Ronaldinho, the Lion and Leo Sayer!

Saturday was a good day to be a Caernarfon Town supporter. Llandudno were the visitors to the Oval and the Canaries gave us a performance to remember.

Before going further, I think it’s fair to say that the Seasiders have been the Cymru Alliance League’s stand-out team this season and have been front runners since August. They started the season strongly and have kept going, amassing fifty seven out of a possible sixty nine points leading up to Saturday.

Town have had a difficult few weeks since defeating Porthmadog at the Traeth in late December and so I’m sure the visitors would have been very slight favourites for the match amongst neutrals.

As a Caernarfon Town enthusiast I know how good our team is and, having seen the majority of these players in action in most of their matches throughout the past two seasons, I felt quietly confident that we could get back to winning ways after three successive draws.

Lee Dixon usually tweaks the team from week to week, but only slightly, and rarely with more than one or two changes in personnel. I mentioned in my last blog that I felt Darren Thomas, Steve Lewis and Jamie McDaid have the potential to work well together but that both Jamie and Darren had seemed isolated in the match with Guilsfield, when the team had played a tad more directly than usual, in my opinion.

Therefore, I was intrigued to see the line-up on Saturday, and especially to that Lee had recalled Carl Owen (photo, right) to the starting eleven, with Dave Morley getting a place on the bench. Having seen Llandudno when they beat us on their own ground earlier this season, I know they have plenty of pace in their team and had expected Lee to stick with the recent formation of Steve Lewis up front, being supported by Darren and Jamie in deeper roles. I thought it was a brave decision by Lee to change the shape, and potentially leave space in midfield, but he has never shied away from setting his teams to attack, especially in big matches, and so I was not too surprised.

It was good to see a busload of Llandudno supporters arrive at the Oval as there are not many teams who enjoy large travelling support and, of course, the fact that there were a few of them in attendance helped create a great atmosphere at the match. Special mention must be made to Tommy Tudno (photo, left), who was obviously enjoying himself behind the Caernarfon goal in the first half, and leading the away supporters in a sing-a-long. I had to laugh, however, when I read an email from Caernarfon secretary Geraint Jones, who said the Lion was great fun but lost his head in the second half!! I have been assured that Geraint had merely meant that Tommy had taken off his Lion head!  

The first half was entertaining and tight, with both sides showing why they’re occupying their heady league positions, and the goal-less scoreline was a fair reflection of the action up to half time. The second half was a totally different affair and in my opinion the performance was on a par with the first forty five minutes against The New Saints in November. Although the opposition on that day was stronger, I was still very impressed by Llandudno. They have lots of pace and possess one of the league’s top strikers in Marc Evans. They also have a strong work ethic and Alan Morgan and Craig Hogg are doing a great job there. They have an excellent ground and set up and, if they are the team that wins promotion this season, they will be a credit to the top tier.

Someone told me after the match that Ywain’s bicycle kick goal to open the scoring was similar to a Ronaldinho effort for Barcelona against Villareal a few years ago and, having looked it up on youtube, I can see the similarity. Seriously! Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZimqUQK8nos

It was an exquisite goal by Yws and he was still smiling on the way out of the ground after the match! Of course, being Ywain Gwynedd, he was not content with simply scoring a quite obscene goal, so he headed for Aberystwyth to pick up no less than three Welsh Music Awards, being for Best Individual Artist, Best Song (Neb ar ol) and Best New Album (Codi/Cysgu). So, not only is Ywain Gwynedd known as the Cofi Keegan, we can now also call him the Cofi Leo Sayer! On a serious note, congratulations Yws and, because he’s a brilliant guy, here’s the link to his award winning album:  
http://www.sadwrn.com/eng/Yws-Gwynedd/CodiCysgu

Nathan Craig 'celebrating' his goal. I think....

Nathan Craig’s goal to double the lead was also a beauty and just goes to prove that he can strike the ball sweetly with both feet. And is there a better left-back in the league that Nathan? Some of us may like to see him play in a more advanced role from time to time, but his quality is always there for everyone to see and I was made up for him when the ball went in. As usual, his Cofi heart shone through with his celebrations, although I’m not too sure how much he enjoyed the following six man pile-up, instigated by the Beast, Steve Lewis!

