Newtown continue to blood young talent
Newtown will keep continuing to blood youngsters from their academy after handing a first start to teenager Scott Moncrieff in their defeat to Airbus on Saturday.
The Robins have built their side around key senior players this season but the majority of come from the club's academy.
On Saturday, 17-year-old Moncrieff, who played a handful of times for Barmouth and Dyffryn before joining the Robins academy, was handed his first start in North Wales.
It comes after being involved with the first team set up at number for a number of months.
Aiden McCann, another graduate of the club's academy who has become a key figure in the side this season, was also in the starting line-up at Airbus.
On the bench they also had 18-year-old Andrei Nazaru and Charlie Smith who came through from under 16s, while Harri Howells, who has been in the squad for some time has been at the club since under 12 level.
And 16-year-old Griff Sedgewick was handed a debut on Saturday, who joined the club from Aberystwyth Town as a 13-year-old.
And manager Nathan Leonard insisted he will continue to keep bringing the young players through.
He said: "We are hoping to keep recruiting for the academy and getting these lads through, Harri, Charlie and Scott starting, it is great for them.
"I hate losing games of football but these lads will benefit massively this season and I am proud of all of them, I can't fault their efforts.
"Against Airbus we conceded three sloppy goals and if we don't concede them then we probably don't lost the game, but that is the difference unfortunately.
"But I couldn't be prouder of them."
Attention now turns back to the league for Newtown as they travel to Holywell Town and look to address their awful league form and stay in touch with the promotion spots.
Leonard said: "Holywell is a tough one, then Guilsfield the week after. We will set up to hurt them and hopefully we can go and get a win."
It has been a bad run of form in the league for Newtown whose last victory in the league came way back in early November away at Mold.
Since then they suffered a last gasp equaliser against Holywell to draw 202.
They were beaten 2-1 at local rivals Guilsfield, before again conceded late having been 1-0 up against fellow Mid Wales side Penrhyncoch.
Then came a 3-0 thumping at home to Airbus and a defeat to Caersws and it hasn't gotten any better.
They have won games in the cup - they went down 1-0 to Denbigh Town in their last league game in late January.
