MAESYRHANDIR Football Club will look to unearth more gems following a summer which saw three of its stars step up to a higher level.

The J T Hughes Montgomeryshire League side have bid farewell to Xavier Mattise, Phil Jones and Cenwyn Jones so far this summer.

Each have climbed two levels with Mattisse joining Berriew while Cenwyn Jones has been snapped up by Kerry with Phil Jones returning to Caersws.

Joint-manager Gary Jones was delighted the trio would be competing in the MMP-NL Mid Wales League One next season.

“As a club we are extremely proud to give young lads an opportunity to play and progress themselves,” said Jones.

“It is great to see players stepping up to tier three hoping to stake a starting place.

“We have had four lads in the last two seasons join MMP NL One clubs which underlines the work we are doing at Maesyrhandir Football Club.”

The club enjoyed a solid debut campaign in Honda Division One of the J T Hughes Montgomeryshire League and will be aiming to improve again this term.

The Purples have strengthened with Conrad Galloway, Jake Andrews and Liam Rimmer joining from Caersws and Joe Evans from Llanidloes Town as player coach.

Meanwhile former Welsh schoolboy international Ryan Cook is joined by Ethan Thomas in arriving from Abermule with Matty Jones joining from Kerry.

The club has also signed the previously unattached trio of Anthony Rogers, Dan Gibbs and Simon Wheatley to add further competition to the squad.

Meanwhile Kamal Lloyd-Jones, Lewis Andrews, Bob Rogers, James McMeekin, Jack Carroll and Rob Harvey have all re-signed for the new season.

Jones said: “The club is really looking forward to the season.

“We are still relatively new to the first division so the main aim is to solidify as club at this level and build on last season’s success and hopefully we can enjoy a few cup runs.”

Jones will jointly run the club alongside long serving clubman Jake Baker this season with summer signing Joe Evans stepping up as player-coach.

Jones said: “Jake has signed on to play but will be less involved this season as he makes the step up to jointly manage.”

Meanwhile the club will continue to play their home games at Newtown Football Club’s Latham Park next season.

“It’s a top class facility and the playing surface suits the football we try to play at Maesyrhandir,” said Jones. “Hopefully the club can look forward to seeing a few more supporters down to watch us next season and all would be guaranteed a warm welcome.”

The club has come along way since its re-forming in 2013 following 37 years in the wilderness.

Promotion to the Montgomeryshire League top flight was secured in 2017 and a step closer to the club’s long term goal of promotion to the MMP-NL Mid Wales League set-up.

Newtown has been unrepresented in the Mid Wales League since pyramid changed led to the removal of reserve sides.

Jones said: “Of course it would be fantastic to represent Newtown in the Mid Wales League.

“Newtown is Powys’ largest town by some distance and should certainly be represented in the Mid Wales League.

“However our aim for now is to keep on improving as a club and ensure we continue to provide opportunities for talented young players to step up the pyramid.”