Winning Ugly, late arrivals and the Cofi Army.

The last regular blog I wrote was posted a few days after Caernarfon Town’s emphatic home victory over Mold, in which Jamie Breese found the net four times. Since then, I have posted an exclusive interview with Jamie, which has proved the most popular item I’ve published on the blog thus far, with nearly eight hundred ‘hits’, whilst the team has continued its winning ways by gaining two more  important league victories, achieved in very different, but equally impressive ways.

Conwy Borough were first to test the Cofis and, to be perfectly honest, it proved rather more  comfortable than I had expected. Although the Tangerines have been firmly established in the bottom half of the table for most of the season, they had defeated Porthmadog and Caersws in recent weeks, whilst only narrowly losing to Cefn Druids, Gresford and Flint, all three of whom are amongst the league’s stronger sides, and so they were expected to prove tough opposition.

Jay Gibbs.

It didn’t quite work out that way on the day as the Cofis set about their task from the first kick and  won the match in the first half, during which they scored three times without reply. Conwy improved immensely after the break but Caernarfon looked solid at the back, and managed to add another two goals before the final whistle. Danny Brookwell was named the supporters’ man of the match and I would certainly agree that he was excellent, but Town’s stand-out performer for me was Jay Gibbs, who ran the show from midfield, being supported well by Rob Jones and Nathan Craig. I have always rated Jay as a quality footballer and believe that, during the past four or five weeks, he’s been playing his best football in a Caernarfon Town shirt. His performance in the first half at Y Morfa was sensational and I totally agree with the supporter who told me at half time that ‘Gibbs played like a magician in that half!” I’m really pleased that Jay is playing so well because there have been suggestions in the past, from those outside Caernarfon Town FC, that he can be a bit temperamental but I see him more as a winner, plain and simple. He’s not slow at showing his frustrations on the field and that’s one of the things I like about him. He’s now finding the perfect balance in his game and must be amongst the best midfielders outside the Welsh Premier League. Hopefully, he can soon show everyone that he can be just as good in the top tier!

The team meant business from the off at Conwy. 

I always enjoy visiting Conwy’s home and must say that Y Morfa looked in fine fettle. Whilst I can’t comment on the pitch itself, the surroundings seemed to have improved since last season. I’m not sure if they’ve carried out much work there in the past year but the stadium looked tidier and, of course, they have an excellent clubhouse inside the ground itself, which I’m sure came in handy for the travelling Cofis! Talking of the Cofi Army, a fair number of Town supporters made the short trip up the A55 for the match, and I’m sure it must make a difference to the players when they see such great backing from the terraces. 

Impressive support for the Cofis at Y Morfa. 

The Tangerines were captained by former Caernarfon player Leigh Craven and he had an impressive game, although I was disappointed that another former Town player, Moses Barnett, was injured and took no part in the action. I was pleased, however, to have been able to catch a few words with both before the match and they were just as friendly as ever.

Before moving on, I really must mention that, in addition to seeing the team play so well, I was also able to take home a late contender for the most ridiculous comment of the season. Trying to show his disgust at one of the referee’s decisions, the youngest looking player on the pitch, playing for the hosts, asked the referee, in no uncertain terms, how old he was! The point he was trying to make is that the man in the middle looked quite young, but the player himself was obviously oblivious to the fact he that he himself would struggle to get into a ‘12’ certificate film in the cinema. His badly chosen barb was met by a blank from the ref and howls of laughter from the stands! And well deserved it was too!

'Pritch', the Cofis Number One. 

The only downside of the day was seeing Paul Pritchard lying on the floor in agony after challenging for the ball. ‘The Cat’ is the best goalkeeper in the league in my opinion and I feared the worst when I saw Nathan Craig putting on the spare keeper’s shirt. The match was pretty much over at that point and so I couldn’t see a way back for Conwy but, thinking of the weeks ahead and the enormous prize at stake at the end of the season, it would not be an ideal scenario to lose our first choice keeper for the run-in. Thankfully, Paul managed to continue until the end of the match and seemed back to normal for our visit to Gresford on Saturday.

Of course, Paul’s well-being was typically put to one side by Caernarfon’s chairman in Gresford on Saturday when Arfon wasted no time in castigating the keeper for daring to show he had got hurt! Thankfully, I can’t remember exactly what he told Pritch but it would have been along the lines of ‘that kind of thing never happened when I used to play”. In all seriousness though, it was good to see our number one had made a full recovery.

Where the Canaries had won the match in Conwy in great style, the encounter with Gresford was a very different affair. The Colliers had been on a great run of form in recent weeks, winning nine of their last twelve fixtures, including their last six matches. It was never going to be a ‘gimme’ for the Cofis and so it proved, as they were made to dig deep for victory.

