The Dark Side, The Long Ball and the Jedi Knight

“The target for the season is tenth, but we think we can challenge for a top six spot.”

That was Sean Eardley’s answer last August when I asked him how he felt the team would cope in the Welsh Premier League. Football is full of big egos and hoodwinkers, we’ve all seen plenty of them at the Oval over the years, but Eards is as far away from that as you could get, so his words gave me hope that my own assessment of the team was not too far off.

Readers of the blog will know how highly I rate the Caernarfon squad and management. I’ve spoken often enough of my hopes of ruffling a few feathers, and egos, once we got back into the league and so I always felt we could challenge for a top half berth. Believing it is one thing, but of course proving it is another so it’s been an exciting ride seeing us do exactly that.

I last posted a blog on New Year’s Eve when the Cofis still had three matches to try and secure a top six spot. We were in a strong position at the time, but had tough-looking fixtures with Llandudno, Carmarthen and Bala on the horizon and there was still plenty of football to play, and potential banana skins to avoid, before the end of the league’s first phase.

Our first challenge was to visit the Giant Hospitality Stadium, where our former manager, Iwan Williams, and his charges would be desperately trying to gain three much needed points in their fight against relegation. The teams had played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Oval just three days prior to this encounter and, despite their position in the league, I think we all knew that the Seasiders would again be a handful in the return fixture.

An impressive crowd of six hundred and seventy five turned up at the ground but, despite the best efforts of the players, they could not quite replicate the thrills and spills of the six-goal thriller three days earlier. It was not through lack of intent from the sides as they were both looking to play on the front foot. However, it can be impossible to do this when the referee blows his whistle every time there is a challenge or tackle for the ball. Rob Jenkins was the man in the middle and, to put it bluntly, he spoiled the match for everyone in the ground, players and spectators alike.

It has become an epidemic in modern day football that the referee will award a free kick as soon as players from opposing teams get within touching distance of the ball at the same time, or when someone falls to the ground. Such incessant breaks in the game will always spoil the flow of the action and, with everyone in the ground becoming increasingly frustrated, it can become a very tedious ninety minutes for everyone.

Sion Bradley was excellent against Llandudno

And so it was on New Year’s Day. From the moment Jenkins booked Rhys Roberts for an innocuous challenge early on the tone for the remainder of the match had been set, and he proceded to brandish five yellow cards and award what seemed like three thousand free-kicks. Seeing that the match was drawn, I assume no-one will anything resembling sour grapes in my words, but rather a genuine opinion of a match official who was either completely out of his depth or who let the big occasion get the better of him. Social media opinion seemed to match mine so it’s fair to say that Mr Jenkins had an afternoon to forget. Incidentally, I was surprised to see that the official was in charge of the recent Nathaniel MG Cup final, and therefore can only assume that the assessor at our match with Llandudno did not give a full account of how poor he was on the day. If he didn’t, then why have assessors at any matches?

Anyway, it was a hard-fought affair and the 1-1 draw was a fair reflection of the action. I thought Sion Bradley and Darren Thomas were excellent on the day, with the latter in particular, looking sharp and dangerous in and around the hosts’ penalty area. It’s been an unusual season for Darren in that he’s not always been included in our starting eleven, and had to wait until mid-December to score his first goal of the campaign. There have been patches of brilliance from him throughout the season but the ball had never seemed to bounce his way until that Aberystwyth match, when he found the net with a familiar cheeky sidestep. Since then, he has been excellent and, in my opinion, back to his best in the fixtures against Llandudno, Carmarthen and Bala.

Our main rivals for the remaining top six spot were Aberystwyth and it must have been a boost for Sean and his squad when Nev Powell’s side suffered a 1-6 defeat to Connahs Quay the day prior to our encounter with Carmarthen. The result meant that victory over the Old Gold at the Oval would cement our place in the top six, thus guaranteeing our position in the Welsh Premier League for another season and, as an added bonus, giving us an opportunity to qualify for European football at the end of the campaign.

The league table may have suggested the Cofis were strong favourites to get the job done but I’m sure those of us who saw how Neil Smothers’ side turned us over at Richmond Park in November would have been aware of the tough task ahead. They’re a very decent side and, in my opinion, have one of the best midfielders in the league in Greg Walters.

During the week, a Town supporter tweeted that the fixture was one of our most important for years and I could not have agreed more. Taking into account all that was on the line the fixture was more than on a par with everything else over the last quarter of the century.

