Football

Aberystwyth bolster squad

ABERYSTWYTH Town manager Alan Morgan has moved quickly to attract two highly-rated players to the club, before the transfer window was opened this week.
Newtown full-back Craig Williams and The New Saints midfielder Connall Murtagh (pictured left) have both committed to playing for the Park Avenue club next season.
However, the Seasiders, who finished fourth in the Welsh Premier League last season, have lost the services of loanee Ryan Fraughan to League One outfit Tranmere Rovers, and top scorer Lee Bowen, to home club Port Talbot Town.
Morgan said he was delighted to bring in both Williams and Murtagh, and revealed he has targeted four or five other new players.
“Craig Williams will be a big signing and we are delighted that he wants to come to join Aberystwyth Town,” said Morgan.
“We are also delighted that Connall is coming back to us after a successful loan spell last season.
“I have got four or five players on my list, but I am not going to bring just anybody in, they have got to be quality players and will have to earn a place in the side.”
Right-back Williams has already racked-up 144 Welsh Premier appearances at the age of 22, and shot to prominence by appearing on Sky TV’s Football Icon show.
He became the youngest-ever player to be voted the league’s player of the month at 17, and has twice been voted into the league managers’ team of the season.
Meanwhile 25-year-old Murtagh, a former Northern Ireland Under-21 international midfielder, is returning to the club after a loan spell with Aber last season.
After starting his career with Ballymena United and Crusaders, he was spotted by Hearts and made his Scottish League debut while on loan at Raith Rovers in 2005.
He later signed for Connah’s Quay but left to join Rhyl, where he made 23 appearances before a summer move to Wrexham, and a two-year professional contract.
While he completed a Physiology degree, Murtagh made just four appearances in League Two, and spent two months on loan at Droylsden, before then joining The New Saints in January 2009.
Morgan has also revealed that goalkeeper Dave Roberts has signed a contract extension with the club, which will see him contracted to the Seasiders until the end of the 2010/11 campaign.
Roberts, who won two FA Youth Cup winners medals with Liverpool in 2006 and 2007 before being released from Anfield, lost his number one shirt at Aber to Steve Cann for much of last season, befor going on loan to Newtown.
“There will be good competition for the keeper’s jersey, and both players will have a fight on their hands,” commented Morgan.
However, Aberystwyth boss Morgan has admitted that he is seeking cover up front after losing the services of last season’s top scorer Luke Bowen, who has re-signed for home club Port Talbot.
Bowen notched 17 goals for the Seasiders last season, but has signed for Mark Jones’s Steelmen, on the eve of the draw for their Europa League qualifying round.
Ironically, Bowen scored twice for Aber in both games against Port Talbot last season, when Aber did the double over their rivals.
Meanwhile Aber loanee Ryan Fraughan has been rewarded for his progress with a new one-year contract at Tranmere Rovers.
The 19-year-old impressed during the second half of the season, scoring three goals from 13 Welsh Premier appearances for Aber after making eight first-team appearances for the Prenton Park outfit earlier in the campaign.
Aber, who will welcome back Luke Sherbon and Geoff Kellaway before the start of the campaign after spending the summer at Australian club Dandenong Thunder, resume their training on 26 June.
They kick-off their pre-season friendlies on Saturday, 10 July with an attractive home game against Blue Square League South Champions Newport County.
More friendly matches have provisionally been pencilled in for Saturday 17 July at Elements Cefn Druids; Saturday, 24 July at Colwyn Bay; Tuesday, 27 July at home to Porthmadog; Saturday, 31 July at Aberaman Athletic; and Tuesday, 3 August at Caersws.
Morgan has also revealed the possibility of a home friendly against Wrexham or Chester.
• Meanwhile, defender Sion James picked up the Players’ Player of the Year and the Supporters’ Player of the Year at the club’s end of season awards on Friday night.