Not the best of conditions at Gresford....

I criticised Gresford for showing little attacking intent during their visit to the Oval earlier this season and, although Town manager Iwan Williams has recently said he thought they were excellent that day I will stand by my original opinion, which was that they looked to waste as much time as possible from the very first minute at the Oval and were more than a little frustrating to watch. Their keeper, Jonathan Hill-Dunt explained to me, on Twitter, that their performance had been all about game management and so it was quite good seeing him asking the referee on Saturday to speed things up, especially after his team went a goal down! To be fair though, he’s an excellent keeper and always partakes in a bit of banter with the Caernarfon supporters. 

The match itself was a real battle, the wet conditions making it hard for the teams to play much football, although both sets of players did their best to do just this. I thought the encounter had all the hallmarks of being a goalless draw from the very beginning but, just as we entered the final twenty minutes, Darren Thomas popped up with a stunning free kick that gave Hill-Dunt little chance. I was standing with the chairman at the time and I’d just told him that it would take something special to beat the home stopper from such a long range out and I’m pleased to say that the Cofi Messi came up with the goods. The goal celebration was nearly as good as the strike itself, as Messi and his teammates headed for the manager on the touchline. Great stuff, and a fine way to clinch all three points.

Job done by the Cofis.

Someone told me afterwards there had been a handful of late arrivals at the ground and that they’d walked out as soon as the ball hit the net and whilst I have no idea who they were, I’m sure they would have appreciated the quality of Darren’s strike. 

Iwan at the final whistle. 

It was my first visit to Gresford’s Clappers Lane ground and I enjoyed it immensely, not just because we won but because of the manner of the victory. Town are the league’s top scorers and have won many fixtures this season by a wide margin, but there haven’t been many matches that have been won by the odd-goal. The popular term used when teams have had to really tough out a result is ‘winning ugly’ and it was really good to see the Cofis manage one this time around. We all know the target this season and this was the type of match that title chasing teams have to win to give themselves a real chance of success. Before finishing, I must mention the large number of Caernarfon supporters who were in attendance and, as always, in fine voice. Due to the bad weather, the small, solitary stand was pretty full and it made for a great atmosphere. Iwan mentioned the impressive support again in his post-match comments and how right he is. On performances so far this season, the team deserves to be part of the Welsh Premier League, and the same can be said for the Cofi Army. 

Another difficult test lies ahead for Caernarfon when Holywell visit the Oval this Saturday. Having lost recently to the Canaries in the League Cup, the Wellmen will be looking to avenge the defeat, but Iwan and his players have shown time again this term that they’re up for every challenge, so it promises to be another cracker between two good sides. I have a feeling that the Cofi Army will be required again this weekend…. 

Being Jamie Breese.

I will confess to not knowing too much about Jamie Breese when he signed for the Canaries last summer. 

I was aware that he had ended the 2014/15 season as top scorer in the Huws Gray Alliance League, with twenty eight goals in thirty matches, and so it obviously seemed a good move by the Iwan Williams to bring him to the Oval. 

Topping year-end scoring charts is an impressive achievement in itself but to do so whilst playing for a team that finished fourth from bottom of the table was rather special and so I, like many other supporters I spoke with at the time, was looking forward to seeing our new striker in action during pre-season.

Of course, Jamie starred in the pre-season friendlies and the rest, as they say, is history. Or history being made would be more apt, as our number nine has continued his goalscoring escapades with the Canaries and presently sits top of the goalscoring table, having found the back of the net eighteen times so far this season. 

I’ve been lucky enough to have seen all bar two of the sides matches this season and can safely say that Jamie is up there with the best Caernarfon centre forwards I’ve seen in thirty years of following the side. Before this season I would have named Eifion Williams as the best striker I’ve seen in the yellow shirt but Jamie is certainly getting close to him and if stays with us for a few seasons, I’m sure he has every chance of surpassing Eifion’s goalscoring feats. 

So, whilst I know how good a footballer Jamie is, I still didn’t know too much about him and, as he seems quite a reserved person I decided to rectify this by asking if he fancied taking part in an interview for the blog. Thankfully, Jamie agreed and has gone the extra mile with his answers, giving lengthy and interesting replies to everything I put to him. 

So, a massive thank you to Jamie for taking the time to do this, and for answering everything so honestly and with no complaints. 

The Interview.

Which teams have you played for, from school days to this season?

“I started my career at around the age of five playing for my local side Montgomery town. I spent around four seasons playing there playing, but at that age it’s like bees around honey and goals were abundant. I took part in the Ian Rush Tournament most years for a Mid Wales side. 

