Welsh Caps for Alaric and Charlie – and deserved recognition for coach Steve
When the Welsh Under 18 Academy football team travelled to Gibraltar to play two matches against their counterparts from ‘The Rock’ there were three Pembrokeshire representatives, two of them on the field and the other as one of the Welsh coaching staff.
Steve Batty (Haverfordwest County’s academy director) was making his national coaching debut after making a real impression over the last few seasons where he has developed a conveyor belt of talent into The Bluebirds’ senior squad – and he must have been pleased with the squad’s performance, especially the two local players.
Alaric first skipper from The Bluebirds – and Charlie scores a great goal!
Alaric Jones (Haverfordwest County) is just 17 and has been a regular in The Bluebirds’’ team which came second in the Welsh League - and used this experience to stand him in good stead as he was Wales’ skipper for both matches and was on the pitch the whole time at the heart of the defence as they won 3-0 in the first match and 2-0 in the second, two days later.
Charlie Davies hails from Goodwick and has also been a regular squad member for Haverfordwest County’s first team all season and after coming on in the first Welsh game he marked his debut with a terrific goal that had ‘class’ written all over it.
It earned him a starting slot in the second match and he played for the majority of that success – and both young players will surely gain further international honours in the near future.
Cap presentation at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium
They were presented with their Welsh caps at the Haverfordwest County Presentation Evening by club chairman David Hughes, who rightly praised all three local representatives for bringing honour to the club.
Also in attendance for both matches in Gibraltar were members of the boys’ families, with Alaric’s parents Alison and Tony joined by his sister Alexys, alongside Charlie’s father Alun Davies and grandfather Neil Summers.