Heartbreak, a double header and bouncing back.

First of all, an apology is in order for not adding any entries to the blog over the last three weeks. It’s not that I didn’t want to but, to be honest, it’s been a hard time for everyone at Caernarfon Town Football Club, be it management, players, supporters and committee members and I just couldn’t bear to write about something that so ruthlessly took the winds out of our sails, albeit I’m sure not on a permanent basis.

I was as heartbroken as everyone else involved with the Cofis when the FAW announced they had turned down our appeal for the Domestic Licence, thus resulting in our superb team being unable to take its rightful place in the Welsh Premier League next season.

It’s still very hard to write about the matter but the club’s committee, of which I am a member, takes full and collective responsibility for failing to ensure that the criteria was met. We had thought that everything had been submitted to a high enough standard and therefore, at the time of the announcement, I was livid and held thoughts of writing a piece on the shortfalls of the FAW. Thankfully I thought better of it and am glad that I did because there’s no getting away from the fact that we failed as a committee in our efforts to get the licence.

I can be as bullish as anyone when things go well for the club but that’s easy to do and so I must also put my hand up and admit to getting things wrong and this time we did. I feel guilty about not doing more to help in the effort to get the licence, and will always feel that I’ve personally let down the players and supporters but I also am absolutely determined that it won’t happen again and will double my efforts as a committee member to ensure that everything is in place to secure promotion when we next win the league, which will hopefully be next season!

Daily Post reporter Dave Jones has recently written about how impressed he has been by the team’s response to the massive disappointment they had felt and he is right, the players have been magnificent and have shown to everyone that they are, by far, the best team in the Huws Gray Cymru Alliance League. Over the next week or two, my aim is to show just how impressive they’ve been in recent weeks by looking back at the team’s final matches of the campaign, beginning with the double header against Llanfair United.

The stand, the snack bar and the dressing rooms (top left)
at Llanfair Utd's Mount Field.

We had originally been scheduled to travel to Llanfair Caereinion in December but, with most of the team and a number of supporters having already arrived at the ground back then, the match had been called off, rather late in the day, due to a waterlogged pitch. The late call, whilst undoubtedly the right one judging by photos of the pitch, had been frustrating to say the least, especially when taking into consideration the 140 mile round trip it takes to get there from the Caernarfon area. On that day I had been travelling in the Chairman of Vice’s chameleon car (thus called due to having turned from its original silver colour to a robust blue after we’d received news of the postponement!) and it wasn’t a pretty sight as we vented our disappointment on a flask of coffee during a pit stop, or something called very similar! Anyhow, with this at the back of my mind, I had been hoping for decent weather in the days leading up to our rescheduled visit and, despite a snowfall on the morning of the match, the pitch was thankfully passed fit to play. Backed by a coach full of supporters, the team coped well with the wet and heavy pitch to win by a comfortable 3-0 margin.

It was my first visit to the Mount Field and it certainly has a unique charm. The first thing that struck me was the rather impressive stand that dominates the otherwise Spartan ground. It holds over a hundred spectators and has been built on what I think is called a ridge that slopes to the pitch itself. The view from the dressing room area, beside and slightly behind the stand, is pretty good, and more than a par with other grounds I’ve visited this season, which I hope the photo (left) proves. The other charming aspect of the set-up were the friendly ladies serving food and drinks in the snack bar, who were kind and helpful and kept smiling throughout, despite the score. Despite, or maybe because of, the hosts’ precarious position at the wrong end of the league table, the match proved a tough one for the Canaries. Llanfair were still fighting to avoid relegation at the time and battled well, giving it a real go against the league leaders, with the excellent James Davies proving a real threat up front. Despite this, however, Town showed plenty of battling qualities of their own to get the best of not only the opposition but also the pitch, which was definitely not conducive to good football. The players coped well, however, and the vocal Cofi Army were rewarded for making the long trip to Powys with another victory by their favourites. 

Nathan Craig during the Llanfair Utd match.