At the age of nine I managed to get myself scouted by Everton and Tranmere. The Everton trial never came to anything but I managed to impress at Tranmere and signed straight after the training session. I was at the club for three years which was a great experience for me and I learned a lot, but came to end at around the age of twelve due to having a new manager and the term I like to use "If your face fits you'll do well". Unfortunately for me no matter how many goals I scored or how well I played I was never going to be in his plans. However, it’s nice to see that three players out of my team, Tom Ince, Scott Wotton and Max Power have now gone onto become professionals. 

After leaving Tranmere I had a twelve month spell of having six month trials at Shrewsbury and Wrexham. Again nothing came of this. By this time I was in high school and just wanted to get back to enjoying football again after having some knock backs. I spent one season playing for Llanfair Caereinion who are now currently in the Cymru Alliance. Some of the players are still in that team that I played with all those years ago. They have a great manager in Rhys "Swarv" and hopefully they can manage to stay up this year. 

I moved from Llanfair to play for Waterloo. This was a team where all my school friends were playing and I had two great seasons there winning many trophies. By now I was old enough to sign for a youth team so I signed on with Newtown. I made my way through the system and up to the first team at around the age of 17-18. The manager at the time was Darren Ryan and he liked the way I played. I had one full season of playing in the Welsh Premier before he left. Andy Cale came in and I knew after a couple of games of just sitting on the bench and not playing that it wasn't going to work out for me under him. I managed to go on loan to Welshpool for the remainder of the season just to get some game time. 

In the summer of 2011 I signed for my previous club Llanidloes Town. They were playing in the Mid Wales division one league at the time and we just missed top spot the first season but managed to clinch it in the second. The club had two years in the Cymru Alliance and were unlucky to go down last year due to five teams going down. 

Being top goalscorer and player of the season helped me a lot in staying in this league. I didn't really want to go back down in the pyramid so when I got the phone call from Iwan I was excited to hear what he had to say. Once I knew he was interested there wasn't any other club I wanted play for. Caernarfon have always been such a big club and have a lot of history. I let him stew for a couple of weeks though!”

Have you always played as a striker?

“Yes I have always played the striker role since I can remember. It can be a tough role when you’re on a "Strikers Run" of not being able to hit a barn door, but there is no better feeling from my point of view than scoring for your team, especially if it’s a "Worldie" or a last minute winner.”

Who has been the biggest influence on your career?

“My parents have to be the biggest influence throughout my career. They both gave up a lot to give me the chance of making it as a footballer. My Dad mainly as Mum was always a bad omen, I’d either get injured or have a bad game when she came to watch so she decided to stay away!! Dad spent a lot of his time driving me all around the country to play in games and attend training when I was younger, especially when I was at Tranmere when we would be travelling up to Liverpool at least twice a week. Looking back now that is a massive commitment when you have a full time job and also the cost involved. I could probably count the games he has missed since I started my career on one hand, so I have massive respect for the both of them for that.”

Which professional team do you support?

“I support Liverpool FC. My old man brought me up supporting them from an early age. Although the club have had some good times over the years (mostly before I came along!) the current team can be somewhat frustrating to watchat times. They need to buy a few players in the summer and have a good pre-season. You can see what Klopp is trying to do at the club and hopefully next year we can be back challenging for at least a champions league spot.”

Who was your favourite player when growing up?

“There were some great strikers playing when I was growing up. You had the likes of Ronaldo, Raul and Shevchenko but for me the player who I looked up to is a bit more recent than that. Fernando Torres during his spell at Liverpool. I've lost count the amount of times I have watched his goals on Youtube for the club! His movement off the ball was class and everything he hit went in. One goal always stands out for me and it was the one against Blackburn at home. He took the ball on the chest on the right hand side of the box with his back towards goal, and somehow smashed it back across the keeper into the top corner. You asked yourself how that was even possible! Although he hasn't been as good since leaving the club, in my eyes he still is a top class player and personally I think he should have stayed at Liverpool instead of moving to Chelsea.”

What did you know about Caernarfon Town before you joined and had you played against us in the past?

“To be honest I didn't really know too much about the club before I signed, I just knew that they used to be in the Welsh Premier a few years ago. I have only ever played Caernarfon five times if I can remember correctly. The first time was when I was playing for Newtown. And it was that long ago I can’t remember anything about the game. The other times were over the past two years while I was playing for Llanidloes Town. We managed to get a draw at home but all the others resulted in a loss.”

How did your move to Caernarfon come about and did you know Iwan before you joined us? 

