By James Dow

Ahead of today’s JD Cymru Premier MD1 encounter at the Ogi Bridge Meadow, we’ve taken a closer look at Penybont with Meet the Opposition!

History

Penybont FC were founded in 2013, following the merger of Bridgend Town and Bryntirion Athletic. Bridgend Town had the more illustrious history of the two sides, winning the English Southern League in 1979-80, whilst also reaching the semi finals of the Welsh Cup on two occasions. In the Bont’s debut season, they finished in third place, behind Monmouth Town and Taff’s Well, and spent six seasons in the second division of Welsh football before finishing as champions during the 2018-19 season, which saw them gain promotion to the Cymru Premier in what was a season where they went undefeated, winning 25 of their 30 matches.

Penybont avoided relegation with their first season in the top-flight being cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which meant the league was decided on a points-per-game basis, which was superior to both Carmarthen Town and Airbus UK Broughton after 25 games. Penybont have since established themselves as a top side in the division, reaching the final of the JD Welsh Cup in 2021-22, where they were narrowly beaten 3-2 by The New Saints at the Cardiff City Stadium. The following season saw Penybont finish third in the league, and due to Bala Town’s defeat in the Welsh Cup final, meant that third place resulted in automatic qualification to the following season’s UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round, which saw the Bont face Andorran side Santa Coloma, losing 3-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 home draw in the first leg and a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes in the second, with Griffiths’ side conceding two goals in extra time. Penybont tasted European football once again this summer, facing off against Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris, after recording a second place finish in the JD Cymru Premier last season.

Form

Penybont had a tough time in Europe this summer, losing 4-1 over two legs against Kauno Žalgiris. They did, however, manage to pick up a 1-1 draw in the home leg at the International Sports Stadium in Cardiff. The Bont made a strong start to their Nathaniel MG Cup campaign last week, picking up a 6-1 away victory against Cymru South side Trefelin at Ynys Park.

Manager

Rhys Griffiths joined Penybont in 2016 in a player-manager role, and enjoyed promotion to the JD Cymru Premier in his second season with the club. The ex-forward enjoyed 11 years in the Welsh domestic system, playing for the likes of Carmarthen Town, Llanelli Town, Port Talbot Town and the Bluebirds. Griffiths’ most successful time came at Llanelli Town, where he won the golden boot twice in two seasons, scoring 30 and 40 goals respectively.

His fantastic goalscoring record saw him sign his first professional contract in 2012, when he joined Plymouth Argyle. He scored on his league debut in a 3-2 against Northampton Town. Griffiths made 11 appearances for the Pilgrims, scoring three goals before moving back to Wales and joining non-league side Newport County. Griffiths spent one year at the Exiles, and while suffering with injuries during his time there, he was part of the side that won promotion to League Two when they beat Wrexham 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to return to the Football League after a 25-year absence. The forward then returned to Wales and rejoined Port Talbot. Griffiths also had one season at Aberystwyth Town before joining Penybont as player-manager a year later. So far, the 45-year-old has managed 227 matches for Penybont, winning 99 times and having a points per game of 1.52. He also picked up the JD Cymru Premier Manager of the Year award for the 2022-23 season.

Captain

Kane Owen has been an ever-present for Penybont since joining them in 2016, making 200 appearances and registering 24 goals and 47 assists across all competitions. The left back started his career at Cardiff City, before joining Afan Lido. Owen did not make an appearance for the JD Cymru South side, and soon after moved west to join Aberystwyth Town. He made six appearances for the Seasiders during the 2015-16 season and was picked up by Penybont the following summer.

Owen tasted success in 2018-19, not only with Penybont when they gained promotion to the JD Cymru Premier, but also won a league and cup double with the University of South Wales while also picking up the Best Male Sportsperson award for USW that season.

The 30-year-old took over the captaincy during the 2020-21 season, and led his team out on the European stage during the 2023-24 campaign when they faced Andorran side FC Santa Coloma in the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round. Owen also appeared in both European games against Kauno Žalgiris from the bench. The defender has also made three international appearances for Cymru C, with his most recent coming in a 1-0 win against England C in March 2024.

