Presteigne St Andrews FC had a tough weekend in which they suffered two heavy MMP Central Wales South defeats, but the general view is that the young squad is learning from the experiences.
The Friday-night game at Radnor Valley was always likely to be a big ask, not least because of the time frames involved in making it to Radnor and warming up ahead of a 6.15pm kick off.
So it proved as Presteigne conceded four times in each half on their way to an eight-nil defeat.
It was then a quick turn around to play at home against Hay St Marys on Monday, 29 August.
Again, this was to prove a difficult afternoon against a very useful Hay side but the overall view was that Corin Jones’ side stepped up their performance levels although they finished on the wrong end of a six-nil scoreline.
It was always likely to be a steep learning curve this season, but full credit to the players for digging in and never giving up in either game.
The departure of around eight players after the first match of the season has clearly impacted on the squad, but the management team and the committee remain firmly behind the young squad and remain confident that things will improve as the season goes on.
After all, it’s a fair bet the both Radnor Valley and Hay St Marys will be up towards the top of the table come the end of the season, so this was always going to be a demanding weekend for the squad.
Onwards and upwards – up next for the first team will be a home tie against Tregaron Turfs in the first round of the FAW Amateur Trophy on Saturday, 3 September.