Having grown up in the seventies and eighties, I’m a a football traditionalist and always like to see teams set up in the 4-4-2 formation. I understand this may seem to be a dated way to look at things, but I’ve seen many great sides over the years win the biggest trophies this way, so it’s hard for me to move away from it now. With this in mind, I was delighted to see the eleven Eards had picked to start against Carmarthen, with Cai Jones and Jamie Breese given a rare start together. The attacking formation was a sign of intent from the manager and, despite going an early goal down, the team roared back to win by three goals to one.

The Cofi Messi is back in full swing.... 

The players really performed on the day and, again, it was Darren Thomas who stood out for me.  His performance in the second half is the best I’ve seen him in a Town shirt and, to use a Star Wars analogy, he was akin to a Jedi Knight weaving through the visitors’ midfield and defence every time he got the ball. The Cofi Messi capped off his fine display with a super goal, winning a tackle thirty yards out before running past two defenders across the box and thundering the ball into the far corner of the net. I’ve said this many times at hundreds of matches and won’t apologise for repeating it: Darren is good enough for the football league and it’s a real shame he never got the opportunity to make it professionally as a youngster.

As a Caernarfon supporter, of course, it’s worked out well for us, because we’ve been lucky enough to have seen the best of Darren in the yellow shirt over the past five years and also I don’t think any other set of supporters, anywhere, could have appreciated and thought more of him than the Cofi Army.  

Alex Ramsay was in inspired form against Bala

The final match of Phase One saw us making the trip to Bala on a bitterly cold Saturday evening. To be honest, Bala would not be many people’s preferred location for a Saturday night out but, in all fairness, it proved to be a pretty good evening for the many Cofis who made the effort.

Things did not look promising early on as the hosts started strongly and, having gone down to an early goal, we could thank Alex Ramsay for keeping us in the match as our number one pulled off a string of quality saves to keep us within touching distance at half-time. Having said this, both Darren Thomas and Jamie Breese went close to scoring for us too, so it was by no means one-way traffic for the Lakesiders.

The second half was a totally different affair as the Cofis dominated it from start to finish and, once Messi headed in the equaliser, there really was only going to be one winner. Danny Brookwell put us ahead with a screamer and Nathan finished things off from the penalty spot in the last minute to give Caernarfon a deserved 3-1 victory.

It was an excellent performance and result and I thought the second half was the best we’ve played this season. Bala are big hitters in the league and have been for many years. It is generally said that they have a decent budget, which means that they’ve got a very talented squad, so to recover from a goal down and win in such fine fashion was very impressive from the players. As an added bonus on the night, the two-goal winning margin meant that the Cofis leapfrogged Bala into fifth place at the half way stage, which is no mean feat for a side tipped for relegation by the uninformed!

Cai is making his mark

The Tyn Lon Volvo Man of the Match was Cai Jones, who is proving on a weekly basis that he deserves to play with the big boys at the top table. Come to think of it, that statement says it all about the team too, doesn’t it!

One final thought on our visit to Bala: The Cofi Army must have outnumbered the home support by a five to one ration, which is not too unusual really, but I found it interesting that the few locals I spoke with at the ground were all envious of not only the following the club enjoys, but also the number of local players in our team. In my opinion, both these things go hand in hand and, if clubs decide to import whole squads, then they do risk alienating their local fanbase. Caernarfon Town supporters who remember the sad days of journeymen from up the coast enjoying fortnightly jollies to the Oval will know what I mean.

We ended January with the much-anticipated Welsh Cup tie against our oldest rivals at Nantporth. Once the fourth round draw had been made I think we all knew this was the pick of the ties and that there would be massive interest in what is the biggest of domestic Welsh derbies.

There’s no point in going over old ground, but, in short, the contrast between the clubs in the past  year could not have been greater. Whilst Bangor were demoted to the Cymru Alliance after failing the Domestic Licence, Caernarfon have made a big splash in the top tier and I think are now seen as the area’s dominant force.

For the first time I can remember the Cofis were favourites to win and progress to the next round but, of course, local derbies rarely turn out as straightforward as that and so it was with a mixture of excitement and nerves that I had looked forward to the fixture. The hosts had being playing well in recent weeks and so would be full of confidence, which was obvious from the get-go as they looked very sharp during the opening twenty five minutes.

When Jamie Breese put us ahead in the twenty eighth minute I thought we might go on to a handsome victory but the Citizens did well to get back on level terms, with a goal directly from a corner on the stroke of half-time.

Gaz Edwards celebrates his winner with the two Colins

I’m not sure they deserved to be on level terms going into the break but that’s how it was and so it was still game on at that point. However, the Cofis overpowered them in the second half and, whilst the wet conditions made it difficult to play, Caernarfon coped much better with the wind and rain and, as soon as Gareth Edwards put us 2-1 ahead, we looked comfortable and controlled the remainder of the match. With just a goal separating the sides, the hosts were still in the tie until the final whistle but, really, they did not pose much of a threat and never seemed like equalising.