The undoubted highlights of the match were the goals, from Nathan Craig’s sublime free kick from twenty five yards, to Jamie Breese’s reflex header at the far post and then, finally, to Darren Thomas’ excellent run on the way to setting up Jamie’s second netfinder, and Town’s third. It’s hard not to wax lyrical about the goals at this point but, for fear of using too many superlatives, I’ll just use one word to describe them all – Class.   

The biggest disappointment of the day was getting mud-splashed after taking up a viewing position in front of the Main Stand for the final ten minutes. Oh, and hearing from a trusted source that  Cefn Druids had scored a last minute equaliser at Holywell to keep alive their title hopes! To be fair, it did not come as a huge surprise because Druids have made it a habit to score late on in matches, although we were all surprised it had not been a penalty this time!  

So, an enjoyable afternoon and another crucial victory for Town. Having done my utmost to clear the mud off my clothes I headed for home and, dreading the long, and winding road ahead (a nod to my friend Phil Roberts, who is a big Beatles fan!), I was given a real tonic whilst driving through Llanfair Caereinion, hearing the Cofi Army singing loudly somewhere, with the words Jamie and Breese prominent in their efforts!

The flags were out at the Mount Field.

We received the devastating news about the licence during the following week but, just two days after the FAW’s announcement, the players somehow still managed to put on another excellent performance to complete the double over Llanfair, scoring a 6-1 victory at the Oval. Those of us who have seen the team play under Iwan will be aware that he has instilled a steely determination in the side and every setback during the season has seen a positive response from the players. I think it’s fair to say that the licence news was rather more than a setback and yet the squad put on another fine performance, one that took them to within touching distance of the league title.

I’ll be honest and say that, for the first time since the days of David Rowe, I was dreading my visit to the ground, although for very different reasons to the dread I felt watching Rowe's side!

As it happened, the very first person I saw in the Oval car park upon arrival was Iwan and I felt rather awkward and embarrassed. Thankfully, Iwan is a gentleman and I’ll never forget how kind he was with me. I already held him in high esteem and those few minutes confirmed why. It also made me even more determined to make amends for the licence failure!
The players and supporters were also extremely kind and, whilst everyone had questions that needed answering, which would happen in an open meeting after the match, we all got together to support the team, and they responded in style!

Whilst Llanfair had proved tough opposition at their own ground, the superior playing conditions at the Oval was much more suited to Town’s technically gifted footballers and, from the moment Jamie Breese popped up with the opener in the fifteenth minute, nodding in from close range, the result was never in doubt. What happened immediately following the goal was the stand-out moment of the afternoon as Jamie and his team-mates headed towards the dugout where they celebrated with Iwan (left). Brilliant scenes and the perfect way of showing how close the players are to the manager and his staff. 

The runner-up for best celebration of the day was Paul Pritchard’s jump for joy after seeing Chris Gethin’s penalty sail high and wide of its target late in the match. Paul needed one more clean sheet to break his own league record (achieved in 2014/15) of fifteen shut-outs in a season. Unfortunately for Pritch, James Davies stopped him from achieving the feat in the final minute of the match but there were three matches still left to reach the target and he would eventually get to do it in style just seven days later.

Paul Pritchard was made to wait for his record breaking
clean sheet. 

Following the match, members of the club’s committee met with the players, management staff and Canaries Supporters club to discuss reasons for the Domestic Licence failure and, whilst I would not have been surprised in the least if we’d been criticised and berated, everyone showed a lot of class and understanding and, although undoubtedly disappointed and frustrated with the situation, they were very fair with us. The meeting had not been easy for anyone in that room but it was absolutely right to hold it. Questions needed to be answered and the passion and commitment of everyone present spoke volumes about why Caernarfon Town is a special club.

Kevin Lloyd takes on his marker against Llanfair Utd. 

Iwan’s motto since arriving at the Oval has been ‘One Club’ and what happened in the meeting epitomised this.

We’ve had subsequent meetings as a committee and it seems there will be a number of changes at the club over the next few weeks, which I am sure will see us striding on to greater things. We need to get things right as a matter of urgency and are determined to do so. It’s the least we can do for Iwan, the squad and supporters.         

Next time out, I'll be looking back at how the team reached the League Cup final, how the league was won in emphatic style, and how old adversaries can sometimes surprise us....