Excelsiors Clinch 3 Points In War With Pill

A tough slog resulted in a 2-3 win for the Excelsiors, as they turned over a gutsy Pill AFC away on the road.

The first half was dominated by end-to-end play, with both teams hungry to control the game after a scrappy affair at the Woodland in Cwmtillery. Both teams were well up for the challenge, with all pistons firing in the opening 20 minutes. Some big hits more akin to an NFL game were easy to find, as Pill attempted to take down the attackers in the Excelsiors setup, who responded likewise.

Pill were able to break the deadlock after taking advantage of a defensive slump to make it 1-0, which only served to invigorate the lads who looked certain to equalise early. Rhys Whiteman would heed the call, with a lovely bicycle kick after catching the end of a superb cross from Tyla Preece to stand things at 1-1.

The trifecta of Shaun Smith, Lewis Jones and Dafydd Phillips then shot into action, creating some fantastic football and photo-finish opportunities, continuing to mount the pressure on the Pill defence. A late tackle in the box led to Pill dropping a penalty, expertly taken by Jamie Laurent to push the Excelsiors into the lead at the end of the first ‘45.

The second half called for more of the same, with Pill desperately chasing another goal only to be headed off at the pass by another Dafydd Phillips effort. Giving another penalty away, Pill seemed poised to had their game put to bed but a good save from their man between the sticks stopped the Excelsiors charge.

With Pill’s goalkeeper being tested by a mounting offence, the home side took advantage of a downed Brett Morgan and fired another one away, to tighten the gap to 2-3 with minutes left. As the clock wound down, Pill pursued a point from an hellacious 90 minutes and piled the pressure on hoping for the Excelsiors back line to crumble but unfortunately for the Newport outfit, it wasn’t to be and the lads clinch 3 points at the referee’s whistle.

Club of the Year 2017

Blaenau Gwent is awash with fantastic sports clubs. From football teams to rugby clubs, bowls teams to cricket clubs. Competition is fierce and talent abounds, with many of these grassroots institutions reliant on the hard work of unsung heroes who give of their time and commitment selflessly to help continue a rich tradition and heritage, whilst providing a community hub and social experience for generations past and present.

It is our honour and privilege to be awarded with the title of Blaenau Gwent Club of the Year Award at the Aneurin Leisure Sports Awards this evening at Bedwellty House in Tredegar.

It is a testament to the hard work and desire of those who play for our club, those who help the running of the club and those who support the club. After an incredibly difficult 2017, this accolade means perhaps more than many will ever truly know.

In the wake of suddenly losing both Chris Barnett and Keith Williams within mere weeks of one another, our club was an example of what community and the wider footballing family were capable of and our message of ‘one town’ is still one that has deep meaning. This award is in many ways: for Barney and Keith.

We’d like to extend our thanks to those who nominated us and to the public who voted for us, as we continue to aspire to inspire and create an approachable, inclusive and community-focused sports club that everyone associated with it can be proud of.

Jordan Harford Continues To Impress Off The Pitch

Our very own Jordan Harford has had his hard work and dedication commended by picking up the Young Ambassador of the Year Award at the Aneurin Leisure Sports Awards tonight.

Jordan, who has featured for the First Team after a breakout year with Abergavenny Town F.C. in the Welsh League, will also receive the Platinum Young Ambassador title in recognition of his fantastic efforts over the past year.

The young striker beat very worthy competition as ‘an individual from the Ambassador programme who has been a shining example and role model to others’ to gain the coveted award.

He’ll no doubt go from strength to strength both on the pitch and in his day job working in both a centre-based and outreach sports and community worker for the Aneurin Leisure Trust throughout Blaenau Gwent. Congratulations from all at the club.

Rhys Morgan snatches Sports Leader of the Year Award at ALSA 2017

A huge congratulations to Rhys Morgan from everyone at the club, as he was tonight awarded with the prestigious Sports Leader of the Year Award at the Aneurin Leisure Sports Awards at Bedwellty House, Tredegar.

Rob Guy was on hand to present him with the award, which is presented to those enrolled in the Sports Leaders UK programme who ‘devoted their time to support and develop sport in their school or community’.

Rhys continues his family’s proud tradition of involvement with the Excelsiors, with his work with the youth set-up, adult teams and club activities proving invaluable as well as his place on the pitch for the Under 16s.

For his hard work, effort and dedication to everything football – well done Rhys. Rhys will no doubt be inspiring once again this weekend, when the Under 16s face Cwmcarn Athletic F.C. at home.