Jamie Crowther

Jamie Crowther was named man of the match and he fully deserved it. He was superb all night and, in addition to his impressive display in front of the defence, he also provided a pinpoint cross from midfield for Gaz to score the winner from. Jay sometimes get criticised for playing the ball too long on occasions, but I don’t think he receives the recognition he deserves for the qualities he brings into our midfield. Big, strong and experienced, I believe he supplements our ball players perfectly.

I’ve ran out of superlatives where the Cofi Army is concerned but, for the record, they were unbelievable! In all of my four decades of supporting Caernarfon I have never known such an away following for the club and it was a proud feeling to be amongst them at the old enemy’s ground.

The victory was as sweet as they come and, to use my second Star Wars analogy of this piece, it was very satisfying to take on the Dark Side and come out on top! Putting an even greater shine on the victory was seeing the post-match interview with the Ayes manager, who somehow managed to keep a straight face when declaring that his charges had been the better side and deserved to win. He proceeded to call the Cofis a long-ball side and, really, that’s when I stopped listening. Oh, and it was also rather satisfying at the final whistle to see the look on the face of a small-time hack who showed his true colours at the match. Priceless!

In addition to the goals and the result, the highlight of the evening occurred before kick-off, when Eards and his assistant, Richard, walked onto the pitch to applaud the Cofi Army. Of course, the Caernarfon supporters were already in good high spirits but seeing the duo paying tribute before the action began really pumped up the volume. Recently, I heard someone calling Eards the Cofi Klopp and I know exactly what they mean!

The players and supporters headed to the Crown in Caernarfon later on and, for the first time in fifteen years I found myself in a pub on a Saturday night. There was a great atmosphere there although it was slightly surreal to carry out a post-match interview with Nathan Craig outside the Crown at half-past eleven at night!

The club received yet more good news this week when Eards secured the loan signing of Leo Smith from Wrexham. Leo is, of course, the son of former Town manager Steve Smith and, from what I saw of him when he played against us for Llandudno over the festive season, he is exactly the type of player the Cofis like. Talented, local and with plenty of heart.           

Next up is a return to Welsh Premier League action as we welcome table toppers Barry Town to the Oval. It’s going to be a tough, but exciting second phase of the season and I’m quietly confident it can be as successful as the first one……..     

El Hombre Bala, Sinatra and the Alternative Awards…..

It’s been nearly three months since I last added a blog and so, with 2018 coming to a close, I thought it might be time to try and squeeze in one final entry before the new year arrives. Of course, a lot has happened in and around Caernarfon Town Football Club since the last blog and to try and catch up in the same format at usual would be a daunting job, not just to write but also for you to read. Therefore, I’ve decided to put together a few highlights and comments to cover the three months, and will close with the inaugural Oval Ways Alternative End of Year Awards. So, brace yourself for a whirlwind recap to cover the last twelve weeks from where I was standing….

October.

Rambo explaining to Gwyn Derfel how he and his defence 

kept two clean sheets against the Nomads. 

Although the Cofis failed to win a match throughout the month, there was only one defeat,  a 0-3 reverse at home to an excellent Newtown side. The other three matches were all drawn and the pick of the bunch, in my opinion, was the goalless encounter with Connahs Quay Nomads. Followers of the Welsh Premier League will be aware that Andy Morrisons’ side are battling TNS and Barry Town for the league title and so to keep a clean sheet against them for a second time this season was an impressive achievement.

I missed the match at Abersytwyth due to a combination of illness and not wanting to risk life and limb by travelling through Storm Callum for two hours. I’ll be honest and say that I believe the Welsh Premier League should have cancelled the match on safety grounds of those braving the atrocious weather. I received two photos from a friend travelling to the match and believe the club requested a cancellation in plenty of time before everyone started their journeys but the message was clear that the fixture had to be played. Thankfully, everyone got back home safely but this is certainly something that needs to be looked at in the future. I understand that we are now playing in the Welsh Premier League, but people’s safety is obviously the priority and common sense needs to be used in such circumstances.

November.

Defeat at Carmarthen but Nathan was back with a vengeance!

A long trip to Carmarthen was first up and it was a first visit to Richmond Park for me. I opted to drive down, and thankfully, my mate Bob was also up for the journey, as otherwise I fear I would still be driving around the country lanes looking for the ground! The weather was atrocious, again, but we began well and when Nathan Craig put the Cofis ahead with a free kick I thought we’d go on and win the match. Unfortunately, football is not that straightforward and the hosts did well to get back in the match and eventually ran out 4-3 winners. Although the post-match interviews the players gave me later showed how frustrated they were, I still think the team had done enough to get at least a point. However, a huge positive to take away from the afternoon was the return of Nathan, who scored a hat-trick and showed, once again, how important he is to the side.

