Briton Ferry Llansawel V Caernarfon
Saturday 13 September, 12:15
Caernarfon Fight Back to Claim Points. Briton Ferry Llansawel 2 – 5 Caernarfon.
Caernarfon return from their latest trip down South with three points and it was done courtesy of a stirring fightback after going two gaols down early in the match.
The Cofis were unbeaten this season before the match and were desperate to continue their run but they could hardly have made a slower start, finding themselves a goal down after just five minutes.
The hosts went ahead when Corey Hurford chased down a long pass near the corner flag and cut inside into the box before firing past Hari Thomas and into the top far corner of the net.
They doubled their lead in the twentieth minute after Jenkins found Hurford on the edge of the area. He sped into the box and was tackled by Sears but the ball landed invitingly at the feet of Tom Price, who powered the ball in from twelve yards, giving the advancing Thomas no chance.
The Ferry were good value for their early lead and Caernarfon finally seemed stung into action as they began trying to play their attacking brand of football. Town captain Danny Gosset and his midfield partners, Iwan Lewis and Josh Lock, began gaining a bigger share of the action as they pushed their team forward although they found Llansawel’s defence tough to break.
However, following a decent period of pressure for the visitors, they finally found a way through. With five minutes remaining in the first half, Connor Evans stepped inside from the right flank and his effort was blocked by a defender but the ball fell to Matty Jones, who struck it sweetly into the bottom left corner of Will Fuller’s net.
The second period began well for Caernarfon although it could be argued that they could feel hard done by just a minute after the restart when Adam Davies seemed to have been brought down in the home penalty area but referee Aalex Mc Inch waved away their penalty claims.
The big striker was not to be denied however and three minutes later he struck his seventh goal of the season to level the score. The Cofis were on top at this point and dominating play, as the hosts struggled to keep the ball for any length of time.
There was another strong penalty shout from the visitors in the fifty second minute when Sion Bradley put Lock through and he was brought down just as he was about to pull the trigger but again Mr Mc Inch denied the appeal for a spot kick.
The man in the middle made another important decision two minutes later after Sears had beaten keeper Fuller to a high Morgan Owen cross and flicked the ball into the net, but the official had seen a foul by the Town defender on the keeper and ruled the goal out.
Caernarfon should have increased their lead soon after when Matty Jones found Lewis in the box but the midfielder could not manage a clean strike on the ball and Fuller manager to keep it out of his goal.
The home side were hanging on by a threat at this stage and Bradley was unlucky to see his strike thunder off the bar whilst soon after this Fuller tipped over Davies’ close range effort.
A third goal for Caernarfon seemed inevitable and it arrived in the sixty fourth minute, Davies peeling off his marker to reach Bradley’s corner and head the ball in from six yards.
The visitors extended their lead four minutes later after Fuller had got his hand to a low Bradley shot but Dominic Smith was following up and he struck the roof of the net from four yards.
The hosts seemed downhearted after this latest setback and did not really look like rallying to try and get themselves back into the match.
With fifteen minutes left on the clock Josh Lock rounded a superb second half performance for Caernarfon when he controlled Bradley’s pass in the centre circle and ran into the box before slipping the ball past the advancing Fuller. It was a fitting way to end the scoring as the Cofis head home to Gwynedd still top of the Cymru Premier League.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Adam Davies.
Team: Hari Thomas, Morgan Owen, Matty Jones, Ryan Sears, Dominic Smith, Danny Gosset, Iwan Ellis, Adam Davies, Josh Lock, Sion Bradley, Connor Evans. Subs (used): Sam Downey, Kyle Harrison, Phil Mooney, Osian Ellis. Not used: Darren Thomas, Hari Annwyl Roberts.