Nathan finds the net.

And talking of the goal, I managed to catch it with my camera (left) and, although it’s not the best of photos, I had to smile when local photographer Richard Birch sent me a really nice message to say that it was better than his own shot of the momentl! Coming from Richard, that was pretty cool and ironic too, as he provided me with all the best photos for my ‘Oval Ways’ book! I’ve known Richard for near enough thirty years and he’s one of the nicest people I know. He’s also a top, top photographer, so it will be the first, and probably only, time I manage to get a better photo than him!   

Gareth Edwards was again superb at the heart of defence and he deserved his goal in the closing minutes, when he headed in from a corner. His celebrations (below, right) were great and I have a feeling he enjoyed it as much as the supporters!

The joy I felt at Saturday’s performance, and result, continues and was enhanced today when I saw the excellent write up by Dave Jones in today’s Daily Post. It was also good to see a match in the Cymru Alliance league enjoy a two pager in the sports supplement.

Dave does a brilliant job for grass roots football, and deserves our support. He also seems to understand that Welsh football is not confined to just the Welsh Premier League, a fact that sometimes seems to get lost on some influential figures in the game.

A classy new flag at the Oval on saturday. Very impressive.

The crowd at the Oval on Saturday was 525, and this was the biggest in Welsh non-league football, which just goes to prove this very fact. And just imagine what could happen if Caernarfon get back into the top tier and start fighting for the title! It may seem a distant dream now, but we have already come so far from where the club was just five years ago, and who knows what the Cofis can achieve in the near future?

Before finishing, another highlight from Saturday was seeing a new flag at the Oval (photo, right), under the banner Cofi Youths. It looked brilliant, and congratulations to whoever produced it. Very impressive and very classy!

All in all, Saturday afternoon was perfect. 
It was a good day to be a Caernarfon Town supporter….

Paul. 

The Two Magicians and A Bloody Nose.

Despite the frustration of a third successive draw for the team, I enjoyed Saturday’s match with Guilsfield immensely. Having seen all three previous encounters between the sides this season, I was aware there was very little between them, and so it proved.

Ever the optimist, and knowing the strength of Caernarfon’s squad, I expected the Cofis to be near the top of the Cymru Alliance this season but, in all honesty, I did not expect the same of the Guils. They finished the 2013/14 in sixth position and that’s where I would have expected to see them again this term, at best.

Ywain Gwynedd is thwarted by Guils stopper Dave Littleford.

And yet, as I write this, they are three points ahead of us in second position and being there at this stage of the season is no fluke. They’re obviously a very good side, and whilst I don’t believe they’ve got players of the quality of Darren Thomas, Nathan Craig and Jamie McDaid, they are very attacking,  exceptionally combative and have been successful in making it hard for Lee Dixon's side to get in their stride in all four matches this term.

Speaking with a long-time Cofis supporter before Saturday’s kick-off, he reminded me that, although the Guils don’t enjoy big crowds, their supporters can be particularly passionate, and not a little slow to share their feelings: “They always give us a warm welcome at the Community Centre Ground but, if their team goes a goal down, they can suddenly become pretty verbal. A bit like their team, in fact.”

The ref has a word with Danny Barton (9).

I can’t be totally sure if this is a fair reflection but the team itself certainly proved ‘up for the fight’ on Saturday and former Town striker Danny Barton in particular led from the front, as Graeme Austin’s bloody nose proved. I missed the incident but did hear Graeme ask Danny to keep his elbows to himself, which may suggest some contact! It may also explain why the referee decided to have a quick chat with Danny after the incident (right).

The encounter itself was exciting, and end-to-end stuff, with both sides creating plenty of goalscoring opportunities. Gareth Edwards went closest to grabbing a late winner for Town when he rose well at the far post to head a Nathan Craig corner over the bar but, whilst I would have loved to have seen the ball go in, I think the draw was a fair result.

My man of the match, Kevin Roberts.

