Penybont V Cofis
Saturday 24 January, 14:30
Penybont 0 – 0 Caernarfon.
Rarely can Caernarfon have visited Penybont and returned home disappointed with a point. However, after today’s goalless draw, this is what will probably be the Cofis’ overriding feeling on the way back from South Wales.
Despite not gaining the points they probably deserved, manager Richard Davies will be feeling pleased with his team’s performance against the team that currently occupies third position in the Cymru Premier League, just one place above Caernarfon.
It was a damp and windy afternoon in Bridgend as the teams fought out a goalless though highly entertaining draw. The match began quietly as the sides tried to get to grips with the difficult conditions and the first effort at goal came from the hosts, with a powerful Owen Pritchard effort that glided over the bar. Matty Jones was first to threaten for Caernarfon when he tried his luck from twenty yards but the ball flew inches over the target.
Town keeper Connor Roberts was forced into his first piece of action on sixteen minutes when he did well to deny Phillips with a smart save. Recent signing Brad Young was looking sharp up front and he linked up well with Jones and Gosset half way through the opening half, a move that ended with the latter seeing his effort narrowly flying the wrong side of the upright. Just two minutes later Sion Bradley was unfortunate when he saw his effort deflected wide of goal by Pritchard whilst he went close to setting up an opener for Adam Davies on the half hour mark after beating two defenders into the box, but his cross was scramble away by the hosts as Davies hovered at the near post.
Brad Young was frustrated not to have done better four minutes later when the ball dropped at his feet from a half cleared corner but he could not quite manage a strong enough purchase on the ball and home keeper Armstrong got his hands to the ball. Caernarfon were dominating play and Danny Gossett and Bradley went close to finding the opened in the final minutes of the half.
Despite their superiority, the Cofis found themselves all square at the break and, with the wind in their faces for the second period, they may have expected a real test after the break. It did not quite work out this way, however, as they continued to dominate the second half for long periods and Davies was first to threaten after the restart, controlling the ball well in the box before narrowly failing to find the net with a low shot.
Town used three of the substitutes as they looked for fresh legs to sustain their dominance and Morgan Owen, Iwan Lewis and Rio Owen all contributed well as the Cofis looked to find the breakthrough.
Caernarfon’s defence looked solid whenever the hosts threatened and they managed to make it a relatively comfortable afternoon for Connor Roberts in goal, and the only real threat after the break was when Noah Daley danced his way through Town defence only to be denied by an excellent block by Phil Mooney.
For the Cofis, Owen and Mooney went close to a late winner before Bradley was put through in injury time but the ball bounced back off the bar after he had dinked the onrushing keeper.
It was probably a fitting way to end the match as the near miss somehow epitomised the entire match.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the match: Paulo Mendes.
Team: Connor Roberts, Ryan Sears, Matty Jones, Phil Mooney, Kyle Harrisson, Paulo Mendes, Sion Bradley, Adam Davies, Daniel Gosset, Brad Young, Josh Lock. Subs (used): Morgan Owen, Rio Owen, Iwan Lewis. Not used: Hari Thomas, Darren Thomas, Dominic Smith, Connor Evans.