Under 8’s

Local derby day vs Connahs Quay. Great performances by all the players involved. We started the first 15 minutes a bit slow, but really got into the Airbus way pressing high and moving the ball well creating lots of chances. The team were unfortunate not to have got many more goals but with some great saves from the opposition keepers and lots of opportunities flying by the game came to an end. Some great wins and good positives to take away for training and into the next game.

Player of the week

Owain Jones for his positive attitude throughout the game, putting in some great battles to win the ball back but also being clinical in front of goal and getting his reward.

Under 9’s

v Wigan Athletic

Fast, frantic and competitive half term.

An action-packed afternoon saw 80 minutes of intense, high-energy football, with both sides playing at a relentless tempo and producing some excellent attacking football.

Game 1 | 3–3

The opening encounter was a breathless, end-to-end contest, with both teams looking to attack at every opportunity. The pace was relentless, with quick transitions, plenty of physical battles and chances being created at both ends.

Daniel Jones got Airbus off to a flying start, opening the scoring with a top corner strike that gave the Wigan goalkeeper little chance. Jones continued to cause problems for the opposition defence throughout, adding a second goal to his tally.

Albert McComb produced a moments of quality game, picking up possession and embarking on an excellent driving run towards goal, before finishing with a low, drilled effort into the bottom corner.

Airbus continued to play on the front foot, looking dangerous whenever they moved the ball forward. The attacking pressure was relentless at times, with McComb and Archie Adams both desperately unlucky not to add to the scoreline as their powerful efforts crashed against the woodwork.

Despite the attacking opportunities, Wigan posed a constant threat themselves, making this a real test of Airbus’s defensive organisation and concentration. With the game swinging from one end to the other, Dewi Noonan was called upon on several occasions, producing a number of smart stops to deny the visitors.

Neither side was prepared to settle, with the intensity remaining high right through to the final whistle. A thoroughly entertaining 3–3 draw that showcased some excellent attacking football, individual quality and tremendous energy from both teams.

Game 2 | 2–1 Airbus

The second encounter was equally intense, with neither side able to break the deadlock before half-time.

Oli Lucas-Turpin and Seth Rowett were excellent defensively, showing determination and composure under pressure, while Zach Pierce and Oakley Joinson combined brilliantly on several occasions, using clever angled passes to create attacking opportunities.

Wigan eventually broke the deadlock with a superb strike into the top corner, leaving Noonan with absolutely no chance.

Airbus responded positively. McComb was brought down, and the resulting free kick was driven home emphatically by Jones to level the scores.

Deep into the second half, McComb showed tremendous determination to chase what looked a lost cause, keeping the ball alive and pulling it back for Jones, who reacted quickest to convert the rebound and secure the victory.

Adams, Joinson and Lucas-Turpin all went close to extending the lead, only to be denied by some excellent Wigan goalkeeping.

A hugely competitive and physical afternoon of football, packed with attacking intent, individual quality and excellent determination from both sides.

The intensity never dropped, with players showing great energy, resilience and a willingness to compete throughout the full 80 minutes.

Player of the Match

Daniel Jones

An outstanding attacking performance, scoring four goals across the two games, including the decisive winner in the second encounter. Clinical finishing and a constant threat in front of goal.

Airbus Academy v Playmakers Academy

Friday night saw us make the short trip to Chester to take on Playmakers Academy in what proved to be a fantastic evening of fast-paced, attacking football.

Playing off the boards presented a different challenge for the players, demanding quick reactions, sharp movement and intelligent use of space.

We started at a really high intensity, although our play was a little rough around the edges initially. A quick reminder to stay composed in possession, trust our ability on the ball and move it into space soon made a huge difference.

From that point onwards, some of our football was absolutely outstanding!

The players began to put together some brilliant passages of possession, creating triangles, combining with quick one-touch passing and moving the ball intelligently around the pitch. The movement off the ball was equally impressive, with players constantly finding space and creating options for one another.

We scored some unbelievable team goals, with the quality of our attacking play a real highlight of the evening. In fairness to the Playmakers goalkeeper, he produced a string of outstanding saves to keep the scoreline remotely respectable!

What was particularly pleasing was seeing the players adapt to a different environment, settle into the game and demonstrate the confidence to play our football despite the intensity and limited space.

Player of the Match

Harrison Mouzakitis

An absolutely superb performance from Harrison, whose incredible footwork, close control and ability to retain possession under pressure were a joy to watch. Time and again, he found a way out of tight situations, showing great composure and technical quality throughout.

