Bring Me Sunshine…Please!

A tough battle resulted in a 0-0 draw at home yesterday through rain and wind against a very capable Pill AFC. Read the full match report here.

We face Mathern FC away next Saturday, as we head down towards Chepstow for more League action.

Excelsiors Fight Off FC Tredegar in Amateur Cup Battle

The 1st Team have advanced to the next stage of the Amateur Cup after a tough Friday night fixture against F.C. Tredegar on a Friday the 13th where it would prove an untimely end for one team’s cup journey.

The 3G pitch at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre provides the backdrop for a war of attrition between the two teams who have already tangled in league action.

Luke Lewis opened scoring up with a lovely finish off a slick delivery by Zak Kelly, who had a superb run-out for the Excelsiors. The damp, dreary evening seemed as though it could be even worse when the opponents began to up their game and put pressure on Dan Parsons and the defensive line, but both teams went into the halftime period at 0-1, with Abertillery maintaining a thin lead.

Shaun Smith dinked the second goal in to create a more solid footing early in the second half, but F.C. Tredegar would strike a revenge blow with a sizzling strike off a free kick that left Dan Parsons with nowhere to go.

With end-to-end action for both teams, it was evident the Excelsiors were playing ‘hang-on’ as best they could, even bringing on the returning Lewis Jones for the first time since his season-ending injury for Abergavenny Town FC, but pressure eased off when the surrogate home team suffered the deadly blow of a red card. At 10 men, a depleted but defiant F.C. Tredegar attempted to rally a comeback but couldn’t mount the offensive flurry needed and when Shaun Smith took the keeper one way and scored the other, it was game over with 8 minutes left on the clock.

FT
FC Tredegar 1 – 3 Abertillery Excelsiors

Scorers:
Shaun Smith (2)
Luke Lewis

Funeral Details for Keith Williams

The funeral of Keith Williams will be held on Friday, October 27th.

The service is going to be 2PM at Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church on Victoria Street, Abertillery. This will then be followed by the cremation at Cwmbran crematorium at 4PM.

The family would then like to invite you all back to the New Bridgend Inn for refreshments and to help celebrate Keith’s life.

As a club, we would once again like to extend our most sincere condolences to Keith’s family and friends, as well as thanking everyone who has offered their heartfelt messages of sympathy and support at this sad time.

This past weekend, at 4PM, a host of friends and football colleagues raised a glass in memory of our friend.

RIP Keith Williams

They say lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice but it is with heavy hearts that we can now announce the sudden passing of our beloved Club Secretary, Keith Williams yesterday morning, just days after his good friend and fellow club legend, Chris Barnett.

Keith was a loyal servant to the club, whose hard work and dedication to Abertillery Excelsiors was only surpassed by his lust for life and laughs. His body of work across many levels of Welsh football is a testament to his love of the game and his award-winning programmes were the stuff of legend. Always there with a wicked sense of humour, quick-witted quip and playful banter, to say he will be sorely missed is the understatement of an increasingly heartbreaking season.

He leaves behind not only his wife Jackie and sons Scott and Brett, but also an entire footballing community who again must now rally together once more to remember one of the very best to grace our special club.

We know there’ll be a whiskey waiting on the bar for him.

RIP Keith