Key players

Nathan Wood was a key player for the Bont last year in their campaign which saw them finish second in the JD Cymru Premier. The winger has had a great start to the season, scoring the Bont’s only goal in Europe after converting a penalty in their 1-1 draw against Kauno Žalgiris, while also scoring the final goal in last week’s 6-1 victory over Trefelin.

Wood was part of the Newport County academy set up until 2015, when he left to join Undy Athletic. The 28-year-old spent four years with the Monmouthshire side before joining Bont for his first spell at the club in 2019. He made 129 appearances during his first spell, scoring his first goals with a brace against Goyte United in the Nathaniel MG Cup. Wood’s successful spell earnt him a move back to his former side Newport County, where he would make 20 appearances for the Exiles, scoring one goal, while also making a late substitute appearance against Manchester United in a 4-2 FA Cup defeat back in 2024.

Wood also went out on loan to Ireland during his time with Newport, joining Cork City. He made 13 appearances for the League of Ireland side, registering two assists, including one on his debut in a 2-0 victory over Kerry. Wood then returned to Newport after his spell in Ireland before rejoining Penybont in the summer of 2024. The winger has also made two appearances for Cymru C, most recently making a 29-minute cameo off the bench during Cymru’s 1-0 loss to England C in March 2023.

Defender Ash Baker signed for Penybont in preparation for their European campaign this summer, from league champions The New Saints. The 28-year old started both European games for the Bont this season, and registered his first goal for the club in last week’s 6-1 victory over Trefelin in the Nathaniel MG Cup.

Baker spent the early part of his career in the professional scene, coming through the Cardiff City academy before joining Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, where he made his league debut on the final day of the 2017-18 season in a 5-1 victory over Norwich City, where he faced Tottenham star James Maddison and was directly up against Portsmouth key man Josh Murphy. Baker went on to make another 12 appearances for the Owls, before returning to Wales and joining League Two side Newport County. The defender spent a year and a half with the Exiles, making 12 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal in a 2-1 victory against Leyton Orient in the first round of the FA Cup in November 2020.

Baker then joined Cymru Premier side TNS, where he scored a memorable goal during his first season at the club, netting an equaliser in a 3-3 draw against his new club Penybont to wrap up the league title for the Saints. Baker made 69 appearances in all competitions and scored 15 goals during his time in Oswestry, while also playing a part in the Saints’ UEFA Conference League campaign last season. The defender also played for his country at youth level three times. He made his debut for Wales under-21’s in a 2-1 win against Liechtenstein, before facing a strong Portugal side four months later, packed with talent such as João Félix and Diogo Jota.

They wore both shirts

Bluebirds striker Ben Ahmun has quickly become a fan favourite at the Ogi Bridge Meadow since joining from Pontypridd United ahead of the 2024-25 season – but how many supporters know he spent two seasons at the DragonBet Stadium?

The striker spent his younger years playing in the local leagues before arriving at STM Sports. The forward had a fantastic 2019-20 season, scoring 13 times in 24 matches in all competitions in a memorable campaign for the club, who reached the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup whilst beating the likes of the Bluebirds, Newtown and Aberystwyth along the way.

Ahmun then joined the Bont the following season, testing himself for the first time in the JD Cymru Premier. The striker spent two seasons in Bridgend, scoring 11 goals in 54 across all competitions before moving to newly-promoted Pontypridd United in the summer of 2022, where he established himself as a top JD Cymru Premier striker. Ahmun spent two seasons with the Dragons, making 50 appearances and scoring 17 goals. Unfortunately, Ahmun was relegated with Pontypridd at the end of the 2023-24 season, but quickly found himself back in the JD Cymru Premier after Tony Pennock brought the forward down west to Pembrokeshire.

The 33-year-old finished as the Bluebirds’ top goalscorer last season, with 13 in 37 matches across all competitions, including a brace in a 3-1 victory against Caernarfon to guarantee the Bluebirds European football for the second time in three seasons. Ahmun then had his first taste of European football this summer, where he managed a goal in both legs of the defeat to Floriana while also grabbing a goal in the 5-0 win over Newport City in last weekend’s Nathaniel MG Cup second round encounter. The Bluebirds striker will hope to get his league campaign off to a positive start against his former club on Friday night.