Caernarfon Town FC V Newtown AFC
Friday 02 December, 19:45
Cofis Downed by Robins
Caernarfon 2 – 3 Newtown.
Caernarfon were desperate to end their poor recent record against Newtown but, in all honesty, a slow start gave them an uphill battle that they eventually failed to climb.
The Robins had a poor start to the season but had won their each of their last three matches going into this fixture and they seemed full of confidence from the off.
The Cofis, who had three of their usual defensive starters unavailable, seemed just a little off the pace at the start and this was enough to give the visitors an advantage early on, as Aaron Williams put them ahead with a first time shot that beat a diving Josh Tibbetts in the eighth minute.
Williams doubled Newtown’s lead in the twenty seventh minute after he cut in from the left and struck a low shot that evaded Tibbetts and ended into the bottom left corner of his net. Far from being disheartened, the goal seemed to kick start the Cofis, who struck back almost immediately, as Fidel O’Rourke latched onto a pass through the middle from Noah Edwards, and with keeper Dave Jones advancing, the on loan striker from Liverpool lobbed the ball over him and into an empty net. It was an exquisite finish from the youngster, who is enjoying an excellent run of form, this being his eighth goal of the season.
Unfortunately for the home side, O’Rourke was forced off the field through injury just a few minutes later, just after a net flick of his had given his strike partner, Marsh-Hughes a half chance that Jones kept out of his net with an instinctive one handed save.
Caernarfon thought they had levelled in the thirty eighth minute after Iwan Cartwright put the ball in from close range but the effort was chalked off for an offside.
The Cofis began the second half well and pinned Newtown back in their own half for the opening few minutes. However, a dip in concentration saw Nick Rushton renew the Robins’ two goal lead as he fired across Tibbetts and into the onion bag from eighteen yards.
From hereon in, it was pretty much one way traffic as Caernarfon bossed the ball and went on the front foot. Jones seemed to misread a Noah Edwards effort in the sixty first minute that snuck into the net off the left hand upright, which gave the hosts hope of a draw.
However, try as they might to salvage something from the match, Caernarfon just couldn’t find the net again. Efforts by Rob Hughes, Ben Wynne and Noah Edwards failed to trouble Jones whilst Danny Gosset’s close range effort following a corner was blocked by a Newtown defender.
So, Caernarfon’s dismal run against the Robins continues and they will now plan for the visit of The New Saints to the Oval next Sunday afternoon.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Noah Edwards.
Team: Josh Tibbetts, Iwan Cartwright, Gruff John, Ryan Williams, Danny Gosset, Noah Edwards, Darren Thomas, Joe Faux, Sion Bradley, Lloyd Marsh-Hughes, Fidel O’Rourke.
Subs: Ben Wynne, Rob Hughes, Harold Essien. Not played: Tyler French, Osian Evans, Fabrizio Murtas.