Dean Morgan Makes Comeback For The Excelsiors

There are retirements and farewell tours.

And then, there’s the comeback gig.

We’re beyond excited to announce that Dean Morgan has polished off his goal-scoring boots for one last run, as he officially signs for Abertillery Excelsiors.

Despite wear and tear and a season-ending injury, Dean made his final appearance on the pitch (likely against doctors orders) in May 2016, scoring in a 1-2 win against Welsh League mainstays Treharris Athletic Western.

He returns to a team already littered with great, raw talent and ability and will no doubt show he’s still got what it takes to hang tough with the young guns and help make positive steps forward for the club as we head into the final months of the season.

Welcome to the Excelsiors Deano.

Christopher Barnett Memorial Golf Day

The continuation of our celebration of Barney’s life will take place on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 6th at the West Mon Golf Club thanks to the hard work of Brett Williams.

Brett proposed the first annual Christopher Barnett Memorial Golf Day in the latter part of 2017 as a way to keep Barney’s memory alive year-on-year. All proceeds from what will no doubt be a very special day will go to Barney’s family: his wife Lesley and son Aaron.

Entry will cost £20 per person and will be based on a team of 4 competing. There’ll be shotgun start at 9am, meaning that everyone will not only start at the same time but hopefully finish around the same time too. A trophy will be presented to the winning team of the day, with prizes also awarded for the ‘closest to the pin’ and ‘longest drive’.

For those entering, appropriate golfing attire must be worn and is a requirement of the club. Non-players are of course welcome to join us in the bar following the game for a few drinks and to watch live Premier League football scheduled for that day. The entry fee of £20 also includes a bacon roll and tea/coffee before the round. Any additional food will be available at your own cost.

For further information or to enter a team, contact Brett Williams on 07880891934

Wattsville Win A War With 1st Team

The Excelsiors were handed only their third loss of the season last night, after a decisive display from Wattsville FC.

The game started off hot, with both teams going 100mph in the early going and playing end-to-end at Pontllanfraith 3G. Jamie Laurent held firm in his midfield role and showed some impressive footwork as he went in for goal early on but was knocked by the home team’s defence. Wattsville drew first blood to make it 1-0 after a pressing attack and struggle in front of goal to break the deadlock. Their second came soon after, the result of a chip-in over goalkeeper Dan Parsons.

The Excelsiors kicked into overdrive then, with the dynamic duo of Jordan Harford and Lewis Jones creating some lovely play to deliver a slick ball to striker Luke Lewis, who was only narrowly beaten to the party by Wattsville’s man between the sticks. Both Lewis Jones and later Rhys Whiteman fired off attempts that went just wide of the mark, with the latter’s pinging off the crossbar and signalling a clear sign of intent that they were coming for goals.

That goal would come as Lewis Jones passed to Dafydd Phillips and the winger crossed a great ball over to Luke Lewis, who buried the ball over the line to make it 2-1. The goals continued to come thick and fast however, with Wattsville scoring a revenge goal a few minutes later, which although not pretty and featuring a messy finish put them to 3-1.

A deflection off a Wattsville freekick unfortunately found the feet of a home team player soon after and again the referee blew to signal a goal as the league leaders went 4-1 at the conclusion of an exciting first 45 minutes.

The second half kicked off at breakneck speed, echoing the tempo of the game in general, with the lads in pursuit of goals. Tyla Preece would close the gap with a sublime header to make it 4-2, which was followed up with a freekick soon after that saw the Excelsiors begin to build momentum in the freezing cold conditions. Wattsville would suck the air out of the Tigers fans in attendance however, as they scored their fifth goal with a strike on the edge of the box to make it 5-2.

The lads again found themselves in damage limitation mode and provided a solid defensive unit against the persistent pressing of Wattsville, counting every Wattsville attack with a rebound of their own. The home side however managed to get one more goal in for the efforts, following a malfunction at the junction in front of the sticks and after a short tussle, the score stood at 6-2. However, midfielder Jonny Morgan would bag a consolation goal to cut down Wattsville’s lead soon after and end proceedings at 6-3, with the referee blowing up soon after. A disappointing result but with 12 league games left and the road to the end of the season undoubtedly full of twists and turns: all is not lost.

The boys return to cup action on Saturday, with a 1:30pm kickoff pencilled in against Caerleon away in the County Motors Cup.