Job done at Park Hall.

We travelled to England six days later, in atrocious rain(again), to play The New Saints. I’m not sure how many people gave us a chance of gaining anything against the champions but the players were confident and the Cofi Army was there, so it was game on! Having defended well in the first half, the Cofis fairly dominated the second period and Nathan gave us a deserved win with a penalty late on. Suffice to say it was a pretty special victory for Caernarfon and, oddly enough, I neither saw nor heard the previously loud TNS contingency on the way out of the ground! It had been an enjoyable first visit to Park Hall although I did find it quite a peculiar set-up, having to enter a sort of childrens’ play area and café/bar on the way to the football ‘arena’, which I was surprised to see only had two half-stands containing seating areas. But still, what a great win for the Cofis! Incidentally, Noah Edwards was our man of the match and deservedly so, as he was excellent throughout.

Gaz celebrating his goal against Cardiff Met. 

The players backed up the TNS victory by beating Cardiff Met 2-0 in front of the Sgorio cameras the following week. Gareth Edwards and Noah were jointly named man of the match but, in truth, all of the Caernarfon players could quite easily have been given the accolade. In my opinion, the performance was our best of the season up to that point as Met are a very good side and yet, we bossed the action and had the opportunities to win by a much more handsome margin.

December.

A 2-2 draw in Llanelli was followed by a tough looking trip to Prestatyn in the Welsh Cup. Despite taking a wrong turn near the ground and ending up halfway to Rhyl, we managed to make it before kick-off and whilst I cannot say hand on heart that I enjoyed standing in the bitter cold wind for ninety minutes, I did rather enjoy seeing the Cofis beating Neil Gibson’s side by three goals to nil. The last time we had played at Bastion Road, the Seasiders beat us on their way to the Cymru Alliance title and so it was nice to turn the tables on them this time around. They’ve had a very tough couple of seasons but it seems that the recently returned manager is slowly turning things around and the addition of players of the calibre of former Town player Ben Maher is a positive sign that he’ll do just this.

Cai whips in a cross at a windy Prestatyn.

We were back to league action the following week, and another bumper crowd enjoyed a sensational performance from the players, as the Cofis beat Abersytwyth 4-0. Nev Powell’s side had been on a great run of form leading up to the encounter, being unbeaten in eight matches, but they were no match for Caernarfon on the night, as Nathan Craig (2), Sion Bradley and Darren Thomas got on the scoresheet to see us closing the gap on Aber in the race for the top six. Sion was named man of the match and it’s been brilliant to see how well he’s taken to the top flight this season.

Messi opened his account for the season against Aberystwyth

The decision to put back Caernarfon’s match at Barry Town on December 22^nd to 7:35pm was unfair and totally uncalled for in my opinion. I understand that Sgorio wanted to show the encounter live but more consideration should have been given to what time of year it was, and the travelling involved. In the WPL, teams can request evening matches against opposing teams that are within a hundred miles of each other, which generally means that our encounters with sides in Mid-Wales will usually be played on Friday evenings. So, how was our four-hour trip to Barry ever sanctioned for a 7:35pm kick off? Again, the powers that be need to seriously reconsider such requests in the future as it’s not reasonable to ask players and supporters to travel coast to coast for an evening kick-off. The match itself was a cracker, and I felt the Cofis were unlucky not to have got at least a point. Unfortunately, and not for the first time, one or two missed opportunities cost us at least a point but the players could hold their head high after a super performance against a very strong outfit.

Interest was high and Sion Bradley was on fire against Llandudno

In recent years we have become accustomed to welcoming Porthmadog to the Oval on Boxing Days but this year, of course, there had to be a change of plan and, with our near neighbours from Nantporth now playing in the second tier, our natural opponents for the festive season was Llandudno. Obviously, matches between the sides will never be derbies in the true meaning of the word but, with our former manager in their dugout to add some spice to the occasion, it certainly made for an interesting looking fixture. There was a bumper crowd at the ground but Scottish Power struck early in the first half and a power shortage resulted in an abandoned match at half-time. The teams faced up again three days later and again.

Another 1300 plus crowd

Danny Brookwell in action against Llandudno

walked through the turnstiles and we were all treated to an absolute cracker, which ended at 3-3. I don’t want to dwell too much on other teams but Llandudno impressed me on the day and, knowing how their manager operates I find it hard to believe they are bottom of the league at this stage. I’m sure they’ll add to their squad in January and will get out of trouble but still, I’m surprised by their present predicament. Sion Bradley was our man of the match in the draw and what a player he’s proving to be for us!  

