Caernarfon Town FC V Porthmadog FC
Friday 04 August, 19:45
Cofis Exit after Oval Shoot Out.
Caernarfon 2 – 2 Porthmadog
(Porthmadog won 4-2 on penalties).
Football is back and the new season began on Friday evening with a bumper crowd, a thrilling local derby, a last minute equaliser and the drama of a penalty shoot-out.
The Nathaniel MG Cup may not be the biggest prize on offer this season but rest assured that it has a habit of providing memorable cup ties as teams from outside the Welsh Premier League are given the opportunity of providing upsets early in the season.
Over the years, the Welsh media has tried to create a fictional derby between the Cofis and Bala but the truth of the matter is, fixtures between Caernarfon and Porthmadog is the true Gwynedd derby. Both are community clubs run by volunteers, both have a history of giving the best local talent an opportunity to play in the first teams and, above all, both clubs get along on and off the pitch.
With all this in mind, there can be no surprise that 812 people walked through the turnstiles at the Oval to witness the latest instalment in this local but friendly rivalry and from the off, the action was fast and furious.
The hosts enjoyed the better start and two early headers from Marc Williams and Ryan Austin failed to trouble Port keeper Matt Wallace. In the sixteenth minute the stopper produced an excellent save to deny Ben Wynne and was thankful to Morgan Owen for keeping his net untouched when the defender blocked Adam Davies’ goalbound strike from the rebound.
Former Town favourite Danny Brookwell provided Port’s first genuine attempt at goal in the twenty fifth minute but he was denied by Ryan Woods at the near post, whilst at the other end Iwan Cartwright’s tame volley on the turn from fourteen yards was hit directly at Wallace.
The visitors went ahead on thirty five minutes when Brookwell sped past Austin on the way into the box and finished cooly past the advancing Woods.
The goal sparked the Cofis into more hurried action and having dominated possession after the goal, they got back on level terms just before the break when Davies pounced from near range after Wallace had got a hand to a Sion Bradley effort.
Caernarfon were on top at the start of the second period but efforts from Phil Mooney and two from Danny Gosset were not enough to put them ahead. A header from Austin was hooked off the line by a Port defender whilst another headed effort, this time by Bradley was saved point blank by Wallace minutes later.
The Cofis were rewarded for their dominance in the sixty third minute as Austin rose above everyone at the far post to head in from a Bradley corner. Caernarfon looked for a third to give themselves some breathing space and seven minutes later Darren Thomas’ volley from eighteen yards cannoned off the woodwork with Wallace well beaten.
To their credit Porthmadog battled back well and put the hosts’ defence under pressure in the final ten minutes, and they equalised in the dying seconds of regular time, when Morgan Owen got on the end of a clearance and struck sweetly past the diving Woods to take the match into a penalty shoot-out.
The visitors came out on top of the shoot-out as they scored all four of their spot-kick attempts whilst Dion Donoghue and Rhys Alun Williams both struck the woodwork with their efforts.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Ryan Austin.
Team: Ryan Woods, Iwan Cartwright, Phil Mooney, Ryan Austin, Dion Donohue, Sion Bradley, Daniel Gossett, Adam Davies, Darren Thomas, Marc Williams, Ben Wynne.
Subs (used): Rhys Alun Willams, Cai Powell-Roberts. Tom Pritchard, Louis Lloyd, Rob Hughes, Ben Maher.
