Nomads under-19s clinch Development North title to set up Cardiff Met play-off with European football on the line
Connah’s Quay Nomads’ under-19s have won the FAW Development North title for a fifth time and will face Cardiff Met in a National Play-Off Final, with a UEFA Youth League place at stake for the winners.
The Nomads secured the title with a 6-1 win over Caernarfon Town at the beginning of April, then lifted the trophy after a 4-4 draw with The New Saints at The Poppies 3G on Sunday.
They finished the Development North season six points clear at the top and won 72% of their matches.
Cardiff Met won the FAW Development South title and will meet the Nomads in the play-off to determine the national champions.
The winners of that match will enter the UEFA Youth League, playing a two-legged tie against a European opponent.
The Nomads have previously won the National Play-Off Final, defeating Briton Ferry Llansawel on penalties in 2022/23, though the UEFA Youth League had not yet expanded to include all member association domestic youth champions at that point.
A date, venue and kick-off time for the play-off final have not yet been confirmed.
The under-19s are led by Anthony Weaver, who grew up in Connah’s Quay and has coached at the club’s academy for 14 years.
Captain Joe Bennett, 18, also from Connah’s Quay, came through the club’s academy from the under-15s and has made three senior appearances this season, two of them in the JD Cymru Premier.
“Winning this league means everything to the lads, the coaches and staff at the club,” Bennett said.
“It is what we have worked towards the whole year. Through a very demanding pre-season, a long season of training and games, finally lifting that trophy is a massive achievement for all of us.”
Bennett added: “We are buzzing with the achievement and all our focus switches straight to the National Final now. We know there is still more to come from us and we will continue to push ourselves every training session while also not looking too far ahead and staying humble. The standard has to stay high and we are all determined to finish the season with another achievement of reaching Europe.”
Several players from the under-19s have featured in senior football for the Nomads this season.
Bennett, along with Conor Partridge, James Hughes, Ryley Berry and Jack Waterhouse, have all made competitive appearances in the JD Cymru Premier and the Nathaniel MG Cup.
Partridge made his first senior start in the Nomads’ 1-1 draw at Colwyn Bay on the final day of the JD Cymru Premier season.
Berry became the fifth-youngest player in the club’s history to start for the Nomads when he featured in a 1-1 draw with Barry Town United in March.
Weaver said: “The lads are focused on their development. Success can look different in development football, yes results matter, but we are preparing these lads to play at the highest level of football they are capable of.”
The squad’s partnership with the Steven Gerrard Academy has allowed players to combine football sessions with strength and conditioning work and video analysis alongside their academic studies.
The Development North title is the fifth the Nomads have won in the competition.
The first came in 2012/13, won under the guidance of current Technical Director Jay Catton and the late Jamie Wynne.
The Nomads’ men’s first team will also enter European competition this summer, entering the UEFA Conference League First Qualifying Round.
The date, venue and kick-off time for the National Play-Off Final will be confirmed on the club’s social media channels.
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