Guilsfield manager Mike Parry is doing a great job with them and it will be interesting to see if they can manage to continue their good form up until the end of the season.   

Observations on Saturday:

Not for the first time in recent years, I thought Kevin Roberts (left) was exceptional. Gareth Edwards was not far behind him, with another impressive performance at the heart of the defence. After joining the club last summer and taking a few weeks to completely settle into the side, Gareth has been one of the team's most consistent performers in my opinion. A great signing by Lee.   

Steve Lewis was a handful in attack, and is getting better in every game, but the team seemed to be playing the ball longer than usual, which I believe slightly isolated Darren Thomas and Jamie McDaid. Steve has scored four goals in his first six matches for us, and I am convinced that there are many more to come, especially if Darren and Jamie see more of the ball. I'm sure it's just a matter of time

Gareth Edwards has proved an
excellent signing by  Lee.

until they gel and we see the three linking well.

Saturday’s attendance was 347, which was higher than the attendances in five of the six Welsh Premier League matches that took place during the weekend. This seems a regular occurrence in recent years and I'm sure it's not just Caernarfon Town supporters who want to see the club back in the top tier. 

I haven't heard many people talking about it, but I thought Darren Thomas took his goal really well on saturday. He still had a lot to do when the ball bounced at his feet thirty yards from goal (photo, right) but there was little doubt where the ball was destined once he struck it! Another quality finish from a quality player. 

Darren Thomas watches the ball sail into the Guils net.

Hot Topic. 

The hot topic surrounding the club these days is of course the manager’s job. The rather unexpected vacancy at the Oval was advertised last week and interested parties have been invited to contact the club. Not surprisingly, there have already been a number of those, and it will be interesting to see which lucky man will eventually end up in the managers’ seat.

Jamie McDaid takes on James Henderson.

As a Caernarfon Town supporter and committee member I am, of course, biased but in my opinion the post is amongst the top positions in Welsh football and anyone who seriously wants to prove himself at an ambitious club that has a strong, and passionate following, must surely be considering passing on their details to the club secretary.

Steve Lewis.

Most people who follow the game in this country will already be aware of the strides the club has taken in recent years and if this had escaped anyone’s attention, the coverage of the Welsh Cup tie with The New Saints in November must have proved how far we have come. Over a thousand people walked through the turnstiles to see the Cofis go head to head with the Welsh Champions on a day that I believe proved we belong in the top tier. I had genuinely expected, and hoped, to see Lee Dixon take us there in the near future but that will not be happening and so the club must look for his successor.

It’s not going to be an easy task but whoever succeeds Lee will have a great opportunity to do something special in the game.

This Saturday, Llandudno visit the Oval, and I can’t wait to see the team taking the league leaders on. If the two Cofi magicians, Darren Thomas and Jamie McDaid, can get on the ball lots, I am confident they can link well with Steve Lewis to give Llandudno more than they can handle. It’s going to be another exciting match and will be a great opportunity for the team to get back to winning ways.

Llongyfarchiadau!

Finally, congratulations to my son's favourite player, Ywain Gwynedd (left), and his wife Gwennan Mair on the birth of their son, Eban. We hope to see the little man at the Oval soon! 

Llongyfarchiadau Yws!!

  

Ice-cream and a Devastated President.

My first visit to Buckley Town’s Globe Way was an enjoyable one, despite the bitter cold, the lack of road signs and the home side’s late leveller.

Armed with rudimentary instructions, hand warmers and the obligatory camera and kitted out in head to toe thermals I made good time up the A55 and found Buckley exactly where it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about their ground!

Having travelled twice through the town in a vain attempt at finding Globe Way, I finally gave up looking for it myself and had to suffer the indignation of stopping someone on the main road to ask for directions. Unfortunately my would-be rescuer did not have a clue where his local team plays and so I was forced to carry on looking for the floodlights, which is always the sure fire way of finding any football ground. However, it seems that Buckley also has a hockey pitch under floodlights and I soon found myself in a barren car park, looking out at a ladies hockey match. Which, on the face of it, is probably not the most innocent-looking of situations to be in!

