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Keeper Ffion flies the flag in the Welsh squad
Ffion Ashman was delighted recently when she received a letter inviting her to join the Welsh under 15 girls football squad for a training weekend at the National Sports Centre at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
Ffion hails from Pembroke Dock and has followed her father Mark as a goalkeeper because he was rightly regarded as one of the very best goalkeepers to come out of Pembrokeshire in a long and distinguished career – so no-one is more delighted than ‘Ashy’ and Ffion’s mum Julie that their daughter has done so well.
Two goals conceded in eight matches
It is fitting reward for another season between the sticks for Manorbier Ladies as they travel all over South Wales and have so far one all eight of their games to take top place in the league table, including a cracking away win at Dinas Powys, who hadn’t lost at home for two seasons before they met mighty Manorbier!
Other teams in the league include Merthyr, Newport County and Cardiff and in those eight games Ffion has conceded only two goals, one at Dinas Powys and the other at home to Newport County, as she joins Ellie Robinson, Angharad Jenkins, Molly Furnival-Doran and Rachel Hughes in a rock-solid defensive wall. The team is coached by her dad Mark and Mike Lewis, whose daughters Hayley and Hannah slot into the midfield alongside Angharad James and Leanna Jacobs, with Helen McDonagh and Marie Griffiths up front. They really do well for each other and the results are there for all to see.
Early start
When she was only 12 years of age Ffion was already a regular member of the Pembrokeshire under 15 and 16 team, after Ffion started her own involvement when she used to watch dad play in the twilight of a long and distinguished career: at least she travelled with him but then spent all her time playing football behind the goal with the young boys at Lawrenny, quite willing to stand in between two coats and save their shots.
At eight years of age Ffion was playing in goal for Helen Matthews’ under 10 team at Pembroke Borough, playing in the indoor league and ending as runners-up to Goodwick United. She was well looked after at London Road until she joined Kilgetty, where Gail Thomas looked after her well in the under 12 and under 15 teams, even turning out for the ladies’ team in friendly matches, looked after by Emma Rowley and Carrie Slack, but too young to play competitively for them.
Continental trophy winner
Since she was ten years old Ffion has also been in the Pembrokeshire Academy side, coached by Gerry Rigby and Carrie Slack, which as the Pembrokeshire Panthers has enjoyed real success in winning the Aberystwyth tournament and earning entry to a top girls’ tournament at Bruges, in Belgium. Ask Ffion about both tournaments and she says,
“We won 2-1 in the final at Aber after giving away an own goal, and the only goal that we had against us in Belgium was also an own goal in our section as we won two and drew one of our matches to reach the final.”
Mark was thrilled by that match:
“Their performance was outstanding, with wonderful passages of play.
All the parents were thrilled and a 3-0 win over FC Bruges was no more than they deserved.”
Ffion was called into the Welsh Development squad afterwards as one of a group of Pembrokeshire lasses, also including Angharad James, Molly Doran; Hannah Lewis, Marie Griffiths and Angharad Jenkins who were then too young for competitive matches at international level but were ear-marked for the under 15/16 team in the future.
Other sports
Not content with her football, Ffion has also taken up hockey and netball in comprehensive school, with mum Julie taking her to play for Pembroke Ladies under 15 team, playing anywhere (except in goal!) and for the school’s netball team as a goal shooter, scoring goals instead of saving them!
She has also taken up cricket recently and has already been invited as a medium pace bowler for Welsh trials at her age level in Newport alongside team-mate Rhiannon Morgan.
Football still her favourite
But football is still her favourite sport and one of her more memorable moments came when Wales Ladies took on their counterparts from Germany in the World Cup and she acted as a ball girl. It was a real treat to watch the eventual world champs and an even bigger thrill afterwards when German keeper Nadine Angerer gave Ffion her gloves, suitably signed. Nadine later saved a penalty in the World Cup final against Brazil and Ffion admits,
“Nadine was brilliant and my ambition would be to play for Wales in the final and also save a penalty in a Welsh win.”
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