“Iwan messaged me through twitter basically asking me what my plans were for the season and was I interested in doing a bit of travelling. He told me his exact plans for the squad, and how I would fit into his system. I liked what he had to say straight away and I knew this was the right move for me. I didn't really know Iwan that much before I joined. I had played against him a few times but that was about it.”

Did you know any of the players in the squad? 

“No I didn't know any of the players within the squad before I signed. I knew who the players were as I had played against pretty much all of them over the previous two seasons. That didn't bother me at all, as you soon get to know everyone after the first training session.”

You seemed to settle down quickly at the Oval. Was it as easy as it looked to us from the terraces and if so, why? 

“I have to say a massive thank you to everyone connected with the club for that. They were all very welcoming and supportive which helped me settle down very quickly. It felt like I had been at the club for years and think I can say that for all the other lads who signed in the summer as well.”

I know that Iwan is determined to ensure the team is always well prepared for matches  and was wondering how the training was like last summer, and how has it been during the season?  

“That's one thing I have been very impressed with. He is very organised and knows exactly what he wants to focus on in training to get us ready for the next game. The very first training session in the summer I turned up to, the pitch was just full of cones. You just knew you were going to be dying by the end of it, and I wasn't wrong either! Saying that it felt good to get the cobwebs off. I try to get up to as many sessions I can especially with living so far away. The sessions are enjoyable and all the lads can have a good crack, but at the same time they are short, sharp and intense drills with a purpose for the upcoming game.”

From where I stand, the players all seem to get along well together and look to be a very close outfit. Would you agree with this and, if so, why do you think you’re such a close unit?

“Yes I would definitely agree with that. We are a very close team on and off the pitch. There is some great banter at training and in the dressing room leading up to games. Jay Gibbs and Joe Williams are the main culprits with ‘Weetabix head’ (Grahame Austin) being their target!! I think you can see that team bonding being taken onto the pitch as well. Although some performances haven't been up to the standard we would like, everyone pulls together to grind out wins. That all comes down to the gaffer’s philosophy of this "togetherness" that he wanted from the start of the season. You can bet your house on him saying it every weekend in his team talks. The lads give him some serious stick for it, but what he is saying is right.  We are all in this together and are all aiming at getting this club back to where it belongs.”

You mentioned earlier that you were already aware that Caernarfon Town was a big club but has it lived up to that reputation? 

“Very much so. The following that the club enjoys has to be the biggest I've ever played for. We are getting gate numbers higher than most clubs currently playing within the Welsh Premier and as a player you dream of playing in games in front of loads of supporters.”

What do you think of the Caernarfon Town supporters and have they surprised you with how much passion they have for the team?

“The fans have been absolutely unbelievable all season. They are that "twelfth man" and have helped us through many games. Even when things aren't going our way or we aren't playing well they never get on the teams back. I remember the conversation Iwan had with me about the supporters before I agreed to sign. I think his exact words were "The supporters are nuts, they absolutely love it" and I think it’s fair to say he wasn't wrong. The passion that they have for the club is unbelievable. We as players really appreciate their support and hopefully we can re-pay them by going on to win the league and league cup.”

What have been the highlights of your time at the Oval thus far?

“If I were to pick out a highlight this season it would have to be the game against Bangor in the Word Cup. It was a game you dream of playing in, a big rivalry in front of over 1000 fans. The night couldn't have gone any better either, with us winning the game and me getting the goal that clinched it. The scenes after the final whistle were like nothing I had ever seen before and it showed how much it really meant to the fans.”

Have there been any big disappointments so far this season?

“I think one disappointment this season has to be the Welsh Cup. Iwan had targeted the Cup as one he wanted to do really well in. We had many chances in the first half to put the tie out of reach but we were unable to convert our chances. Second half we never really got going and before we knew it we were 3-0 down. Although we got two goals back and slowly started to find our rhythm there wasn’t enough time left to get the goals we needed to get through.”

After a slightly slow start to the campaign, the team has been on an impressive run of form. What do you think has contributed to this?  

“It wasn't the best start to the season by any means especially after the good pre-season we had. After the draw against Holywell and then the loss at home against Prestatyn we knew we had to get a win at Denbigh and thankfully we did. You could see the relief in the changing room at getting the first three points on the board. It settled the team down and we just kicked on from there really.”

Which of the teams you’ve faced has impressed you the most this season, and which defence has been the hardest to play against?

“I’d have to say Guilsfield and Holywell have impressed me this season. They are teams like us who like to get the ball down and pass it around. We played Holywell in the very first game of the season and they did that really well and we were lucky to come out of the game with a draw. The same with Guislfield at home, when we couldn't get anywhere near them in the second half and we lost the game 3-1. Cefn Druids have a good defensive line up and it was a frustrating game for me at home, as I didn't have many chances at goal. We play them again in a couple weeks time so I’ll be looking to get myself on the score sheet this time.”

