This was very much a season of what might have been for Cwmbran Celtic in the Adran South league. At the Christmas half-way stage, Celtic were top having won 5 and lost just once, 4-3 to nearest rivals Pontypridd Town. However, in the transfer window they lost Jade Crofts, then the league’s top scorer, to Adran Premier Briton Ferry. After Christmas, Celtic won 1, drew 1 and lost 4, all by the slender margin of 1-0. They were further handicapped by the loss of influential skipper Eloise Meaney with a persistent injury. Celtic finished 5th: Played 12 Won 6 Drawn 1 Lost 5 Goals for 22 against 14 Points 19. Despite their position they had the 2nd best defence in the league, testament to the back four chosen from Cerys Shipley, Elena Scrivens, Jodie Challenger, Sian Anthony, and Natalia Schwartz, who doesn’t often get the plaudits, but was deservedly chosen by the website Y Clwb Pel-Droed in the North and South Adran team of the season. In her last game Jade Crofts scored 5 and had 6 assists in the Hugh James cup versus Coed Duon to finish with 20 goals in just 12 games. In the semi-final Celtic beat Cascade on penalties. In the final they lost 4-1 to Penybont, Fiona Anthony scoring Celtic’s goal.
In the Adran Trophy Celtic won through the qualifying rounds before going out 4-1 to Adran Premier Wrexham in the round of 16 in front of a record home crowd of 201 and in the Welsh Cup they lost to Cascade 4-1. Despite the disappointments, the squad should feel very proud of their performances. Goalkeeper Amie Preston, who had moved from the Midlands, was outstanding all season – she made an unbelievable save in the cup match against Wrexham and had 3 assists. Another newcomer was Katie Williams who showed her class in the middle of the park ending equal top of the league assists. Alongside her Eloise Meaney, Georgia Shwartz and Summer Bowen-Quirk formed a well-drilled midfield. Returning to the club after several years away, Lauren Boyd, surely the best left footer in the league, scored 16 goals. It was good to see Georgie Cridland fight her way back into the squad after her serious injury of last season. Fiona Anthony (8 goals and 5 assists) and Jodie Challenger completed their 13th seasons with the club and their ages are still the right side of 30! Alex Cridland, Keeley Perkins, Amy Roderick and another new signing Gracie Grosvenor all stepped up to play their part when required under the professional tutelage of manager James Kinsella and his assistants, Sam Lewis and Conor James.
Appearances (21 games): 21 Fiona Anthony, Summer Bowen-Quirk, Lauren Boyd, Amie Preston, Cerys Shipley, Katie Williams; 20 Jodie Challenger, Georgia Shwartz; 19 Natalia Shwartz; 17 Sian Anthony; 15 Elena Scrivens; 14 Eloise Meaney; 12 Georgina Cridland, Jade Crofts; 8 Alex Cridland, Gracie Grosvenor; 6 Kelley Perkins, Grace O’Reilly; 5 Amy Roderick; 2 Sophie Hall; 1 Marnie Gingell, Kristina Jasicova, Dominique Laida. Goals (54): 20 Crofts; 16 Boyd; 8 Anthony; 6 Meaney; 2 G.Cridland; 1 Challenger, A.Cridland, Shipley. Most assists: 8 Williams; 7 Crofts; 5 Anthony; 4 Challenger; 3 Boyd, Meaney, Preston.