PURE SWANSEA: ‘I didn’t even know I’d make my first appearance’: Mason Kelly on reaching 100 games

Mason Kelly was 16 when he played his first game of senior football for Pure Swansea. He never imagined he would reach 100.

Kelly brought up his 100th appearance for the club in the 5-5 draw at Afan Lido.

“I’m happy. I didn’t even know I was going to make my first appearance, to be honest,” he said.

“John used to scare me”: Mason Kelly’s nervous debut at 16

He remembers that first game well. “Yeah, very well, actually. I was 16 and it was my first game in senior football. It was a crazy experience, to be honest,” he said.

Kelly had just been released by Newport when he arrived. “It was with John Beale at the time. Jack [Midwinter] was the assistant manager, I remember, because John used to scare me at the time. I was so nervous about the game.”

“My mentality has improved” under Jack Midwinter

Jack Midwinter is now the manager, and Kelly says he has helped him grow up as a player. “Jack brought me in when I was 16. I literally just left Newport. I was from an academy environment,” he said.

“The last few years, he’s just helped me. Mostly my mentality has improved. Since he’s took over as well, it’s been a massive change. It’s been great.”

A title, and two goals in a cup final

Kelly was part of the side that won the league last season, and that beat Caerphilly in the Ardal South League Cup final.

“It was unbelievable. The day we won the league was one of the best days of my life. It was amazing and then the cup final was a mad experience because at the end of the day it’s a cup final,” he said.

It wasn’t his first final win. “We’ve won it before. We won it in my first year and I scored two that year in the final, so to do it again, it was brilliant.”

Wales in Bosnia with Casey Coughlin

Kelly went to Bosnia with Coughlin and Dan Ingram in September, when Wales’ regions side won their UEFA Regions’ Cup group games.

“It was a mad experience. I wouldn’t recommend Bosnia for anyone travelling. But it was amazing just to go away with Wales gear, go out there and play for your country. It was a surreal experience,” he said.

Casey Coughlin is the team-mate he rates highest. “Casey’s up there. I’ve played with Casey now for three seasons. He’s brilliant, to be fair. He’s a quality player. But he’s also a great laugh as well.”

“I didn’t realise he was that good”: learning from Kyle Copp

Summer signing Kyle Copp, now Pure’s top scorer, has made an impression. “Copp has been amazing. I’ve been saying to all the boys, I didn’t realise he was that good. He is an amazing footballer. But to be fair, he’s an even better bloke,” Kelly said.

“I’ve learned so much from him already. A lot of the things, it’s not just on the field, it’s off the field as well. How to conduct yourselves and just the general footballing life that you don’t really know about as a young lad.”

Midfield, with Lund and Hughes behind him

Kelly says midfield is where he wants to play, behind a front three that does the rest. “I play midfield, I prefer playing in there. The front three are brilliant. It’s so easy to play with them because they can make stuff happen on their own.”

He picked out Jacob Lund. “Lundy’s unbelievable. He’s a great footballer. Sometimes it’s those kinds of players who don’t get recognised, don’t get seen, and they really help a team.”

And captain Jordan Hughes gets some stick, and some credit. “I’m always joking about him not being able to play football sometimes, but he is very good, Jordan. He is excellent.”

“The pressure is on every other team”

Pure are top of the Novira Cymru South and unbeaten in the league, but Kelly won’t accept the favourites tag. “It’s just about taking one game at a time. There’s no point in thinking about what’s going to happen months and months later,” he said.

“I still don’t think there’s any pressure on us. We’ve just been promoted. I still think the pressure is on every other team.”

Three games in eight days

Pure have no game this weekend after their Welsh Cup exit to Trethomas in the first round.

They then play three games in eight days: Treowen Stars at Swansea Bay Sports Park on Saturday 24 October (2.30pm), Carmarthen Town at home on Wednesday 28 October (7.30pm), and Ynyshir on Saturday 31 October (2pm).