You’ve played against Caernarfon’s defence for Llanidloes and I was wondering what you remember about coming up against our back four. Is it as hard as it looks? 

“When you’re playing against the top defensive sides in the league you know your afternoon isn't going to be an easy one and more so when you’re playing against the defence who have conceded less goals than anyone else! Our defence has been superb again this season with only conceding seventeen goals. As a striker I'm glad they’re on my team this year and not the other way around!”

Summer football or are you a traditionalist?

“I am a traditionalist. It’s nice to have free weekends during the summer months when the weather is nice. Saying that though it does get very frustrating when games get called off due to waterlogged or frozen pitches.”

Everyone connected with the club would love to win the Huws Gray League and get promotion. Has this been the team’s main target all season?

“Yes it certainly has. Before I even signed, Iwan made it very clear that his main objective was to win the league and gain promotion. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to sign as we both wanted to achieve the same goal of getting back to the Welsh Premier.”

You’ve mentioned the many setbacks you’ve had along the way so would it mean to you to get back into the Welsh Premier League with Caernarfon?

“It would mean a lot to me to get back up to the Welsh Premier. Looking back I think I was a bit too young when I was at Newtown. I went away and got some good experience, especially these last three seasons in the Cymru Alliance and I think I'm now ready to give it another shot. As for Cearnarfon, we all know how much it would mean to everyone connected with the club to get back up to the Prem. We have seven massive games left and I'm confident we can achieve this and get the club back to where it belongs.” 

Woolly hats seem to be fashionable amongst the Cofis players this season, and in his Oval Ways interview Iwan poked some fun at the headgear being used by the players, including your snapbacks. What do you think Jamie, and does Iwan, as he has also hinted, possess superior fashionable sense to everyone else in the squad? 

“Fashionable??? Hahahahaha, I don't know what planet he is on sometimes! The lads give him some fair stick for the clobber he owns. We have a team night out coming up and it will be interesting to see what the "fashion king" rolls up in.”

Who’s got the best and worst music taste in the dressing room?

“The worst has to be Iwan!! I really don't know where he gets his music from, some of the remixes he pulls out are shocking, and the amount of stick he gets is hilarious. Saying that he sent a message in the ‘whatsapp’ group requesting a song from everyone as we complained too much about his "top tunes". There were some shockers there but I have to make a special mention about Pritch's song. He chose the Champions League song as it reminded him of the ten second appearance he made in the tournament a few years ago. I'm glad I wasn't him when that one came on in the dressing room!! As for good music I can’t really say as Iwan always hogs the speakers.”

Who’s your favourite singer/ group?

“I don't really have a favourite group or singer. I like a bit of house music so I’ll listen to any DJ that puts some good tunes out there.”

Who’s your favourite actor/actress?

“I’d have to say Mark Whalberg or Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. My DVD rack has got a few of their films on it.”

What’s your favourite film?

“I wouldn't say I have a favourite film. I do quite like all seven Fast and Furious films and they’re ones I could watch again and again. My misses hates them, so whenever they are on the TV I always try and sneak it on.”

According to the chairman, Arfon, he had some wise words for you before the Mold match which he believes was the real reason you scored four goals! What’s your take on this story? 

“I can’t disagree with him there. He just pointed out to me that the ball needs to go between the white sticks. I took his advice on board and took it out onto the pitch with me. It worked, so I have now asked him for the same chat before every game until the end of the season! 

On the subject of the chairman I would like to thank him for everything he has done for me personally, and the team this season. Even though I have only been at the club a year I know how hard he has worked over the last six years to get this club back to where it currently is. I know all the lads are determined to give him the perfect send off and it will be sad to see him go, but I wish his all the best in his retirement and hopefully we’ll see him at a few games next year.”

Did you see the photos of Gaz, Rob and Joe eating McDonalds after a training session recently? You’d never do that would you, Jamie?

“I did see the photo, and I must confess I have done that once this season. I do try and look after my body after training sessions and games. I usually have a protein shake, a pint of water and something decent to eat. That healthy mindset only lasts until I get home though, especially at weekends!” 

How did it feel to score four against Mold, and had you ever scored that amount, or more, in a senior match previously?

“It felt really good to get one goal let alone four, especially after not getting on the scoresheet for the three previous games. I scored four goals last season against Penycae at home for Llanidloes so I’ve equalled my record for most goals in a senior match.”

You’re a big favourite with all the supporters Jamie, and I was wondering if you have a message for the Cofi Army?