So, as I write this, the team stands sixth in the league with three matches to play. We’re level on points with seventh placed Aberystwyth but have a superior goal-difference and a game in hand so have a chance of securing a top six spot at the half-way stage. That would guarantee both our place in the top tier next season and a European Play-off spot! I don’t want to add to the pressure on Eards and the players, but how exciting would that be? Anyway, there’s still lots of football to play and our final three fixtures of the first phase, against Llandudno, Carmarthen and Bala, are all going to be tough.

Now that I’ve finally caught up with our fixtures, I’m delighted to introduce the Oval Ways Alternative Awards for 2018. There is one point I am very keen to make clear at the outset which is there are no actual prizes for the winners so I don’t want anyone catching up with me looking for their silverware. Hopefully, the fact that they’re winners will be enough for them!! So, here goes……..     

Egg on Face Award.

If I’ve learned anything since starting this blog, it’s that there are plenty of people who are more than ready to criticise and get personal if they don’t agree with what I’ve written, even if most of it is lighthearted. The worst case has been after questioning Owain Tudur Jones’s dismissive comments about Caernarfon early in the season. The former Welsh international footballer was not personally responsible for the social media criticism I received, but certainly some of his friends or acquaintances were. Despite this, I have absolutely no qualms in giving the Sgorio analyst this year’s Egg on Face award, which he so obviously deserves, for saying the Cofis were favourites for relegation.  

The Blatter.

To be fair, Tudur Jones has been much more complimentary about the club in recent weeks and has even thrown a compliment or two our way, which has been both surprising and humorous. With this in mind, I am therefore pleased to announce him as this year’s recipient of the ‘Sepp Blatter Backtracking Award’. Huge congratulations to Owain on his double success!

Most Accommodating Staff.

This is shared between security staff at Connahs Quay and the canteen staff at Carmarthen. The Nomads ground may seem a little quiet and soulless but the staff were great, and even helped me put on my media bib, although it might have been more through pity than anything else! The ladies providing refreshments down in Carmarthen were bubbly, friendly and gave us a free cheeseburger, so they too also deserve something for their efforts!   

Best match official.

Cheryl Foster was the only person in the running for this one. Ms Foster has refereed the Cofis on a number of occasions in the past three seasons and been excellent every time. I recall her officiating a Caernarfon Town match at Gresford in 2016/17 and was impressed with how she discussed matters with the players and tried to let the action flow. This seems to be her preferred way of officiating and her common-sense approach puts her head and shoulders above everyone else in the Welsh Premier League.

Paul Daniels time at the Oval....

The Clive Owen Award.

Readers of a certain age, mostly over forty I would guess, will be familiar with the name Clive Owen, a high-profile Welsh referee from a bygone era, who seemed to love nothing better than court media attention aroused by his latest contentious decision. This is the feeling I get with some match officials in the top tier, who brandish more cards out than Paul Daniels in the seventies. There are some decent officials in the league and so this award goes to all the usual suspects who you just dread seeing park up at the ground before the match. You’ll know the ones I mean.

The Sinatra.

The Holy Dean showing his allegiance 

The legendary Frank Sinatra was renowned as much for his comebacks from retirements as for his singing and so our old friend from up the A55, Johnny Haseldin, is this year’s recipient of the best, and quickest comeback award. No sooner had the Holy Dean announced he was leaving Holywell that he seemed he was back there in his usual spot in the dugout. In all seriousness North Wales football needs managers like him and, despite the Wellmen’s average season thus far, it won’t take long for Johnny to turn things around there. 

The Neville.

If there was a best right-back in the Welsh Premier League award, Joe Williams would be the winner by a country mile. Unfortunately for Joe, ‘the Neville’ relates not to the former England international’s footballing career, but rather to his punditry work for Sky. He may have been good at hiding Manchester United’s goal from opposing strikers but one thing Neville has yet to master is hiding his dislike of his team’s arch rivals, Liverpool. Therefore, the Gary Neville ‘Can’t Hide my Colours’ Award goes to Marc Lloyd Williams, who always seems so gloomy whenever the Cofis manage a decent result. Marc was an excellent striker in his day in the WPL but old habits seem to die hard.      

Best Book.

As Connor Macleod of the Clan Macleod frequently said (from yet another bygone era?), there can be only one, and the winner here is Alex Philp’s ‘Cmon the Town’. I’ve known Alex since our school days and he’s a genuinely nice guy, who has now written two excellent books concerning the club. In this offering he reviews ten memorable seasons in Caernarfon Town’s history and it’s a treasure trove of information and photos that will entertain both Cofi fans and football fans in general. A great read!

