BALA Town’s Steve O’Shaughnessy has been named as the Dafabet Welsh Premier League Manager of the Month.

The Lakesiders featured in more games than any other club during January, due to previous postponements - winning three and drawing two of their five matches, to maintain second place in the table.

After drawing 0-0 with Rhyl 0-0 on New Year’s Day, they beat Carmarthen Town 2-1 and defeated lowly Haverfordwest County 3-2. They followed that up by beating top three rivals MBi Llandudno 3-0, and rounded the month off with a 1-1 draw against Newtown.

O’Shaughnessy, who is assisted by Director of Football Colin Caton, becomes the first Dafabet Welsh Premier League manager to win two monthly awards this season.

Meanwhile James Murphy has become one of the youngest winners of the Welsh Premier player of the month award, three days after celebrating his 19th-birthday.

Awarded an 18-month contract extension by Airbus UK Broughton last week, Murphy featured in all of the Wingmakers’ games in January.

He scored a crucial header as Airbus hit back to beat local rivals Gap Connah’s Quay on New Year’s Day and was credited with an assist in the 2-2 draw at Port Talbot.

Murphy then featured again in Saturday’s live TV 1-1 draw at Llandudno.