“I would just like to say again a massive thank you to all the fans, firstly for the welcome  they gave me and also for their continued support over the season. #CofiArmy.”

In Their Own Hands....

Two matches, and two more victories, have been chalked up since the last blog and, as far as being a Caernarfon Town supporter is concerned, things could not have gone better during the past week.

The first of these successes was a hard win over our old friends from Holywell in the Huws Gray Cup and, if truth be known, the tie could have gone either way. I had been looking forward to the encounter with the Wellmen because they’re a club that, for me, will forever evoke memories of the Canaries’ treble season in 2012/13. As followers of local football may recall, John Haseldin’s side had been in the running for three trophies that season but Caernarfon had the edge on them, and proved it by winning the league, and defeating them in both the Cookson Cup final and semi-final of the FAW Trophy. The campaign itself is the subject of my Oval Ways book and anyone who has read it may have kicked up on the hint that there was no love lost between the sides at the time, especially following the league encounter at Halkyn Road at the end of the season. For anyone who wasn’t there, and wants to know more, you can read a free pdf version of the book by following the link on the home page of this blog, where the rather ill-tempered affair, and disappointing aftermath, is covered at length between pages 182-188.

Much water has passed under the bridge since that evening and, whilst I can’t comment on Holywell, I do know that the Caernarfon team these days bears little semblance, personnel wise, to the one that achieved so much back then, although it must also be said that this season’s squad, just like the 2012/13 vintage, also seems to have the golden knack of toughing out victories when not at their very best.

To be honest, Holywell are probably the last team I would have chosen as opponents so soon after the Rhayader match, where the Cofis had played with ten men for one half, and just nine players for the second period. I know that Iwan and his staff have been doing all they can to get their charges as fit as possible since they joined the club last summer and this can be seen whenever they play, but the players’ efforts at Rhayader could hardly have been the perfect way to prepare for a cup tie against such a competitive side. The visitors probably edged the play possession-wise but the Cofis have the league’s meanest defence and they again stepped up to the plate, whilst Town’s creative players again showed their quality with three excellent strikes from Toby Jones (above), Jay Gibbs and Danny Brookwell. 

Toby and Danny took their opportunities well but the pick of the goals was definitely Jay Gibb’s strike from a free kick that must have been near to thirty yards from goal. Thankfully, videos of the strike can be found on various social media and, if anything it looks even better now than it did on the night! And, just to prove how good a strike it was, even Holywell manager John Haseldin applauded it! I’m afraid I was out of position to take a decent shot of the goal, but here’s the one I got, which at the very least shows how far the ball travelled to find the net!

Jay's strike is on it's way over the Holwell wall and into the onion bag!

Talking of the Wellmen’s manager, I must admit to having exchanged a bit of banter with him after Jay’s goal, and whilst I should know better, I’m sure I’m not the first, nor last, to have had the pleasure! To be fair to him, John’s doing an excellent job with the club and has been doing so for a number of years now and whilst I would never agree with some of the comments he comes out with on the touchline, from what I’ve seen, his methods obviously work!   

So, the Canaries are in the next round of the League Cup and things are hardly going to get easier as we face Prestatyn in the semi-finals! Together with Holywell, I believe the Seasiders have been the best team to have visited the Oval this season, so it’s going to be another tough battle for the team, although I have no doubt that they’ll be up for it!

Caernarfon were back in league action on Saturday and the visit of Mold was an altogether more comfortable experience as the squad produced a stellar performance to sweep aside the Alyn Park outfit by six goals to nil.

In a match full of highlights for Caernarfon supporters, I thought one of the best moments of the afternoon was when Iwan made a double substitution during the second half. Looking over towards the bench, I saw that Kevin Lloyd and Toby Jones were entering the fray and it suddenly struck me how strong the squad is these days. Tom Taylor (left) had also joined the action early in the second period (and what a player he seems to be!) and Gareth Jones-Evans was also available, with Clive Williams and Kevin Roberts both out of action, although hopefully not for long. Iwan has assembled an impressive group of players and it’s testament to him and his staff that he’s managed to bring them all together to form such a solid unit.

Thus far, the players have passed every obstacle put in front of them, and, with just eight league fixtures remaining, and a cup semi-final, this could prove to be a very special season for the Cofis. There’s still lots of action to take before the final whistle of the campaign is blown, but it’s good to know that the players have it all in their own hands at this particular moment. 

Nearly capturing Jamie's fourth goal on my camera.  

I am, however, slightly worried about the lengths the players are going to in an effort to maintain their fitness as I caught Nathan Craig and Gareth Edwards both exercising
(left) during a brief respite in the action on saturday!