     

The Magnet.

This is another no-brainer as the best magnet winner has to be the one used when picking out teams for the fourth round of the Welsh Cup. Who would ever have guessed that our neighbours at Nantporth would be handed a home draw against Caernarfon? Having said this, the Cofis have a decent record on the banks of the Menai Straits so we’ll be going there quietly confident of a positive result.

The Bishop.

It’s common knowledge amongst Caernarfon supporters that Scouse comedian John Bishop played for us many years ago and so it’s only right that the award for Best ‘Stand-Up’ Moment is named after him. It will come as no surprise that Sean Eardley is the front runner for this accolade and, having thought long and hard about his various ‘Bishop’ moments in 2018 I have decided that his Christmas Gifts for the Players routine was his stand-out moment! This all came about after our recent match with Aberystwyth and I was carrying our post-match interviews with Nathan and Eards. I also wanted a one-off video where we could have some fun with Sean and so suggested he could go through his Christmas list for the players. Quick as a flash, he told me to give him five minutes and left the room for some props! It was all unplanned and off the cuff but Sean got it done in one take, and you can see the winning stand-up moment by following this link on the club’s official youtube channel:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjxGGkz6qIw

Eards in full flow during his winning stand-up routine.

Special Awards:

Above and Beyond: Gareth Edwards taking time off a family break to make a three hundred mile round trip to play for the Cofis against Llandudno.  

Best Comentator: Malcolm Allen, for being fair and honest in his assessments and usually getting his pre-season predictions spot on!

Best Chippy. The one in Caersws, end of! 

El Hombre Bala Award: Nathan Craig. Nathan is the best player in the league in my opinion and anyone who saw Roberto Carlos from dead-ball situations will know why our captain wins this award.

El Hombre Bala

Biggest Impact: Sion Bradley. It’s hard to believe this is his first season in the Welsh Premier League and indeed his first year with us, but he’s been a revelation since joining and I can’t wait to see how he develops with us in the future.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has read the blog during the past twelve months, and also those who follow the twitter @OvalWays and facebook accounts. Also, huge thanks to the Caernarfon Town management, players, volunteers and supporters for giving me something to write about. I may not be a prolific blogger, I don’t always get it right, but I hope that at least some of the stuff I post is worth reading.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd! 

Happy New Year!  

Poor decisions, Bruce Lee and a Legend.

One of the best things for supporters about being in the Welsh Premier League is that we get to see highlights of our team’s matches throughout the season. It’s been so long since Caernarfon were last in the top division that I can’t remember whether this was the case the last time we were in it, but I do know it’s something that is much more accessible these days. Thanks to the advent of social media, we can now see our team’s goals any time we want.  

Even if we’ve been at the matches, it’s still good to see the moves, the goals, the near misses and the goal-line clearances and it goes without saying that Sgorio does an outstanding job of covering, and advertising, the league. Of course, the coverage also tends to highlight refereeing decisions and whilst it can grate a little when what had been seen as bad decisions at the time is confirmed in the highlights, it does at least confirm that, in the main, the standard of officiating in the top tier still has a way to go to match the professionalism demanded of the clubs by the FAW.

The apologists will point out that everyone makes mistakes and there would be no football without match day officials. I concur on both accounts but would also point out that there is a difference between making mistakes and repeatedly showing a lack of judgement when it comes to big decisions in matches. I can only refer to Caernarfon Town fixtures because these are the ones I’ve been present at and, out of the nine league matches we’ve played thus far, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Cofis have been on the receiving end of poor key decisions in six of them.

Here’s a quick rundown of the incidents I’m referring to:

Match 1: v Cefn Druids. Gareth Edwards was bundled over in the box just as he was about to reach a cross in front of an open goal. The referee waved play on whilst the television evidence was decisive that a penalty should have been given. 

Match 3: v Cardiff Met. A Met defender headed the ball into his own net from a Caernarfon corner and the referee ruled it out for a perceived push in the box. Later on, Danny Brookwell was upended in the penalty area by Emlyn Lewis but the man in the middle saw nothing wrong with it. The Sgorio cameras caught both incidents and indicated that the decisions were incorrect.

Match 5: v Connahs Quay. A Nomads player stamped on Jamie Crowther but escaped any punishment, despite the referee being just a few feet away. No prizes for guessing what the cameras suggested.

Match 7: v Llanelli. Danny Brookwell was fouled inside the Llanelli penalty area but the referee was adamant the incident happened outside the box. The tv evidence disproved this.

