LLANRUG United defied the odds to finish third in the ultra-competitive Lock Stock Welsh Alliance Division One after a memorable campaign.

Despite not having the resources available to the likes of eventual champions Conwy Borough and Llangefni Town, the Gwynedd side punched well above their weight for long periods while never ever threatening the top two.

Their final placing represents a significant achievement and shows just how much the club has come on in recent years, and they can now be considered as one of the top forces to be reckoned with in the third tier ahead of what is sure to be another eventful campaign next time around.

One of their standout performers was, as expected, the prolific Allan Mark Owen. The talented striker was at his ruthless best during another fine season of individual achievement, where he finished with 17 league goals to his name and is sure to attract the interest of some high-profile clubs looking to bolster their forward lines this summer.

Another player that has made a massive contribution is Jonathan Sadler, who has further demonstrated his superb potential and has vastly improved his consistency from a personal perspective, which will be a huge help to United boss Mark Jat down the line.

Dylan Owen has done a marvellous job of controlling the tempo from the centre of the park, while the defensive duo of Gethin and Sion Phillips have proven themselves to be very assured during pressure situations that will stand them in good stead as they look to develop as a tandem.

The duo of Marvin Pritchard and Llion Jones are a real threat going forward who have the potential to win a game on their own at any given opportunity, and with further squad improvements to no doubt be announced during the summer United could be on the cusp of their most successful campaign in recent memory.

Division One is going to be tougher than ever with the introductions of Llandudno Junction, Prestatyn Sports and Bodedern Athletic next term, but Jat’s men have proven they are more than capable of beating any talented side on their day, as they demonstrated with their victories against the likes of Llangefni and Llandudno Albion.

They may have been something of a surprise package in terms of how well they performed, but it was not a great surprise to see them doing well given the impressive set-up they have behind the scenes, and all things point to another busy summer of progression and development as they look to mount a more sustained title tilt in 2019.