SHORT of players as they are, Abergavenny Thursdays are struggling to attract the cream of the town’s talent pool.

Speaking after a 2-2 Gwent County Third Division draw with near-neighbours Crickhowell, the Thursdays’ manager Phil Hemmings said: "We’re always competing with the other local sides for the same players. It’s just a shame Govilon are on such a good run because we may have had some of theirs.

"I don’t understand why they don’t want to come here and play on the best pitch, and in a couple of years, we’ll be in the same league.

"But then the village teams have the same aspirations that we have."

For such a small town, Abergavenny and the surrounding area is bursting with sides – including Goytre, Govilon, Mardy, Crickhowell and the Thursdays. Then at Gwent Central level Pandy, Llanfoist, Llanarth, Clydach, Gilwern and Usk all have their own sides.

Hemmings, who has been involved with the club since he was just 16, added: "It’s a bit upsetting but the thing with the Thursdays is it’s a long term plan. When we saved the club we had no roof on the stand, no floodlights, nothing.

"Now everyone is saying ‘we should go up this year’, or ‘this year’, but my plan is to use the youth team we’ve got coming through now.

"They started at under-10s, now they’re under-14s, and if they come through in two or three years’ time we may start to flourish as a club. The one thing we are doing already is fielding virtually an all-Abergavenny side which we’ve never done before."

Yet he added: "I still haven’t even been able to field my best team – except maybe in the 10-0 against West Pontnewydd, and they were crap.

"When you haven’t got a really big squad you can’t afford to lose three players with injury. You’ve never the right blend of team on the pitch you need."

Missing on Saturday were Andrew Ellaway, Michael Pengilly and Ross Povey. Tom Inge, out since the start of the season, is fit again and Pengilly, out with a fractured checkbone, could at least be back in time for the Amateur Cup tie with Panteg on Saturday, November 8.

Hemmings added: "It’s not looking good in the league at the moment but if we can have a run in the cup, that would be nice. We always seem to player better against better teams."

Thursdays shot themselves in the foot on Saturday, going 2-0 down inside three minutes. An own goal and one for Andrew Hammett saw them draw level but this latest result leaves them in mid-table.

Hemmings reflected: "We played this week but it’s getting the flow of games together. We’ve been up and down."