Ben Maher seems baffled by the referee's decision in the Barry match

Match 8: v Cefn Druids. Home goalkeeper Joel Thompson raced out of his box in the tenth minute and brought down Jamie Breese as our striker was going past him. The stopper received a yellow card for his Bruce Lee lunge, despite the fact that Breesey would have had an open goal to roll the ball into had he not been fouled. I’m sure I don’t have to say what the Sgorio highlights proved?

Match 9: Four incidents this time. Two poor decisions leading up to Bala’s first goal, an elbow on Jamie Crowther that left the big man with a bloody nose and another penalty decision that didn’t go our way when Noah Edwards was bundled over in the penalty area.

Referees and their assistants are easy targets for the supporters’ wrath when their team is not doing well but Caernarfon won four and drew two of the six matches I’ve highlighted, so that’s certainly not the case here. It’s simply that we’re just two months into the season and there has already been a pattern of big decisions going against the Cofis thus far. All the incidents I’ve mentioned seemed pretty straightforward at the time, the Sgorio cameras later proved it and when it happens so frequently then I think it’s fair to bring it up. One former Town player mentioned on Twitter last week that Sgorio’s weekly match highlights always have a big decision going against us and it’s hard to disagree. I’m certainly not saying there’s an agenda against the Cofis because the match officials are obviously an honest and dedicated group but they do need to start getting key decisions correct on a more frequent basis.

Moving on to the team’s performances, it’s been a positive two weeks on the field since the last blog.  I finished that one by saying it would be interesting to see how we would fare against the league’s other newly promoted side, Llanelli, in the upcoming fixture at the Oval.

Sean and his players were desperate to bounce back from the previous week’s disappointing defeat to Barry and this is exactly what they did, although it seemed at half time that we were in for another frustrating afternoon.

Something that became pretty obvious early on this season is that there are no easy fixtures in the Welsh Premier League. Defences are well-drilled, teams have pace in abundance and, of course, the fitness levels are excellent. Where teams could get victories despite missed chances and defensive lapses in the Cymru Alliance League, there’s no chance of that happening in the top tier and, as Caernarfon have found out already this season, a failure to make the most of goalscoring opportunities can lead to lost points. Anyone who was at the Newtown match in August would surely testify to that. 

Jamie Breese celebrates his goal against Llanelli

The first half against Llanelli had proved a frustrating one. Caernarfon bossed possession and created a number of chances to go ahead but a combination of fine goalkeeping and a referee who shifted the location of a foul on Brookwell from inside to outside the penalty area, resulted in a barren scoreline at half-time. There’s no doubt the Cofis were the better side up to that point but it needed some Danny Brookwell magic on the hour mark to finally break the deadlock. When Brooky created some space for himself in the box before firing past the keeper from close range it was no less than he deserved as he had been a real threat up to that point, and the goal proved the catalyst to more attacking play that resulted in further goals for Jamie Breese and Cai Jones. The 3-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of the match and, speaking with Eards and some of the players afterwards, it seemed a relief that not only had they won but also that the team had scored more than one goal in a match for the first time this season. 

The encounter had been preceded by the introduction of Welsh footballing legend Wyn Davies to the crowd and it was special to see Caernarfon’s most decorated footballer being appreciated by the Cofis.

Mr Davies was back in town for the unveiling of a plaque at his former home in Ffordd Maes Barcer, and he also received a presentation from the Canaries supporters club. I had not met him before but found him to be a real gentleman, and very obviously still a Cofi at heart. Having played for Newcastle, Manchester United and Manchester City, and also represented Wales on thirty four occasions, ‘The Mighty Wyn’ has more than earned the legend moniker and I hope he enjoyed his afternoon at the Oval as much as we enjoyed seeing him.

The players celebrate Cai's goal against Llanelli

An evening trip to Wrexham beckoned six days later and I found it odd that we were playing Cefn Druids for a second time so early in the campaign. I’m not sure how fixtures are worked out but it seems peculiar to play a team twice in the opening eight fixtures of the season. Anyway, that’s how it panned out and, once again, the players rose to the occasion and, if anything, probably felt disappointed they couldn’t manage a victory after an excellent performance.

I have a confession to make here. I did not attend the match, and so can only go with what I have heard from supporters, what I have seen from the Sgorio highlights and feedback from various outlets that I managed to tap into. By all accounts, Caernarfon shaded possession and enjoyed the majority of goalscoring opportunities and, in Danny Brookwell and Noah Edwards, had the two top performers of the night. Danny’s goal was impressive, as was Alex Ramsay’s direct pass to him and, as I’ve already mentioned in the first part of this blog, the hosts were lucky not to be down to ten men following their goalkeeper’s foul on Jamie Breese in the tenth minute.