Another excellent experience for the players and plenty of positives to take away. Some really exciting football on display

v Connah’s Quay Nomads

A dominant display from the Airbus youngsters against Nomads, producing some outstanding football across 4 x 20-minute periods.

The quality of our possession was particularly pleasing, with the players moving the ball superbly at times, creating passing triangles and constantly working into space to provide options for one another. Some excellent combinations, intelligent movement and positive forward play allowed us to create numerous goalscoring opportunities.

Equally impressive was our reaction whenever possession was lost. The intensity and desire to win the ball back was ferocious, with players pressing together, closing down space and refusing to give Nomads time to settle. This high-energy approach resulted in several goals from winning possession back high up the pitch.

There were some fantastic team goals too, with quick passing combinations, clever movement off the ball and players showing real confidence to play positively rather than simply taking the easiest option.

What stood out most was the balance between our composure in possession and our aggression out of it. The players demonstrated a real understanding of the principles we’ve been working on in training, and it was brilliant to see those ideas coming together in a match environment.

Player of the Match

Jack Payne

A thoroughly impressive team performance with plenty of quality, intensity and attacking football on display.

Under 10’s

Airbus Academy v Connah’s Quay Nomads

An excellent performance from the boys today.

Some fantastic passages of play, great teamwork and some brilliant goals, both scored and created.

It’s particularly pleasing to see the continued development of the players, both individually and as a team. Their confidence, understanding and decision-making are improving, and it’s great to see them starting to gel, build relationships and put what they’re learning into practice on the pitch.

A big well done to all our boys for their effort, attitude and continued progress.

So many positives to take away. Keep working hard, keep learning and keep enjoying your football!

Players of the week

Austin Wardle
Callum Bailey
Zak Shields

Under 11’s

Airbus Academy v Playmakers Academy

Wednesday night saw us make the short trip to Chester to take on Playmakers Academy who had a mix of U11/U12 and a couple of U13 players in their 18 man squad.

With a unfamiliar rule set for our lads it took a while to get to grips with playing off the boards, playmakers start the game well with their big striker a handful for our defence.

We wanted to press them high and cut out the spaces which playmakers managed to play through our 2-3-1 formation using their big striker sitting on the edge of our area to play off.

Playmakers scored a couple of quick fire goals midway through the first half, we kept trying to play our game press high and force playmakers into making mistakes which ended up with us going in at 2-2 after the first 20

Second 20 we started slowly and conceded 4 quickfire goals not reacting to rebounds off the boards but the lads kept trying to move the ball into space and created a few more chances and with a high press finally got our reward with 3 quickfire goals from persistent pressure forcing mistakes high up the pitch., with time almost at an end we managed to find an equaliser from quick one touch passing with a tap in from Archie taking us in 6-6.

We swapped the groups and continued with our gameplan, we moved the ball a bit quicker sometimes a bit more direct, we started to take control of the game creating more scoring opportunities and keeping possession when we wanted to slow the game down, a couple of goals saw us go ahead for the first time.

Final 20 min we decided to try 1-2-2-1 with this change we forced playmakers to go long with the pressure from our 3 attacking players with the 2 in midfield close behind we overran the playmakers defence and started to score consistently finishing with a convincing win.

Very good performance with a new rule set and players 1 and 2 years above which the lads dealt with well after a tough start.

Man Of The Match

Noah Reid

Connah’s Quay Nomads v Airbus Academy

Saturday Morning an 8v8 fixture with Connah’s Quay in 9v9 goals

We wanted to press them high with a compact 3 midfield to try and force Connah’s Quay to go wide, our 2-3-2 formation with nomads setting up 2-4-1

A strong Start from us push nomads back deep in their half we managed to force a couple of corners and looked quite comfortable dominating the ball until a hopeful through ball somehow ended up from a mix up between our keeper and defender. From that first goal we struggled to stamp our authority again with our midfield be overrun with nomads having the extra man in midfield and scored another 3 times in the first 20.

Second 20 we changed formation to match them, we kept trying to play our football and got our reward early through Fin Walker with a lovely finish into the far corner, we tried to push for a second goal and we conceded a couple more poor goals from our decision making.

Third quarter we started to go more direct and player off Shepherd as a target man from our defenders to beat nomads high press and we started to create a lot more chances and could have got a couple of goals back but still a better performance.

Final 20 min we had our best quarter we continued with the more direct approach and had a few more chances to score before Seth got our deserved 2nd goal, more chances followed with the Nomads keeper having to make numerous saves but very much improved end to the game.

A Tough start but once we got to grips with their gameplan we started to create a lot more opportunities, more time in their half of the pitch.

