| Aled ends four-month wait for milestone |
| Thursday 11 March 2010 |
 ELEMENTS Cefn Druids’ stalwart defender Aled Rowlands has joined the select band of players who have made 300 appearances in the Welsh Premier. After an absence of four months, Rowlands returned to the Ancients' starting line-up against Airbus UK Broughton on Wednesday night and became the 23rd player to have achieved the milestone since the League of Wales was founded in 1992. Rowlands, 38, is the longest serving player at Plas Kynaston Lane after joining the Ancients from his local club Rhos Aelwyd in 1993. He had previously appeared a couple of times in the top flight for Holywell Town in season 1996/7, but has since made 299 full appearances for the Druids. Selected for the Wales Under-18s against Scotland, Switzerland, Northern Ireland and Austria, Rowlands has been a superb clubman at Plas Kynaston and has captained the side on numerous occasions. Some thought he might hang up his boots at the end of last season due to family commitments, but he has continued to play and has appeared eight (+1) times this season in the black and white. An uncompromising player who has picked up his share of referees’ cautions down the years, Rowlands has also shown a propensity to get forward and has 10 league goals to his credit.  All-time Welsh Premier appearances listPhoto: Aled Rowlands with joint managers Lee Jones and Waynne Phillips before making his 300th appearance. |