Mixed day for Wales Vet’s against Republic of Ireland!

The Wales Veterans' Football Association welcomed the Republic of Ireland veterans to Cardiff for the first time and drew with the o60s, but the o55s recorded an emphatic win...

A hard-fought o60s match ended all-square...writes manager, Jon Parkinson...Wales were quickly into their usual flowing football and dominated possession and territory in the first 20 minutes but didn’t have the necessary composure in the final third. This allowed ROI to grow into the game and get a foothold of some possession. The game was competitive but played in the spirit befitting of veterans’ football. The ROI keeper was the busier of the two but was never really tested. The game was a competitive 0-0 at the break.

Wholesale changes at half time to allow the whole Wales squad some valuable game time and for a handful of players to test their fitness ahead of the upcoming four nations tournament in La Manga. The second half was much the same with neither side having a real cutting edge. ROI did look dangerous on the counter attack and from set pieces. They had a couple of penalty shouts and a couple of narrow misses from corners. The Wales keeper remained calm and had an assured day. The standout moment of the second half was a flowing move from Wales involving several players which brought a tremendous flying save from the ROI keeper who clawed it away from the top corner.

The game ended in a well-deserved draw and that was reflected by both MOM’s being the central midfield players from either side. Dave Griffiths picking up the accolade for Wales.

Congratulations to the following players who were selected...
John Jones (Barry Town)
Paul Averies (Barry Town)
Tyrone Fredrickson (Swansea)
Clive Evans (Merthyr)
Dave Griffiths (Newport)
Cameron Medwin (Swansea)
Giuseppe Mele (Pontyclun)
Wayne Matthews (Barry Town)
Jon Ross (Newport)
Keith Williams (Swansea)
Mark Dyke (Newport)
Mark Walker (Newport)
Paul Otway (Swansea)
Peter Francombe (Barry Town)
Paul Murphy (Merthyr)
Rob Seago (Barry Town)
Mark Wilson (Barry Town)
Adam Clarke (Swansea)
Derek Gough (Newport)

In the second game, Wales Over-55s produced an emphatic performance in the first ever meeting with the Republic of Ireland....writes Asst. Manager, Peter Francombe...

Wales began the match in a new tactical formation, immediately taking control of possession. Excellent ball retention and patient passing allowed the hosts to dominate the opening half. The standout performer was Kennedy, who scored a superb first-half hat-trick, playing a major role in Wales racing into a 4–0 lead by half-time. He would later add another to complete an impressive four-goal haul.

Manager John Jones, fresh from keeping a clean sheet in the, earlier, over-60s match, used the second half to make numerous changes. The alterations highlighted the strength in depth within the Wales squad, as the team added four more goals after the break. Although Wales were not quite as fluent as in the first half, they quickly settled back into rhythm. Debutant Simon Griffiths made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch and going on to add a second goal. Further strikes came from Darren Thomson and Ian Burnham.

The Republic of Ireland side showed great spirit throughout and were rewarded for their persistence with a late consolation penalty in the final minutes. Overall, it was an excellent result for Wales, combining strong tactical control, clinical finishing, and impressive squad depth in a convincing international performance. Man of the match for Wales was a difficult decision given the numerous excellent displays but was eventually awarded to Nicky Francis

Congratulations also to the following players who were selected by o55s manager, John Jones...
John Bailey (Merthyr)
Jason Clarke (Continental)
Andrew York (Capt) (Merthyr)
Steve Owen (Merthyr)
Paul Sims (Barry Town)
Jason Kavanagh (The Continental)
Ian Burman (The Continental)
G,Morgan (Swansea)
A,Lewis (Continental)
Darren Nippers (The Continental)
Gareth Richards (Barry Town)
Troy Reilly (The Continental)
Huw Davies (Llanelli Town)
John-Paul Kennedy (Britton Ferry Llansawel)
Nicky Francis (Merthyr)
Darren Thompson (The Continental)
Stand-by
Simon Griffiths (Pontyclun)
S,Evans (Llanelli)
Warren Jones (Barry)
C,Jones (Swansea)