I finally ended up at the correct venue, and knew I had arrived because the first person I saw was Caernarfon Town President John Watkins. It’s always great to see John but he did not seem his usual self and I soon found out why. He had hardly slept since hearing that Lee Dixon was stepping down as manager at the end of the season, and, as he reminded me on more than one occasion during the match, he was still devastated by it! I know how he feels.

I was asked to take photos of Lee and Jamie McDaid receiving awards from Cymru Alliance League representative Mike Williams and was pleased to do so. I was rather less

pleased, however, at having to walk on the muddy pitch. This was no-one’s fault of course and although it was very wet, it seemed good enough to play on. Despite my reservations, I managed to walk on and off the pitch without sinking fatally.

The match itself was pretty decent, with both sides trying their best to play football on the difficult surface. I felt Town had the upper hand for most of the first half and when Steve Lewis scored early on I was confident the lads would go on to claim the points. 

The referee, Martin Williams, had two difficult penalty decisions to make in the first period and, unfortunately for the Cofis, both went against us. The first was when he waved away claims for a Town penalty when it seemed that Steve Kehoe was brought down in the box. To add salt to the wound, he booked Steve for taking a dive, which I

Steve Kehoe tumbles in the penalty area. 

felt was rather harsh. Then, as half-time approached, the ref gave the hosts a penalty which I am reliably informed was warranted following a foul by one of the Caernarfon defenders. I was busy trying to get my camera out of my bag when it happened so didn’t see it, but whilst I missed out on that, I certainly didn’t miss the ensuing banter between Town’s assistant manager Dave Cavanagh and a Buckley defender, with both having differing views about the spot kick. For the record, Dave came out on top with the line “Shut up mate, I’ve seen ice creams that are harder than you!”

Buckley had three good opportunities to score in the first five minutes of the second period and it was through a combination of Paul Pritchard, Gareth Edwards and the muddy goal area that the score remained level. Following this initial period, Town were certainly on top for the majority of the second half but could not add to a second Steve Lewis goal and Buckley equalised late on.

The goalmouths had taken a battering from the weather.

In some ways it was a disappointing result because Town had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of the hosts’ reach. However, it was a positive sign that the team was able to create so many opportunities and it was also nice to see James Bell coming on and doing well in the second half. I have always believed that a really heavy pitch does not suit someone of James’ relatively slight frame, but he definitely made a good impression with his distribution and workrate.  The performance of Steve Lewis was another positive for me, as the team seems to be getting used to playing to his strengths and I’m sure there are plenty of goals in him. In my opinion, he’s been an excellent addition to the squad.

Random Observations:

Kevin's face says it all....

My man of the match vote would be shared between Steve Lewis, who scored two goals and looked a real handful up front, and Kevin Roberts, who gave another all-action display that again showed why he is such a favourite with the Town supporters. His workrate was predictably impressive throughout and he also made frequent forays into the opposing half. Oh, and the look on his face when the referee showed the yellow card to a Buckley player was priceless! (see photo, right.)     

Ywain Gwynedd was unavailable and I think we missed him. I always believe we are better when he is in the team, as his enthusiasm and workrate are infectious, whilst he also carries a real goal threat. I hope the Cofi Keegan will be back soon! 

I read on the Cymru Alliance website that the attendance was just seventy and, with around thirty of us making the journey from Caernarfon, it goes to show how lucky we as a club are to be able to regularly get crowds of over three hundred at the Oval. And how lucky the other teams in the league are that they get to host the Cofis once a season! 

And finally......

The shock of Lee’s announcement still resides and I think it’s fair to say that everyone supporting the club will be looking closely at what happens next at the Oval. Will the committee decide to advertise the post, or will they leave things for a few weeks to see if something develops?

And will John Watkins finally get some sleep?      

       

Paul. 

  

Why I Won't Need a Disguise in Gwalchmai....

I hope that everyone who has read the Oval Ways and Treble Days book will have noticed I have not really criticised any club or individual in it. One of my goals from the very start of the writing process was to ensure that I concentrated on the team’s great success during the 2012/13 season, and the way the management team and committee worked together to achieve our goals. In short, I was determined to keep the emphasis on the positives.

