PURE SWANSEA: Teenager stars as reborn city club marks Cymru South return with 3-0 win

Pure Swansea began life back in the Cymru South with a 3-0 win away at Llantwit Major on Saturday.

The breakthrough came on the stroke of half-time, and it was worth waiting for. New signing Bradley Gibbings collected the ball inside his own half, carried it the length of the pitch, beat four players and slotted past the Llantwit Major goalkeeper — a fine solo goal from the winger.

Forward Casey Coughlin doubled the lead ten minutes into the second period, finishing coolly one-on-one after a defence-splitting through ball from attacking midfielder Mason Kelly.

Kelly then wrapped it up himself, scoring eight minutes from time to round off the afternoon.

The 19-year-old from the city was named the club’s man of the match after a goal and an assist on his Cymru South debut.

It caps a fast few months for the teenager, who was called up to represent South Wales against North Wales earlier this year. South Wales won, meaning Kelly will now represent Wales against other European federations.

The club described that as an achievement for player and club alike, and said Kelly had been “tremendous” over the past couple of seasons.

The win opens a season that looked improbable a year ago.

Known until recently as Swansea University Football Club, the side lost its funding last summer when the university withdrew support, leaving what the club calls a bleak outlook.

Swansea.com then took the club over, and it has since been rebuilt under the Pure Swansea name, with Jack Midwinter as manager.

Promotion followed immediately. The club won the Ardal South West league and cup double last season to climb back into the Cymru South, the second tier of Welsh football.

Recruitment this summer has mixed youth with experience, and the club says every player in the squad is from Swansea.

Among the additions is former Swansea City academy man Kyle Copp, who joined from Pontardawe Town this summer after a 32-goal season and started the game at Llantwit Major.

The stated ambition is a pathway running from the juniors through to the first team, rather than bringing in players from outside the city.

Next up is a trip to Baglan next Sunday.

The first home league game of the season comes with a complication. Pure Swansea will host Llanelli Town at Penybont’s ground, with improvement works still under way at Swansea Bay Sports Park in Sketty.

The club, which bills itself as the highest-ranked Swansea representative side in the Cymru leagues, has asked supporters to travel with them while the work is completed.

Pure Swansea XI

Kane Draper, Daniel Ingram, Harvey Chapman (Noah Osbourne 82), Jacob Lund, Jordan Hughes (c), Bradley Gibbings (Josh Cole 56), Jordan Lloyd-Evans (Ricky Kerr 74), Casey Coughlin (Ollie Roberts 74), Mason Kelly, Zac Brown (Morgan Wright 56), Kyle Copp.