Cardiff Metropolitan University V Caernarfon
Saturday 10 February, 14:15
Cofis in Four Goal Thriller.
Cardiff Met 2 – 2 Caernarfon.
Such is the peculiar format of the Cymru Premier League, Caernarfon found themselves on Saturday travelling down to Cyncoed for the second time in a month to face Cardiff Met. Last time out, the sides shared the spoils of a four goal thriller and, with four of his squad unavailable this time around, manager Richard Davies may have been excused for thinking a point would be another excellent return for his men.
However, the Caernarfon manager has earned a reputation in his first season in charge at the Oval as a manager who enjoys a positive outlook, and for this latest visit to the capital, he decided to pack his starting line-up with attacking players in an attempt to gain a much needed victory.
His plans could have been in trouble as early as the first minute when a poor clearance from stopper Lewis Webb landed directly at the feet of Lewis Rees, who failed by a matter of inches to curl the ball into the far corner of the net.
One of Town’s recent signings, Morgan Own threatened to open the scoring just a minute later when he let fly from twenty five yards but the ball dipped too late and flew narrowly over the woodwork.
Chris Craven should have done better for the hosts in the sixteenth minute when he got on the end of a free kick in the visitors’ box, but he could not manage to keep the ball from flying over the target from ten yards out.
Caernarfon were ahead two minutes later, and it was no surprise that it was Sion Bradley who hit the target. The winger from Blaenau Ffestiniog has been a stand out performer for the Cofis this season and when he was brought down on the edge of the penalty area by Emlyn Lewis, he picked himself up and struck the ball over the wall and high into the top right corner of Lang’s net. A superb goal from the striker who must be amongst the league’s best over the last six months.
Unfortunately for the visitors, their lead lasted just six minutes and the equaliser was nearly a carbon copy of the opener, with Tom Price expertly finding the net from a free kick.
Webb came to Caernarfon’s rescue in the thirty seventh minute when he pulled off a superb save to deny Craven from close range, the young stopper managing to hold on to the ball on his line at the second attempt.
Caernarfon’s top scorer, Adam Davies, twice went close to restoring his side’s lead in the thirty ninth minute but his first attempt was blocked whilst his second shot was parried away by Lang for a corner.
The final opportunity of the half arrived three minutes into injury time, as Joe Faux found Louis Lloyd with a decent cross into the box, and Lloyd’s header was superbly saved by Lang, who dived smartly to his left to get his hand to the ball.
Bradley was frustrated a minute after the restart to fire his effort directly at keeper Lang after an excellent run into the box.
Met went ahead eleven minutes into the second half when a long ball from McCarthy found Sam Jones on the left and he found the unmarked Eliot Evans with a low cross, and the experienced playmaker made no mistake from eight yards out.
The Cofis were working hard to get back on level terms but not really managing to penetrate the hosts’ rearguard, managed as always by Emlyn Lewis. However, a slightly late challenge from Sam Jones on Morgan Owen in the seventieth minute saw the Met player given his marching orders and Caernarfon were back on level terms nine minutes later when Gwion Dafydd finished impressively from ten yards out following good work by Darren Thomas, Morgan Owen and Davies.
Webb pulled off another smart save to save Craven late on whilst the Cofis twice could have clinched all three points in the dying minutes.
First it was Lloyd who threatened with a low effort that whistled past the far post whilst in the fourth minute of injury time Iwan Cartwright headed the ball directly into the hands of Lang from twelve yards after getting on the end of a Bradley cross.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Morgan Owen.
Team: Lewis Webb, Iwan Cartwright, Joe Faux, Gruff John, Dion Donohue, Sion Bradley, Adam Davies, Gwion Dafydd, Zack Clarke, Louis Lloyd, Morgan Owen. Subs (used); Cai Griffiths, Darren Thomas. Not used: Hari Thomas, Osian Evans, Morgan Davies.