PAUL Cheung’s final season at the helm of Llandudno Albion brought with it even more silverware and continued the club’s exceptional recent progression.

The long-serving boss, who has led the side through a fast rise through the Welsh football pyramid, will be stepping down to concentrate on developing things behind the scenes and will be replaced by Darren Jones.

Cheung’s impact on all areas of the club cannot be underestimated and Albion quickly established themselves as a force in Lock Stock Welsh Alliance Division One, where they were one of the prominent dangers to eventual champions Conwy Borough before eventually tailing off in the closing stages.

Whether or not their lack of conviction in the closing stages of the campaign had anything to do with the manager’s announcement is up for debate, but they showed their talent and willingness to fight for one another to lift the Mawddach Challenge Cup in convincing style over Llandyrnog United.

This was their fifth trophy in four seasons and although their seventh placed finish was something of disappointment, overall they can be enormously proud of what they accomplished playing in an ultra-competitive third tier for the very first time.

There have been a number of eye-catching individual efforts on the pitch that played a contributing factor in their continued development, with Allan Davies and Ricky Jones showing their class throughout thanks to their increased consistency.

Young talent such as Bryan Roberts has really come to the fore over the course of the campaign, while the prolific Dave Maddock further enhanced his reputation as one of the most lethal finishers operating outside of the top two tiers.

Conor Davies is another outstanding prospect that has been at the top of his game this term, with Anthony Marshall and Joel Lloyd others that can be proud of their contribution this term.

The onus will be on Darren Jones to keep the club progressing in the right direction, and he is a very well-respected figure throughout the region that will receive plenty of support from Cheung and the rest of the backroom staff.

With ambitious plans to own their own pitch in the coming months, performances on the pitch will need to be just as impressive as they have been in recent seasons to give them the best possible chance of achieving their dreams going forward.

Everyone involved at Albion can look back on their rise to prominence with a great source of pride, and they are proof that any new club can succeed providing you have passionate and committed individuals all pulling in the same direction.

The hard work starts now in terms of moving on from their highly successful boss and ensuring their growth on-and-off the pitch, but there is no reason why Albion cannot continue to thrive with a solid foundation in place.