ABERYSTWYTH Town earned their first win of pre season on Tuesday evening with a home victory against Briton Ferry Llansawel, thanks to goals from Trialist A after 71 and 72 minutes.

Jasper Payne responded for Ferry on 78 minutes but the Black and Greens held on for a morale-boosting win.

Aber started with two trialists in their starting 11, and another two on the bench, and began with plenty of attacking intent, pressing their opponents from the off and creating chances.

Iwan Lewis fired just wide, Niall Flint had a shot saved from a promising position, Johnny Evans had an effort off target and Lewis again went close from the right wing soon afterwards with the hosts looking good.

Ferry however showed why they were Cymru South Champions last season: dangerous left winger Corey Hurford tested Dave Jones’ palms with a volley, then fired just over the bar soon afterwards.

Jasper Payne missed the target for Ferry, then Tom Walters lobbed a ball into Jones’ hands from a good position.

A really entertaining game continued with Liam Walsh shooting wide from Alex Pennock’s clearance, Payne testing Jones at the other end, and Evans almost picking out Flint for Aber, only to be denied by a good defensive challenge, and somehow the half ended goalless!

Into the second half and one time Black and Greener Tom Price sent in a free kick which was headed against the post to safety, only for Louis Bradford to head wide from Flint’s corner.

A few half chances followed with sub Devon Torry prominent, and he made his mark in the 71st minute with a brilliant jinky run through the middle, before feeding Trialist A, who scored from the left channel with a neat finish.

Sixty seconds later a long ball from the back found the self same Trialist A, who gathered the ball, found space and slid the ball under Pennock for 2-0, and a big morale boost for the Black and Greens.

More subs were made and Aber’s goalkeeper Trialist D, Seb Osment who has now signed for the Seasiders, did really well to parry Ricky Owen’s shot onto the post soon after he came on.

Sub John Owen went close from Flint’s free kick and Steff Davies had a header cleared off the line, however with twelve minutes to go the ball dropped nicely for Payne on the edge of the area and he found the bottom corner for two one.

In truth Ferry bossed the last remnants of the game with Aber defending solidly, Iestyn Duggan came on for a cameo run up front and the Black and Greens saw the game out for the win.

Results matter in football, notwithstanding the fact that this was a friendly and manager Anthony Williams will have been heartened by an improved performance from the weekend, and one in which a number of trialists also impressed.

Aber venture to the Forest of Dean for their final pre season friendly of 2024 on Saturday with a match at Southern League outfit Cinderford Town, with an earlier kick off of 1pm.