To be fair, a share of the spoils at the Rock is a very good result and I’m sure that many teams will find it a feat beyond them this season. I was disappointed to miss the match as it was the first I’ve had to sit out for a while but, due to illness, I just couldn’t make it. Watching the team play is always a nervy affair for me but I can honestly say that being at the match is a much less stressful experience than sitting in front of the laptop for ninety minutes waiting for updates from a variety of online sources!

Danny Brookwell has been outstanding in recent weeks

We were back at the Oval last Friday to face one of this season’s expected front-runners, Bala Town. The Lakesiders are a good side, and have an excellent manager in Colin Caton, who has masterminded their rise to prominence in domestic football over the last seventeen years.

Of course, it was Colin and his side that knocked us out of the Welsh Cup at the semi-final stage two seasons ago before going on to lift the trophy and so this was one of the matches that I was looking forward to more than most when the fixture list was announced.  

As a quick review of the match, I would say that Caernarfon were by far the better team in the first half, whilst Bala enjoyed a twenty minute purple patch in a more even second period. Danny Brookwell was the stand-out performer and he scored two crackers on the night, which has not gone unnoticed in the local media, and social media too. Every Caernarfon Town supporter will already know how good Danny is, so his superb recent form has come as no surprise to any of us. But it’s great for him, and us, that the increased profile of the WPL is giving him the recognition he deserves. Brooky is a really nice guy and it’s good to see him grab the headlines.

Brooky's post match interview with the WPL

There was a feeling of frustration after the match from the players I spoke to that we didn’t win but again that shows how far the team has progressed from that Welsh Cup semi-final. As Nathan Craig pointed out in his post-match interview, the Cofis did not really create many goalscoring chances in that semi-final, whilst this time, the team created plenty of opportunities and should have been out of sight at half-time.  

Big Club.

The match was broadcasted live on facebook and BBC Radio Wales, which were both firsts for us as a club. I was slightly concerned that such coverage would have an adverse impact on the crowd but there was no need to worry as the Cofi Army flocked through the turnstiles again and an impressive crowd of nine hundred and thirty two gathered to watch the action.

I believe it’s worth noting the attendances Caernarfon have had so far this season. In five home matches, the average attendance is now up to eight hundred and ninety seven which is, of course, head and shoulders above everything else in the league. One thing that has certainly helped is the Friday evening fixtures. Matches under the floodlights at the Oval are always special and, with the team now mixing it at the top of the Welsh Pyramid, it seems to me that there is a momentum around the club, and amongst the supporters, that is being reflected at the gate.

The last time I mentioned that Caernarfon Town is a big club, I got lambasted on social media from supporters of another club who just couldn’t understand the point I was making. Quite simply, I define a big club by the size of its fanbase, its home attendances, away following and the interest and impact it has on its community. Some clubs, at certain levels of football, may be able to offer greater financial incentives than their rivals whilst others have incentives that money cannot buy. At some point, footballers at all levels can make a decision as to whether they prefer a few quid more in the hand over playing in front of big crowds, and for a fanbase that will follow them through thick and thin as long as they give their all for the cause.

Ain’t Nobody.

I’ll sign off this time by mentioning Sean Eardley, and the excellent job he’s done at the Oval since taking over the hot seat last November. The beginning of next month will mark Sean’s first year in the job and he has been nothing short of sensational in the role. I’ve mentioned in a past blog that he was not just the committee’s only choice to succeed the previous manager, but also the players’ choice too and, despite having little managerial experience in senior football, he has been a revelation in the role.

I don’t really want to repeat things I have already said over past months but, in my opinion, Eards has pushed the team to new levels in terms of professionalism and performances and, just as impressively, he has gone about it in a very understated manner. The majority of the squad is the same now as it was when he took over but he has strengthened it, and brought in players who may have gone under the radar over the Summer, but who are all making a difference now.

Lots of clubs see the close season as a period where they can make wholesale changes to the playing staff and many managers, especially if they are new or recently arrived at their clubs, like to bring in their own players, and contacts, who they are familiar with. However, in my opinion this rarely works (and we’ve seen it numerous times at the Oval over the past four decades), and it takes something more than spending money and securing a quick turnaround of personnel to get success.

Eards has been clever in the way he has strengthened the squad and, just as importantly, he knows how to get the very best out of his players. I’m biased, of course I am, but anyone who believes that this invalidates my point should look at the team’s results over the past eleven months. The proof of what he has brought to the club can be found in the record books, and I have a feeling it’s going to continue too as Sean, his management staff and players, continue to prove the doubters wrong.

Nine matches played, four victories, two draws, three defeats and we’re sixth in the league. Are we still relegation fodder?