Before moving on I just have to mention that my admiration for local photographer Richard Birch increases by the week. Richard was unbelievably kind with me by offering his excellent photographs, completely free of charge, for the Oval Ways book and, as if that was not enough to impress me, I know find myself looking with envy at his weekly shots in the local, and regional newspapers. As Caernarfon’s press officer I try and take as many photos as I can at matches but find it an almost impossible task, although from time to time I manage a decent image. Camera-wise I know that I haven’t really got the tools for quality photos but another problem I have is that the club’s President, John Watkins, seems to regularly get in the way of possible attention-grabbing images. Just as an example, here’s one I took of Jamie Breese’s sixth goal on Saturday which is completely marred by Mr Watkins’ manly frame, hands aloft and right across the middle of the frame. And I have dozens of others like this too!      

I was recently invited to pop over to the Arfon Tennis Centre to watch the Caernarfon Town Academy’s Foundation Phase players being joined by first team manager Iwan Williams, club captain Grahame Austin and striker Kevin Lloyd, who were there to assist the coaches and take part in the session.  

Caernarfon's four-goal hero against Mold, Jamie Breese. 

Making the first team squad accessible to the Academy and all areas of the club and community is something Iwan strongly believes in and, having mentioned his conviction to implement a ‘One Club’ philosophy many times since he arrived at the Oval, I know he will keep to his promise in the years to come. This is something I’ll be writing about in on the club’s website and social media soon so do please keep a look out for it.

Off the field, the Caernarfon Town committee has released a statement this week whereby it is announced they are actively seeking a successor to Arfon Jones as chairman. I’m still finding it difficult to imagine the club without Arfon at the helm but this will soon be the reality and, being a member of the committee, I know how determined we all are to ensure that his successor will be  the correct person to take the Cofis forward.

It’s an important, but exciting time, for everyone interested in the Caernarfon Town and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the club, starting with Saturday’s match at Conwy.
Come on the Town!  

Monica, John Wayne and not quite the Alamo.

Compared to the usual away days supporting Caernarfon Town, Saturday’s visit to Rhayader was quite eventful. Two players sent off, a home supporter escorted out of the ground, and obscene tales during the near two hundred mile round trek all made it a rather interesting, but highly enjoyable day for me.

The outgoing Chairman.

However, before looking back at our trip to the small market town in Powys, there really is just one to kick off this time around. For Caernarfon Town  the week started on a pretty flat note when the chairman announced he would be stepping down at the end of the season. When Arfon phoned to tell me the news I will admit to having mixed feelings. Having my committee cap on, I was very disappointed because I have no doubt that Arfon remains the right man to lead us into the Welsh Premier League, whether it is this Summer or sometime in the future. On a personal level though, I was pleased that he had made the decision because, having experienced an extremely tough time over the past year and a half, I think he’s done brilliantly to carry on the way he has and should now be able to enjoy seeing the club he saved without having to handle the pressure of pushing us forward. It was with a heavy heart that I wrote down his words for the official announcement and I hope that Arfon has seen the messages of thanks and support sent by supporters on social media, because they prove how well-respected he is. Over 6,300 reaches on facebook for the announcement is a figure that says everything really.

The outgoing chairman has promised me he’ll be happy to take part in a question and answer article for the club website and social media outlets and I know it will be an interesting, and entertaining read! As for my own thoughts on Arfon’s deicision, I’m sticking to my own facebook words:

"As a supporter, I cannot thank Arfon enough for all he has done to drag the Canaries from the verge of bankruptcy to the brink of the Welsh Premier League. As a member of the club's committee for the past six years, I feel privileged to have been able to work with him and will always have lots of great memories of how he has gone about resurrecting the club. 

Danny Brookwell was a real threat against Rhayader.

He has always been brilliant with me and I'm proud to call him a friend. His decision to step down is understandable and I know that the record books, and everyone's memories, will ensure that he will always be known as the man who turned the club around and made us proud again. 

Unbelievably hard working and conscientious and a top, top man." 

And so, back to Saturday’s match at Rhayader which I think may well prove to be one of the season’s defining encounters.

If you have read the blog before, you may already be aware of Caernarfon’s other dignitary, the Chairman of Vice. He who shall be known as the C.O.V. for the purposes of this latest instalment, was kind enough to offer his services as taxi driver on the day and, judging by past experience, I fully expected to hear endless tales of questionable taste during our journey. I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed and, furthermore, cannot remember laughing so much travelling down the A470!

What is said in the car remains in the car.

The players celebrate Jay Gibbs' opener. 