Player of the Match

Shepherd Jackson

Under 12’s

Airbus Academy 2-10 Caernarfon Town

Airbus Under 12’s welcomed Caernarfon Town on a drizzly morning at the Hollingsworth Group Stadium.

They started the game very well with intensity on and off the ball, which is the instructions they were given before the game.

Reggie Dean was starting his first game for the young wingMakers and he had a shot from the half way line which beat the keeper and put us 1-0 up.

They doubled their lead on 15 minutes as a good ball from James Goodall into space was run on to by Connah Lewis-Speed and he dispatched his effort across the goal keeper into the back of the net from a tight angle.

The visitors started to get back into the game as they reacted to going two goals down. They went on to score 6 goals, where a few came from set pieces and we spoke to the group about taking control in the box and using communication to take charge.

The second half was pretty much the same, every ricochet fell to the visitors, there were some good patterns of play as Roux Ithell and Dylan Rowe linked up well down the right. There was also some good through balls for Connah to run onto.

This group of a new set of players and with time they will gel as a team and start getting their rewards

Player of the match

Hudson Reilly

Hudson did well in his defence role and his reading of the game was excellent as he stopped a few attacks by the visitors, also throwing his body on the line with last minute blocks. His effort in possession was also very good as he linked up well with his team mates.

Under 13’s

Airbus Academy 3 – 6 Caernarfon Town

We hosted Caernarfon at Hollingworth Stadium for a hotly‑contested top‑of‑the‑table 13:30 kick‑off. These two sides fought for the title last season, so we knew this would be a stern test.

We suffered a last minute blow before kick off when Willo our goalkeeper fell ill and could not play and we wish him a speedy recovery. A huge thank you goes to U1nder 2 player James, who stepped in at short notice and delivered a solid performance for the team.

First Half

The opening stages were tight and evenly matched, with few clear‑cut chances for either side. Caernarfon were dangerous from set pieces, before breaking the deadlock after we failed to clear the ball from our penalty area. We responded well to draw level at 1‑1: Kian set up Tyler, who finished calmly. Defensive mistakes then allowed Caernarfon to retake the lead, and we were denied an equaliser when our strike hit the crossbar. Caernarfon added a controversial third goal that appeared clear offside to make it 3‑1 at half‑time.

Second Half

We started the second half brilliantly, creating several good chances and pulling one back through Mason Rimmer after a superb assist from Grayson to make it 3‑2. A ten‑minute spell of lost concentration cost us three avoidable goals to fall 6‑2, an area we will prioritise in defensive training. We rallied late to score our third goal through Kai after a brilliant skill after an assist from Blake, but it was not enough to turn the game around.

Summary

Caernarfon earned their victory as a strong, hard‑working side. While the result is disappointing, there are many positives: every player gave full effort, fought for every ball and kept competing right to the final whistle. We will learn from this match and keep improving as a squad.

Players of the Week

Grayson Stead

Outstanding all season, never dropping his high standard. He consistently gives more than 100% in training and matches, plays with huge passion and is a true on‑pitch leader. Well done, Grayson.

Mason Davey

Fully deserving of this recognition. He was excellent in training this week, gave maximum effort and fought for every ball against a high‑calibre opposition. Mason made consistently smart decisions throughout the game, built on his goal in the previous fixture and produced another strong performance today. Great work, Mason.

Under 15’s

Airbus Academy 2 - 4 Caernarfon Town

The Under 15’s continued their academy league fixtures with a trip to Caernarfon Town FC on a surprisingly sunny autumn morning. The young Wingmakers were looking at continuing with their improvement in performances but knew also that Caernarfon would be a tough challenge on the day.

Airbus started well, with the midfield of Henry Jones, Jamie Evans and Mared Lloyd finding space through the middle of the pitch, and it was a combination with these players that resulted in the first good chance of the game as Henry had a shot from outside of the area, which was comfortably saved by the Caernarfon keeper. As the game progressed, Airbus were starting to get success down the flanks of Caernarfon, especially down the left hand side where Airbus winger Daffydd Edwards was a constant threat, creating several chances for the Wingmakers and it was from this side that the first goal of the game came, after Mared was found in space from a pass from Henry Carter,and some good interplay with Daffydd saw the ball played to Jamie Evans in the area who finished excellently for Airbus to take the lead, which they took into half time .

