Cymru C travel to England C tonight (Tuesday 21 March, 19:45) in what will be the fourth International Challenge Match between the two sides.
The Squad
Manager Mark Jones has selected a 20-man squad from the JD Cymru Leagues, with 10 different clubs represented.
JD Cymru Premier champions The New Saints have the joint-most players included in the squad with four: Connor Roberts, Danny Davies, Leo Smith and Gwion Dafydd. There is also a Cardiff Met quartet selected: Emlyn Lewis, Kyle McCarthy, Tom Price and Sam Jones.
Connah’s Quay Nomads midfielder Aeron Edwards and Barry Town United forward Kayne Mclaggon have both been named in a fifth consecutive Cymru C squad, while Mclaggon is the first ever JD Cymru South player to be selected.
13 of the squad have previously earned call-ups, while there are seven new faces – including teenagers Gwion Dafydd and Josh Williams.
Manager’s Thoughts
“I am very happy with the dynamic of the group. There are a couple of youngsters who have come in and shone in training, the players from last year who have earned their re-call and a couple of new faces around the place. Camp has been fantastic. Training has been excellent, the coaching has been excellent and we are really looking forward to it. We are prepared as well as we can be.”
Mark Jones, Manager
The Opposition
England C are once again managed by former Stevenage and Barnet boss Paul Fairclough, who has been in charge since 2003.
Fairclough selected 16 players from the Vanarama National League for the fixture, with a ‘one player per club’ rule in place.
It has been all change since last year, with Solihull Moors midfielder Joe Sbarra the only England C player remaining from their 4-0 defeat.
Notts County striker Macauley Longstaff, the top scorer in the Vanarama National League this season, was originally called up but has since withdrawn as a precaution. Wrexham’s Sam Dalby is also out through illness.
Nonetheless, players like Maidenhead United forward Emile Acquah and Halifax defender Jesse Debrah remain, while Altrincham’s Josh Lundstram will be keen to play in front of a home crowd.
Last Meeting
Following a 3-2 loss in 2018 and a 2-2 draw in 2019, Cymru C defeated England C for the first time with an emphatic 4-0 victory at The Oval in Caernarfon last year.
All four goals came in the first half as Aeron Edwards and Will Evans both netted twice in a blistering display.
The Venue
Tuesday night’s fixture takes place at the J.Davidson Stadium, home of Vanarama National League club Altrincham FC.
Traditionally named Moss Lane, it has been the home of the Robins since 1910 and has an official capacity of 7,873.
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online on the Altrincham FC website, priced at £7 for adults and £2 for under 18s. They can also be purchased on the gate.
Live Coverage
The match will be streamed live by S4C on Sgorio’s digital channels and your smart TV. Welsh language (accessed here) and English language (accessed here) commentary are both available.
ENGLAND C V CYMRU C
- Tuesday 21 March 2023
- 7:45pm
- J.Davidson Stadium, Altrincham
- Buy Tickets
- Live coverage on Sgorio