Two other keen Town supporters were fellow passengers and things got off to an ominous start when the rather questionable nocturnal maneuvers of a prominent sporting figure were mentioned. Suffice to say this set the tone for the remainder of the day and, in all honesty, it was soon hard to tell the difference between truth, exaggeration and fabrication.

All this was put firmly in the shade when we stopped for lunch at a café in Llanbrynmair. There, whilst sitting amongst a roomful of people, Monica Lewinsky was mentioned in conversation. And not in a discreet way.

Those of a certain age will know why I felt slightly uncomfortable, but couldn’t stop laughing and thankfully the matter was dropped. Until we restarted the journey and, for obvious reasons, the saying ‘What is said in the car, remains in the car’ was never more apt! To be fair, it was all innocent, if rather colourful fun, and just added to a brilliant day!

We arrived in plenty of time to re-acquaint ourselves with the delights of the canteen and it was good to see that a number of Caernarfon supporters had already arrived  and, in fact, I think we comfortably outnumbered the locals in attendance. The Canaries Club had arranged a mini-bus and their support, always vocal and passionate, was to take even greater significance than usual on the day.

And so to the match itself, which was, to put it mildly, a pretty heated affair.

Darren Thomas. 

The Canaries were in the ascendency from the first minute, and I immediately felt there was a good chance of victory for the team. However, things rarely work out quite as simple as that and, just seven minutes into the action, Kevin Roberts was shown a red card for what I believe the game’s powers that be refer to as violent conduct. In my best ‘Arsene Wenger’ voice I must confess to having not seen anything untowards at the time, although I did see that Kevin had been a few yards behind the man in the middle when the alleged incident took place. What I did see, however, was the Rhayader management and players leaping to their feet and jumping up and down, pointing at one of their players, who was lying on the ground in front of them. The ref made a U-turn and spoke briefly with his assistant on the touchline before giving Kevin his marching orders.

It’s always easy to defend your team’s players in such situations and I always try not to have my yellow and green shades on when looking at such things but, from talking to Kev later on, I must question what exactly the linesman saw. I have no idea who the official was but I know Kev quite well and if he says he didn’t touch the Rhayader player then I believe him. Which begs the question why was he sent off?

Gareth Edwards. Thou Shall Not Pass. 

Despite being a man down, the Cofis were still looking the better side and were certainly more of a goalscoring threat than the hosts. Jay Gibbs put us in front with a wonderful free-kick and the players saw out the remainder of the half without too much worries at the back, although Paul Pritchard, as always, came to the rescue when he pulled off an excellent save to keep out a Rhydian Davies penalty. The spot kick had been given after Gareth Jones-Evans had fouled inside the penalty area and unfortunately, things got worse for him in the final minute of the first period when he too was sent off following a second bookable offence. Unlike Kevin’s red card, I think the referee undoubtedly got it right with Gareth, and I don’t think there could be any complaints from any of us about it. I saw Gareth at the end of the match and he felt very bad about it all, which is a sure sign that he cares. I’m also pretty sure we won’t be seeing a repeat any time soon.

The second half was always going to be tough for the players and whilst it was very much a case of backs to the wall defending I think it’s fair to say that Town fashioned more goal opportunities than the hosts. Rhayader huffed and puffed but the Cofis defended impressively, with everyone determined not to let the lead slip.

Great to see Rob Jones and Tom Taylor back in the squad.

It’s unfair to single anyone out but special mention must be given to Gareth Edwards, who was flying home across the Atlantic just hours before kick-off following a week in New York. I had wondered how Gaz would be after such a long journey but, as always, he was in great form and showed just what it means to him to play for the team.

Town were defending for long periods but, with Darren Thomas and Danny Brookwell causing plenty of problems for the home defence, it was not quite the ‘Alamo’, although the old movie based on a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution must have been on the mind of one home supporter, who obviously fancied himself as a modern day John Wayne, for which he was rightly escorted out of the ground.

It was good to see Rob Jones returning to the side as a second half substitute and when he doubled Town’s lead, that was pretty much that, as far as Rhayader getting back into the match was in the question.

Members of the Canaries Club who made the journey.

The celebrations at the end of the match from the team, and supporters, were tremendous and I am sure the travelling Cofi Army made a difference to the team on the day. They vocally supported the side throughout a very hard match, in tough circumstances and whilst Town were down to nine men, I wonder if the Cofi Army didn’t make up for the numerical disadvantage? Truly wonderful support!

So, a Caernarfon victory over the side currently propping up the league table may have been expected amongst followers of the league but, given the circumstances, and dare I say, one or two rather less than appealing aspects to the match, this victory could well prove to be one of the most important of the campaign when every team’s points are totalled up at the end of the fixture list.

Come on the Town!