either, hopefully they’ll get a further opportunity to impress in positions we know we are comparatively light in at this age grade.
Kit Margetson was among the Swans players in the stand, having made his debut in a friendly for Connah Quay Nomads last night. Seb Dabrowski was with the first team and Callum Deacon is injured, so Ben Phillips stepped into an unfamiliar left back role.
Shaun McDonald started for Trefelin, who brought on Lee Trundle at half-time.
The first half was full of tidy football from the Swans, creative but with few clear chances. Rees-Siso looked the most likely to break through the Trefelin rearguard and the middle duo of Dan Watts and Jacob Cook dominated possession.
Tom Woodward stroked a first time shot wide on 20 minutes and sent a glancing header off target a minute later when Rees-Siso sent in a searching cross. After the customary – and quite essential – water break, Aimar Govea blasted over from a difficult angle as we continued to look in comfortable control.
Trefelin had a rare but presentable chance when a half clearance was picked just inside the Swans half and a speculative effort from distance landed on the roof of the Swans net. One wonders what Trundle might have accomplished with that same chance. 0-0 at half-time.
Josh Pescatore was the first substitute to enter the fray after the interval and soon created an opening for Enright to go close at the near post.
Further substitutions followed on the hour, with the Swans switching to 3-4-3, McKenzie going wide to his preferred left and Brogan Popham slotting in at the centre of defence. The change allowed our youngsters to further dominate the ball, Yori Griffith and Josh Pescatore in particular having a great deal of influence.
We struck the post either side of a neatly converted opening – and, it turns out, winning – goal by Thomas Searle on 67 minutes.
An unexpected mishap at the back almost afforded Trefelin a shock equaliser, but we escaped lightly when a scuffed attempt at an open net was off target.
Morgan Bates added some further punch up front and was unlucky not to put the Swans further ahead before the referee called a halt to an entertaining contest played out in full glare of the sun.
A worthy workout for the squad against a hard working opposition who never gave in – Dan Watts, Iestyn Jones and Josh Pescatore were the picks of today’s performers, but lots of good moments across the squad.
Hopefully this display – and the further friendly at Merthyr on Tuesday – will offer Anthony Wright plenty of insights into the most effective team to field for the MG Cup tie with Carmarthen next Saturday. It really is important we don’t fall at the first hurdle this time around and that we have another good run in this competition.
As always, Trefelin is a fantastic, friendly setup – a great place to watch football in scorching conditions.