Colwyn Bay V Caernarfon
Saturday 04 October, 19:25
Red Card Costs Cofis.
Colwyn Bay 1 – 0 Caernarfon.
Caernarfon’s recent patchy run of results continued on Saturday as they went down by a solitary goal to Colwyn Bay.
The Cofis had lost two of their previous three fixtures and had been looking for the trip to Llanelian Road as an opportunity to get back on track. However, despite a much improved performance, a rash tackle and resulting red card proved their undoing in an entertaining match.
The visitors began brightly and were on top during the opening exchanges, dominating possession and forcing two corners in the first three minutes.
Caernarfon’s first goascoring efforts arrived in the fifth minute when Adam Davies saw his shot from twelve yards blocked before home stopper Alex Brown pulled off a smart save to deny Danny Gosset seconds later.
The hosts had their first attempt at goal in the fifteenth minute but Jamie Cummings could not manage to keep the ball from flying high and wide of the target.
Morgan Owen did exactly the same for Caernarfon at the other end before the Seagulls went ahead in the twentieth minute. Caernarfon failed to deal with an Ethan Roberts cross to the far post and the ball struck defender Matty Jones before bouncing off the upright and into the path of Louis Robles who couldn’t miss from a yard out.
Whilst the goal may have arrived against the run of play Caernarfon will be well aware that not making the most of their chances can, and often does, cost matches and not for the first time this season they found themselves a goal down early doors.
Danny Gosset forced Brown into a good save just before the half hour mark before the Caernarfon captain, who had been excellent up to this point, found himself the object of unwanted attention from referee Aaron Jones.
When the influential midfielder failed to control a pass from Matty Jones in the thirty sixth minute he jumped into a tackle with Aeron Edwards and the referee raced over to show him the red card for his efforts.
It was obviously a massive blow for the Cofis and they soon found themselves on the back foot as the Seagulls tried to take advantage of the situation.
As it happens, Caernarfon weathered the storm and could justifiably count themselves unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty just before the break when a Iwan Ellis bullet saw the ball strike the arm of the diving Kargbo inside the area. Mr Jones disagreed with Town’s appeals for the spot kick and the hosts retained their one goal advantage at half time.
Far from holding form and looking to snatch a breakaway goal, Caernarfon too the game to their opponents in the second half and this approach, together with some heroics from Connor Roberts in goal, not only saw them compete but actually saw them on top for most of the second period.
The introduction of Sion Bradley gave the Cofis more impetus going forward and Davies and Abadaki also in fine form, they were posing plenty of problems for the Bay defenders.
Abadaki had an effort that’s sailed high and wide ten minutes into the half whilst Bradley forced a save from Brown from a free kick and at the other end, Roberts showed his class with a string of saves to deny Davies, Robles and Edwards.
Matty Jones saw his goalbound effort deflected for a corner and Dominic Smith was disappointed not to have equalised late on when he met the ball from a corner and struck it over the target from two yards.
Caernarfon were pressing forward until the last minute but the hosts held on for victory.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Connor Roberts.
Team: Connor Roberts, Ryan Sears, Morgan Owen, Sam Downey, Matty Jones, Dominic Smith, Danny Gosset, Iwan Ellis, Adam Davies, Josh Lock, Osebi Abadaki.
Subs (used): Sion Bradley, Osian Evans, Connor Evans. Not used: Hari Tomas, Phil Mooney, Kyle Harrison.