Colwyn Bay FC V Caernarfon Town FC
Sunday 13 August, 17:15
Cofi Messi Sends Caernarfon on Way to Opening Day Victory.
Colwyn Bay 0 – 4 Caernarfon.
With the Sgorio cameras in attendance to relay the match across the nation, the hosts playing their first ever match in the Welsh Premier League and a bumper crowd of 1411 at Llanelian Road, the stage was set for a thrilling local derby between Colwyn Bay and Caernarfon.
And whilst Caernarfon had a number of new faces making their league debuts for the club today it was a familiar face who put them on the road to an opening day victory against Colwyn Bay. Darren Thomas is a name familiar to followers of the domestic game and today he added another virtuoso performance to his many over the years, as he captained the side and scored the opening goal to put the Cofis on the way to a 4-0 victory.
It was a big day for Colwyn Bay and they started with plenty of fire and determination as they set out to prove they belong at the top table of Welsh football. Unfortunately for them, despite dominating the opening twenty minutes, they did so without really threatening Caernarfon’s goal, and the closest they got to opening the scoring was early efforts from Alex Downes and Tommy Creamer, with both failing to find the target from inside the box.
Town’s latest signing, Zack Clarke, was put through in the twenty first minute by Phil Mooney but the striker’s low effort was blocked by the advancing home stopper, Joe Smith. Four minutes later Clarke supplied a cross into the six yard area that Adam Davies reached but could not quite convert and the ball sailed wide of right sided upright.
Caernarfon were ahead just after the half hour mark after Marc Williams did well on the right side and hit a cross to the far post, where the mercurial Thomas rose to head past Smith.
If truth be told, the goal had been coming as the Cofis looked dangerous whenever they went forward and it seemed to have a devastating effect on the home side on their big day. From hereon in, the Cofis bossed possession and Bay could count themselves fortunate not to concede a penalty in the dying seconds of the first half when referee Bryn Markham-Jones decided that Ryan Edwards had not brought Zack Clarke in the box, when it certainly appeared that he had.
Caernarfon continued to dominate after the break although they could thank Ryan Austin for an excellent clearance inside his own six yard box to keep them ahead.
Town doubled the lead just after the hour mark after Sion Bradley stole the ball off Downes and found Adam Davies inside the box, and the Summer signing from Airbus did well to finish from twelve yards.
Davies turned provider five minutes later when he robbed Edwards of the ball in midfield before outpacing him on the way to the hosts’ penalty area, where he slipped the ball across to Clarke, who calmly beat the advancing Smith. The hosts were shell-shocked and their confidence was on the floor as Caernarfon continued to boss them, and the final mail in the coffin was struck in the seventy second minute as Rob Hughes somehow managed to reach and pull back a Clarke cross to the far post, and Davies scored from close range.
Having pulled the strings for most of the match, Darren Thomas left the field to a standing ovation from the Cofi Army and whilst the magician is now in his mid-thirties he has never looked fitter and more determined to carry the flag for his home town club.
The score remained 4-0 to the visitors at the final whistle and the Cofi Army had every right to be cack a hoop at the final whistle as their side had been impressive in popping the hosts’ opening day bubble.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Zack Clarke.
Team: Ryan Woods, Phil Mooney, Dion Donoghue, Ryan Austin, Iwan Cartwright, Danny Gosset, Sion Bradley, Marc Williams, Adam Davies, Darren Thomas, Zack Clarke.
Subs (used): Rob Hughes, Louis Lloyd, Ben Wynne, Ben Maher. Not used: Cai Powell-Roberts, Tom Pritchard.