I did, however, want to make it an honest and realistic account of the season and so was not shy in making less than complimentary observations when I felt they warranted inclusion. One of those concerned Gwalchmai manager Paul Owen, and his antics on the touchline when we played them at the beginning of the season. Here’s the main passage concerning the match:

Gwalchmai 2 – 5 Caernarfon Town. August 21^st 2012. 

I had enjoyed my two previous visits to Gwalchmai’s Maes Meurig ground, as there had been a pretty good atmosphere on both occasions. Whilst Town had lost there in August 2010, Steve Smith’s side had triumphed 6-3 at the ground in the first match of the 2011/12 season. One of my closest friends, Ian Williams, lives just a stones’ throw away from the pitch, and therefore it was also a good opportunity to catch up with him although I’m not too sure how he felt about standing with a Caernarfon Town supporter in front of the always vociferous home support!

I had noticed during previous matches with Gwalchmai that their manager, Paul Owen, was pretty animated on the touchline and something he was particularly fond of referring to during the action was that the Caernarfon players were playing for money whilst his own team were playing solely for the club. He had enjoyed repeating this mantra throughout the matches, whilst also engaging in a mock ‘handing out money’ gesture, which I found both mildly disappointing and amusing at the same time. Owen has been at the club a long time and is obviously doing a great job there but it goes without saying that his assertions about our players added a certain spice to the encounter!

Caernarfon were excellent on the night and deservedly triumphed 5-2. Due to family commitments, the manager and his assistant, Nigel Barry, could not attend the match, and so Reserve manager Dave Cavanagh and Warren Gibbs took charge of the side, whilst Paul Roberts and Dylan Roberts made their first team debuts.

Town dominated the match from the off and raced into a 4-0 lead, through goals by Kevin Lloyd, Paul Roberts, Neil Thomas and a Sinclair own goal. The home side rallied in the second period and halved the deficit with two well taken goals. However, Gavin Jones made sure of the points when he finished smartly two minutes from the final whistle.

This had been the side’s best performance of the season so far and the signs were good that the players were beginning to gel. Despite Gwalchmai’s fightback in the second half I felt confident throughout that the points would be heading back to the Oval and was pleased to be proved right. The players showed plenty of talent and application against a tough side and in front of a vociferous crowd and showed to me at least that Gwalchmai were not the only side to be playing for their club, despite what was being said on the touchline!

I mention Paul's gestures again later in the book, referring to it as a sideshow. The point being made is pretty clear and I think it’s fair to say that, as far as honest observations and criticisms are concerned, this was pretty tame. However, I had still been unsure about including my comments on the Gwalchmai manager as I did not want to upset him and only decided to do so because I felt it was true to how I felt and, just as importantly, there was little chance of him reading the book.

How wrong I was!    

I started worrying when Daily Post reporter Dave Jones mentioned the book on his facebook page and Paul asked him where he could get himself a copy. After my initial discomfort I then heard nothing for a few weeks until I received a message from a friend telling me that Paul had contacted him to ask where he could buy the book! Paul then duly contacted me and bought his copy. I thanked him for the sale, decided against telling him he is in it, and kept my head down!

I felt sure a he would get back to me to discuss my comments and sure enough he did! Last week, Paul sent me a message and, much to my relief, he told me that he had enjoyed the book, and was not offended at all by my comments. He also said that there was a letter on the way from his solicitor, although he thankfully ensured me that this was a joke! 

Before finishing, I want to share some the lessons I learnt by writing the above passage: 

Football is a game of such emotion that it can encourage grown men into some very interesting touchline antics!

Anyone writing a book should be fully aware of the possibility that people may actually read it, and even those you may have written about!         

If Caernarfon Town ever have to travel to Gwalchmai for a match in the future, I can attend in the knowledge that I will not have to do so in disguise.

Paul Owen is passionate for the game, enjoys his banter and is a really nice guy! 

Much to my relief!!

Paul.