This past Friday, Buckley found themselves 2-0 up against Llandudno with goals from Luke Mariette and Bradley Knight in the second half.
This would be just the second and third time Llandudno had conceded all season in the JD Cymru North, and the first time they would go behind.
A second yellow for Buckley’s Nicholas Grogan provided Llandudno with a lifeline, one they would take.
Two goals from Adam Stephens drew the game level, and an added-time goal from Dylan Proctor gave Llandudno a huge three points on the road.
Llandudno currently sit in third place, just one point behind Holywell and Airbus, but they remain with a game in hand over both of the teams above them.
With the new structure coming to the Welsh Premier Division next season, more clubs stand a chance of getting promoted.
Friday night showed that Llandudno’s early form wasn’t a fluke. It showcased that they have what it takes to battle it out for promotion.
New Season, New Opportunity
In the 2024/25 campaign, Llandudno finished in 4th position, only behind Holywell, Airbus and the champions, Colwyn Bay.
However, Llandudno sat just nine points ahead of 10th, and eight points behind Holywell in third.
The club made several key signings in the summer to challenge Holywell and Airbus for the promotion places.
Proctor, who scored the winner against Buckley, joined the club from fellow Cymru North side Rhyl.
Other new signings, Nathan Lloyd, Aidan Higgins, John Cooper, Iwan Cartwright, Kieran Smith, Shaun Pearson and Jordan Pownall were also a part of the squad on Friday.
The season began with a 1-0 win at home against Holyhead Hotspur, followed by another victory at home against Flint Mountain, which finished 4-0.
They then travelled to Brickfield but were held to a 0-0 draw. Since that game, midway through August, Llandudno have beaten everyone, except Newtown in the Welsh Blood Service League Cup, as they were knocked out on penalties.
The additions of both youth and experience that have been brought into the club by manager Jordan Hadaway have helped the club spur on.
However, it’s not just the new signings that are proving to be vital pieces to help this promotion challenge.
19-year-old Harvey Bennett joined the club from Denbigh in 2023, before returning on loan. This season, he’s the club’s top league scorer, with six goals and two assists in ten league outings.
However, the team haven’t been banging in the goals. They have found the net 24 times so far this season, which puts them in 6th position for most goals in the league
It’s their impressive defensive style that is helping them on this charge. They have only conceded three goals this season; the only other team with fewer than 10 goals conceded is Airbus with five.
Other promotion challengers, such as Holywell, have conceded 12 goals so far this season.
The defensive performances from Llandudno are supporting their structure to help them push for possible promotion, while the strikers are taking their chances when in front of goal.
Llandudno face one of their biggest tests all season, as they take on Airbus at home this coming weekend, followed by a tough test away against fifth-place Denbigh the following Friday night.
If Hadaway and his team can stop what seems to be a formidable opponent in Airbus, their dreams of becoming a JD Cymru Premier League side can start to look slightly more like a reality.
Cover photo taken by Daniel Moffat
Daniel Moffat 
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