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This is the story of the brave lads of Victoria Road, and their attempt to conquer Europe in the 21st century. However, as the 2002-3 season started off, it was clear that much work remained to be done.
Preseason 02-03
A slew of matches against comparable English and Welsh sides gave confidence to the boys in blue, with notable victories over Kidderminster, Hereford, and Neath (away). Away losses to Newport County and RTB Ebbw Vale completed the preseason run, and did little to discourage the lads in their quest for glory.
Preseason can be deceiving, however, and the away losses were a harbinger of things to come.
Season 02-03, Part I
A string of away losses kicked off the season for the Port Talbot Town side, casting a large shadow over the lofty aspirations of their ardent supporters.
After a solid thrashing in the first leg of the League Cup 1st Round away to Bangor City, the first victory of the regular season was secured with a close 1-0 win in the friendly confines of Victoria Road. Though the win was far from enough to secure advancement in the Cup, it was a boost to the side's low morale.
Their confidence beginning to rise, Port Talbot stole away with 3 points at home to Flexsys Cefn Druids thanks to an injury time strike from a promising young forward from Barry, his first of the season.
A solid run of play in the League ensued, only to come crashing to a halt when Haverfordwest managed to score 4 goals in the dying minutes of a tight match at Bridge Meadow.
Alternating between meager highs and devastating lows, the boys in blue march on.
The theme of the early season has continued, stunningly bad form away from the confines of Victoria Road, and solid results within. The fortunes of fate are with us at the moment, however, as the rest of the league seems to be suffering from the same fate.
Thus, after 25 games, we find ourselves sitting 5th in the LoW, with a record of 12-5-8. You can never be sure which team will show, however...
A rash of injuries has plagued the side, forcing a number of untested youth into action. Several have responded quite well, taking some of the bite away from 3 announced retirements. In the end, however, my only consistent player has been my top striker, who leads the league in goals scored.
Other highlights include:
-An amazing 5-3 win at home to Aberystwyth Town, who was sitting at the top of the table at the time (now Barry Town). Absolutely no defense played the entire game...wonderful!
-First job offer received from Connah's Quay, who is sitting at 16th in the LoW. Declined, obviously.
Goals for the remainder of the season:
-Top 5 finish. There are six teams currently within 5 points of the boys in blue. This is a better position than a few weeks ago, when 10 teams were within 4 points of each other.
-Stop hemmoraging money. Due to a loss in the 3rd Round of the Welsh Cup, I have had little revenue and am running deep in the red.
-Prepare for a run at the top next season. This may be a bit optimistic, but when on form, we're capable of challenging for the title. Will need to make some signings on free, however.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kfoolmoon:
The first "real" update \o/. It looks good, KUTGW!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
As with the entire season, the final run-up was as expected - rocky, yet good in the end.
Despite several rough losses, Port Talbot was in sight of a second-place finish with 2 games left. The last matchday of the season was a great one for scoreboard-watchers, as halftime saw 3 teams tied for 2nd place: Port Talbot, Cefn Druids, and Aberystwyth Town.
Alas, it was not to be, as within minutes of the restart Cefn Druids had pulled out of a 1-1 tie and Talbot's right back was shown his second yellow of the day (while defending a 3-2 lead). So, Talbot settled for 3rd (on goal difference over Aberystwyth), and were left to wonder what might have been...so many carelessly lost points thanks to erratic form...
Highlights and other notes:
-Barry Town ran away from the rest of the league, as expected.
-Top goalscorer award goes to my top striker, thanks to a brace on the final matchday
-Parma wins the UEFA Cup 1-0 over Liverpool
-Juventus wins the Champions League 2-1 in extra time over Juventus
-Job offer from carsws, who barely avoided relegation. Declined.
-Several promising youngsters have been promoted. A few appear to be capable of stepping in quite quickly, but we'll have to see how they perform in the pre-season.
Goals for the off-season and next year:
-Make 1-2 signings on free. My budget is still a disaster, in the red with, for all intents and purposes, a non-existant transfer fund.
-Top 5 finish in the league. It is hoped that some semblance of consistency will eventually settle in, but I won't hold my breath.
-Solid showing in the Inter-Toto Cup. We drew Valletta (Malta) in the first round.
Port Talbot Town FC - A Welsh Tale 
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