After the Break, the hosts came out with a renewed vigour and were pressing Airbus with a lot more intensity in our defensive areas. The change in approach caught Airbus off guard and an equaliser came five minutes in when a corner was not defended correctly, allowing Caernarfon to poke the ball home. A second goal came shortly after Airbus were caught in possession when trying to build from the back and Caernarfon were quicker to a rebound after Airbus Goalkeeper, Alfie Gibson, had made a good save. Going behind unsettled the Airbus team, and their usual attempt at controlling possession disappeared, as they were forcing balls forward trying to get back into the game. It was further lack of concentration on set pieces that allowed the hosts to extend their lead, one from another corner and a fourth goal from a deep free-kick that cleared our defence, allowing the Caernarfon striker to lob Alfie.

A consolation goal came in the latter stages for Airbus when Jacob Mountain produced an excellently weighted pass for Leo Killick to run onto and finish cooly.

Overall, Airbus played some good football, especially in the first half but lack of concentration and crucial attention to details cost the team goals that could be avoided.

Player of the week

Mared Lloyd

Mared showed excellent game intelligence with forward runs, finding space and bringing other players into play.

Under 16's

The Under 16's travelled to Caernarfon for the 10am KO

The lads started brightly, had good possession and looked to put their in possession principles into play.

Harri Bloomfield opened the scoring for the young wingmakers with a fine finish in off the post after both Ethan Jones and Cameron Hughes had gone close.

We then had 2 excellent chances to put the game to bed but failed to score either.

Unfortunately a defensive error cost us again which allowed Caernarfon to equalise which was disappointing as we were in complete control of the game.

1-1 @ half time and the lads had played well, they looked forward to the second half.

We again played well and looked to take the game to Caernarfon only for our opponents to be awarded a goal that was offside.

We equalised soon after through a Charlie Wild penalty and it was all to play for.

Mason Sieminski travelled well with the ball and played a finely weighted pass in to Sam Williams who slid the ball home nicely into the bottom corner.

A fine goal but unfortunately not the winner - as Caernarfon grabbed a last minute equaliser when we failed to deal with the 2nd phase from another long ball.

Overall a frustrated team at the end of the game, however the lads deserved at least a draw and were unlucky not to gain all 3 points.

Player of the week

Harry Delap

Great that Harry got 80 minutes under his belt & played well in 2 positions both in and out of possession.

Under 19's

Airbus Development v Caernarfon Town

A frustrating afternoon for our young Airbus Development side, as a game we controlled for large periods ultimately ended in a disappointing 3-0 defeat.

The first half was completely dominated by Airbus, with the lads controlling possession, dictating the tempo and creating opportunities. However, despite being the better side, we somehow found ourselves going into the break 1-0 down after Caernarfon converted their only real chance of the half.

Unfortunately, we didn’t come out with the same intensity in the second half, and a disappointing mistake gifted Caernarfon a second goal. Things went from bad to worse when a red card left us with ten men, before the opposition added a third.

A tough result to take, particularly after such a positive first-half performance. Plenty of lessons for this young group, especially around maintaining concentration, managing key moments and ensuring our performance levels remain consistent over 90 minutes.

SPECIAL MENTION

Elias Owolabi

A massive well done to Under 16 player Elias Owolabi, who came off the bench to make his debut for the U19s. Another fantastic example of the pathway within the academy and a great experience for Elias as he continues his development. Well done, Elias!

Player of the week

Finn Hayes

Finn is a fantastic young lad who produced a really mature performance on Sunday. He’s starting to build some real momentum and consistency in his game, and it’s brilliant to see his hard work and development coming together.

A player with a great attitude who thoroughly deserves the recognition this week.

Well done, Keano!

Reserves

Airbus Reserves 2-1 Mold

Fighting Until the Final Whistle!

A frustrating afternoon in front of goal for our young Airbus side, who created chance after chance but just couldn’t find that clinical finishing touch.

Airbus enjoyed plenty of attacking opportunities and played some good football in spells, but our inability to convert chances meant we made life much harder for ourselves than it needed to be.

Despite the frustration, the lads kept battling, showing determination, character and a real desire to keep pushing right until the final whistle.

There are plenty of positives to take from the performance, particularly the number of chances we created, but also some important lessons about being ruthless in front of goal.

Player of the week

Jack Davies

A massive well done to Jack Davies, who came off the bench and made a real impact on the game!

Jack is an incredible young man who thoroughly deserves this recognition. His attitude towards training, his willingness to learn and his constant desire to improve are a credit to him.

He’s one of those lads who is an absolute pleasure to have around the football club. Always positive, always working hard and always looking for ways to develop his game.

It’s fantastic to see that attitude rewarded with a strong contribution on the pitch.

Well done, Jack! Keep working hard and being yourself. A brilliant example to the rest of the group!