Penybont FC V Caernarfon Town FC
Saturday 16 September, 14:30
Caernarfon’s fighting spirit was put to the test against a very good Penybont team on Saturday and in truth they should have travelled home with at least a point.
Penybont started well and could have gone ahead in the fifth minute but Mark Little’s header was excellently saved by the diving Lewis Webb and he got on the end of the recycled ball into the box but this time he headed the ball over the bar from close range.
It was home stopper Alex Pennock was next to pull off a super save when he somehow got his hand to an Adam Davies header at the far post after the big striker had got on the end of a Louis Lloyd cross.
Caernarfon soon had a penalty shout turned down after the hosts half cleared a Sion Bradley corner and the ball landed at the feet of Darren Thomas. The Caernarfon captain’s first time effort seemed to have hit a home player’s arm on its way goalbound but referee Nick Pratt waved play on.
Caernarfon went ahead in the thirty first minute when Lloyd did well to pull the ball back from the byline and crossed to the far post where Marc Williams arrived to head past Pennock. It was the former Wrexham player’s first goal for the Cofis and an excellent way to start his goalscoring account!
The visitors should have doubled their lead a few minutes later after a slip up in Penybont’s defence let in Darren Thomas and he tried for goal with Marc Williams in a more promising position and Pennock saved the low shot with his feet.
Caernarfon were on top at this stage and they had a second penalty shout turned down when a Thomas effort from twenty five yards hit Shaun MacDonald on his arm but again their appeals were waved away by Mr Pratt. Pennock rescued the hosts again in the forty sixth minute when he tipped a Zack Clarke piledriver over his bar.
The Cofis were made to pay for their near misses two minutes into injury time when Chris Venables headed past Webb from close range to level the score.
Penybont were the dominant force at the beginning of the second period without really getting close to going ahead, and a succession of corner were handled well by the Caernarfon defence. Although they could consider themselves lucky not to have gone behind after Reynolds and Venables both went close to putting the hosts ahead.
Venables got his and Penybont’s second of the day in the seventy fifth minute after a cross from the left flank was cut out by Phil Mooney but the ball landed at the striker’s feet inside the six yard area and he finished past Webb with a low shot.
Caernarfon thought they had earned a deserved point eight minutes into injury when the hosts failed to deal with a cross into their area and the ball bounced to Mooney, who hit the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards. A stunning finish by the defender, who is fast becoming a favourite with the Cofi Army.
Unbelievable, the hosts snatched the victory from the kick off, when the ball was played onto their right flank, and a cross by Mile Davies was sliced into his own goal by Gruff John.
It was a cruel finish to the game for Caernarfon, who have suffered heavy defeats at the same ground in the past but were a match for Penybont yesterday. Richard Davies’ team are back at the Oval next Saturday for a 5:15 kick off against Pontypridd.
Tyn Lon Volvo Man of the Match: Darren Thomas.
Team: Lewis Webb. Iwan Cartwright, Ryan Austin, Phil Mooney, Marc Williams, Ben Maher, Sion Bradley, Zack Clarke, Adam Davies, Darren Thomas, Louis Lloyd. Subs (used): Cai Griffiths, Gruff John. Not used: Tom Pritchard, Dion Donohue, Ben Wynne.