Aberystwyth Town FC V Caernarfon Town FC
Saturday 09 September, 14:30
Davies Brace Secures Victory for Cofis.
Aberystwyth Town 2 – 4 Caernarfon Town.
Heading to Park Avenue today on the back of a heavy defeat to Connahs Quay Nomads last week, Caernarfon will have been determined to bounce back against the team currently occupying bottom position n the Cymru Premier League.
However, the Cofis also knew that they had lost their last three fixtures against the Seasiders, results that saved today’s hosts from relegation last season.
Much has changed for Caernarfon since then, and the squad looks stronger and, just as importantly, more harmonious. Richard Davies and his staff seemed to have sparked a strong team spirit in the players and it must have been one of the reasons for their impressive start to the season. However, the Cofis knew that they need to perform in matches like this if they are to avoid a repeat of last season when they narrowly escaped relegation.
This afternoon could hardly have started worse for them as the hosts went a goal ahead in the fourth minute, after Harry Owen was first to a low cross into the box from Thorne, and the loanee from Nomads turned smartly before crashing the ball, via a deflection, into the roof of the net from seven yards.
Caernarfon were back on level terms just two minutes later when a clever set-piece from a Sion Bradley corner that included Darren Thomas, ended with Zack Clarke thundering the ball past Dave Jones and into the onion bag.
Richard Davies’ men were ahead in the nineteenth minute. A sloppy ball in midfield from Aber was picked up by Bradley, who fed it to Thomas and he zipped it to the overlapping Dion Donoghue who cut inside from the left flank and his right footed shot evaded the diving Jones on its way to the bottom right hand corner of his net.
Despite their poor start to the season, the hosts struck back well and began dominating possession. Their direct methods, where they seeked to find their wingmen from the back, were moderately successful and Iwan Lewis tested Town stopper Webb with a powerful long range effort that lid inches wide of the left upright. Webb was forced into a smart, full length save to stop John Owen from finding the net from eighteen yards whilst the keeper had no chance in the twenty sixth minute when Lewis found Caernarfon’s top left hand corner of the net with a sweet strike from twenty five yards.
The remainder of the half was pretty even although Caernarfon began to finally get into their patterns of play in the final ten minutes before the break, and Clarke will be disappointed not to have done better with an effort three minutes into injury time when well placed and with runners either side.
On the balance of play the Seasiders had probably edged possession in the first half but the second period was a totally different scenario as the Cofis took control from the restart and dominated for long periods.
The introduction of substitutes Ben Wynne and Adam Davies just before the hour mark provided some fresh impetus to the visitors, especially whilst going forward and they began piling on the pressure as they pinned their hosts in their own half.
Thomas went close on the hour mark with an excellent first time effort from thirty yards after he picked up a slack clearance from the home keeper but luckily for the Seasiders Harry Owen managed to head the goalbound effort away from its target from five yards out. Louis Lloyd set Bradley up with a nice cross to the far post but Brads could not quite keep his volley on target from six yards.
Thomas and Wynne both tested Jones with fine efforts, but the keeper pulled off a number of saves to keep his side on level terms, the highlight being a double save to thwart Thomas and Lloyd.
It seemed just a matter of time until the Cofis would go ahead and they finally did it in the seventy first minute. Marc Williams picked the ball up in midfield and drove upwards before finding Davies with an excellent pass. The big striker took one touch to control the ball before firing it under the advancing Jones. It was the striker’s fourth goal of the new season and he is looking every bit the striker Caernarfon have been searching for over recent years.
The goal did not really change the pattern of the action as Caernarfon continued to dominated whilst Aber could not offer an option other than to play the ball long and direct.
Jones denied Thomas again late on before Davies got his brace to finish the game off and secure the points to the Cofis. The clock was showing ninety two minutes when Davies got on the ball outside the penalty area with a defender in his way. He tricked his way past the defender and struck the ball low and past Jones to give his side a vital victory as they continue to upset the odds as they now stand third in the Cymru Premier League with eleven points out of their first six matches.
It's still early days and there will undoubtedly be tougher tests and setbacks on the way but in his post match interview manager Davies said that it may have been his side’s poorest performance so far this season but if they can win whilst not at their best it bodes well for the season.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Darren Thomas.
Team: Lewis Webb, Iwan Cartwright, Dion Donoghue, Ryan Austin, Phil Mooney, Ben Maher, Marc Williams, Sion Bradley, Zack Clarke, Darren Thomas, Louis Lloyd. Subs (used): Ben Wynne, Adam Davies, Gruff John, Joe Faux, Cai Griffiths. Not used: Tim Pritchard, Danny Gosset.