Wales defeat Republic of Ireland in double-header!

The Wales Veterans' Football Association accepted an invitation from Republic of Ireland Veterans to send both o50s and o60s squads to the Irish Sports Centre of Excellence in Birmingham on 26th September 2026...and they returned home with two excellent wins..

Republic of Ireland o60s 0, Wales o60s 5
The o60s kicked off at 12pm and put in a fantastic performance to win 5nil...writes Leighton Gates... Wales started off on the front foot with a very high press, controlling the game and not allowing ROI to settle into the game from the KO. The visitors moved the ball around well, playing some excellent football and going through the phases and they took the lead in the 7th minute when a quick raid down the right and a step over from Evans, allowed Carpanini to slot home. Wales continued to press the ROI, but a long clearance from the ROI defender saw 'stand-in' keeper Davies pull off a ‘worldie’ save in their only real opportunity in the first half. Wales continued to press and Carpanini completed a well-deserved hat trick, to complete a dominant 1st half performance.

Although the visitors rotated players for the 2nd half they maintained their momentum and continued to play on the front foot, preventing their opponents from developing any rhythm. Wales added to their lead in the 70th minute, again a sweeping move down the right saw North-Walian, Wadeson, fire home from close range. They closed out the game with confidence and were rewarded in the last minute when a left foot drive from the classy Davidson hit the back of the net.
Manager, Peter Francombe, enthused “This was an excellent all-round performance. We controlled the game from start to finish and kept a clean sheet in the process in what was excellent preparation for the forthcoming La Manga o60s 4 Nations tournament.”

Congratulations to the following players who were selected...
Ian Davies — Barry
Dave Murray — Barry
Phil Davidson — Llanelli
Laurence Owen — Newport
Ian Daniels — Newport
Colin Bagley — Merthyr
Paul Averies — Barry
Ian Jones — Newport
Mark Carpanini — Newport
D. Jones — Pontyclun
Wayne Matthews — Barry
Jon Ross — Newport
Clive Evans — Merthyr
Pepe Mele — Pontyclun
P. Wadeson — Queens Park
Managers: Peter Francombe/Leighton Gates

Republic of Ireland o50s 0, Wales o50s 2
The o50s kicked off at 2pm and secured a fine 2nil win...writes DiscoBot... A fantastic performance, a clean sheet and a brilliant display of friendship. Wales started the game on the front foot and never really let up.

From the opening whistle, the Welsh back three played a high line, setting the tempo and allowing Wales to control the game from the outset. In goal was the ever-reliable Ian Davies, who made a quick change of kit after playing in the earlier Wales Over 60s game, where he had already kept a clean sheet.
Wales moved the ball with intensity, constantly looking to feed the front two. Simon Old, making his Wales debut, partnered Ricky John up front, and it was John who opened the scoring after 17 minutes with an excellent 20-yard chip that found the top corner. The assist came from the maestro Carl Evans, and the goal immediately set the tone for what was to follow. Ireland deserve huge credit for trying to play football from the back rather than simply going long. However, Wales' movement and pressure in midfield made it difficult for the hosts to establish any rhythm. The Welsh midfield continually closed down the space and forced Ireland into mistakes. The two wing-backs, Tommo and Steve Powell, were outstanding throughout, providing energy, width and a constant threat as Wales continued to press. The second goal came following another excellent passage of football. Wales patiently worked the ball through 15 passes before the final ball was delivered into the box by Robert Manning, allowing Neil Williams to tap home and make it 2–0 at half-time.
The hosts changed their shape at the break, moving to a 4-5-1 formation, clearly recognising that Wales' fitness and intensity could become a major factor in the second half...and so it proved. Wales continued to push forward, spending large periods of the second half camped inside the Irish half. A powerful effort even struck the crossbar after around 65 minutes as Wales searched for a third. Ireland, however, defended resolutely and deserve enormous credit. They stood strong, cancelling out a number of Welsh attacks and dealing with the balls into the box. They also managed to create a few opportunities on the break, but they never seriously troubled the Welsh defence or Ian Davies, who completed another clean sheet.

Manager for the day, Dave Murray, summed up “a very good performance from Wales, with two well-worked goals, and tremendous energy throughout and a clean sheet.”
While the result was important, the friendship developed between the two nations was more significant, Murray added “the game was competitive from start to finish, but there was not one bad foul in the 90 minutes, showing tremendous respect for each other...both on and off the pitch...and a huge thank you to our hosts for their hospitality.”

After the game John Kenworthy from North Wales side, Rhydymwyn, was awarded his international cap.

Congratulations to the following players who were selected...
Ian Davies - Barry Town
Paul Richards - Barry Town
Carl Evans - Merthyr Town
John Kenworthy - Rhydymwyn
Nevin Riches - Barry Town
Nigel Delaney - Llanelli Town
Neale Richards - Llanelli Town
Paul Davy - Llanelli Town
Steve Powell - Penybont
Ricky John - Merthyr Town
Robert Manning - Merthyr Town
Simon Old - Newport
Steve Oram - Merthyr Town
Mark Thomas - Llanelli Town
Neil Williams - Llanelli Town
MANAGEMENT
Manager: Dave Murray
Assistant Manager: Paul Averies
Coach: Leighton Gates

Finally, a big thank you to our main sponsor WorkwearSupermarket.com