Normality, Defunct Toffees and Four Weetabix.

The last blog was something of a whistle stop journey through the first month of the season during which I reviewed Town’s first seven matches of the campaign and covered the changes in personnel as the manager tried to finalise the make-up of his squad. I likened the opening weeks to being on a rollercoaster due to the side’s patchy results up to that point but thankfully things have since settled and we’re now very much back to normal with just three matches, consisting of two victories and a draw, to look back on.

The first of those was against Holyhead Hotspur and encounters between the sides are usually really tight affairs, although it does seem that we’ve usually had the upper hand in recent years. I’m not sure how other people see matches between the clubs but I’ve always thought of them as ‘local derbies’ and certainly they’re always played in this spirit, both on and off the pitch. Both clubs have passionate supporters and there is always plenty of banter between both sets, usually at ‘The New Stadium’ where Holyhead’s finest are especially vociferous. They have one particularly vocal follower who goes by the name of a now defunct famous toffee sweet and whom I last saw being given a verbal, and very public, warning at Holyhead’s ground by one of their stewards. I’m unsure as to the cause for such action but I’ll harbour a guess and say that it might have been something to do with a refereeing decision against his side. Anyway, it was good to see that he had made the trip to the Oval for the match, and also somehow reassuring to see him take his customary place, not too far away from the linesman, where he proceeded to offer his advice to all three match officials, his speciality obviously concerning the intricacies of the offside rule.  

Keighan Jones. 

Due to the proximity of the clubs there is always a good chance that one or more of the players will have played for both sides and this in itself always adds some spice to the encounters. This time around, it was the turn of our former keeper Paul Pritchard to play the pantomime villain as he faced the Cofis for the first time since leaving during the Summer. ‘The Cat’ needs no introduction on here, as everyone who supports Caernarfon will know all about his two stints with the club, the first as a member of Wayne Phillips’ Welsh Premier League squad during 2002-2004 and more recently when Lee Dixon brought him back to the Oval in 2012. During the past four seasons I think he’s proved without doubt that he’s the best keeper in the league and, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the best I’ve seen playing for us, although I would also say that he’s the worst dressed keeper we have had. By far!

The Harbourmen are never anything less than a tough nut to crack and they proved it again two weeks ago, arriving at the Oval in decent, if not great form, and on the back of a confidence boosting 8-1 victory over Mold. It wasn’t the most exciting of encounters but the players deserved the victory, despite a dogged rearguard action by Hotspur, and an excellent performance from ‘the Cat’, who pulled off a string of saves to keep his side within touching distance until the final minutes. In the end, a Nathan Craig penalty and a late James Breese strike were enough to clinch the points and give the Cofis a fourth straight league victory. 

Before moving on, our new keeper Keighan Jones deserves a mention for such an assured display on his debut. Having only recently signed for the club he was given an early opportunity to impress following an injury sustained by Paul Whitfield against Flint and he certainly looks a safe pair of hands for us. I feel sorry for Whitty though, as he had done really well since replacing Mike Jones earlier in the season but it just goes to show how important it is to have two quality glovesmen in the squad. In Keighan and Whitty we certainly have this and we also have Alex Crofts in the reserves who has impressed thus far this season. 

Next up was a trip to Ruthin and, never having been to the ground, or even the town, before, it was nice to visit somewhere new and I was really impressed by the excellent set up they have at the Memorial Playing Fields. The admission fee of £4.00p was very decent, and there was also a convenient car park at the ground itself. The dressing rooms were situated in what looked like a fairly old building, with a clubhouse running adjacent to the dressing rooms. This, of course, proved very handy for the travelling Cofi Army, who wasted little time in checking it out!

The Cofi Army in Ruthin. 

As always, the first face I saw at the ground was the fountain of all Cofi knowledge, John Watkins, who informed me that former Town player Danny Jellicoe would be lining up for the hosts. I’ll be honest and say that this was rather surprising news as I thought Danny had retired from playing a few years ago and yet, here he was, warming up with his team-mates. I believe he’s still just hanging on to his thirties and to be fair, he did a great job marshalling his defence. Ruthin had appointed  Chris Williams as their new manager just a few days earlier and this obviously had a positive effect on the side, as they performed much better than you’d expect the league’s basement side to.

The match itself took on a vaguely familiar pattern as we dominated possession and created plenty of opportunities but couldn’t quite manage to take advantage in front of goal. However, when a side has so many match-winners in the line-up, there’s always a chance one of them will find the target and this time it was Darren Thomas, who made a goal out of nothing as he picked the ball up in midfield before driving forward and placing the ball neatly into the corner of the home net. At that time, I half expected the floodgates to open but Ruthin dug in and defended magnificently to keep their goal intact for the remainder of the match. In addition to their defence, I thought Will Owen was outstanding for the hosts.

Town fully deserved the victory and I know that some of the players may have felt frustrated that they didn’t win by a wider margin but, as Iwan said in his post-match interview, a win’s a win and the result ensured a fifth successive league victory.

Danny Brookwell in full flight against Ruthin. 

Another positive to come out of the match was the second half introduction of Danny Brookwell and Rob Jones, who added to their midweek cameos against Holyhead with a longer run-out this time around. Rob added some composure in the middle whilst Danny looked electricifying as he ran at the home defence. I’m not sure there’s anyone faster than Danny in the league and I was tempted to feel sorry for the right full back who had to mark him for the final half an hour! His face as he headed for the dressing after the final whistle told its own story! 

Nathan Craig.

Before heading for home, I conducted interviews with Iwan and Nathan Craig and was found out that Nathan needs four weetabix for breakfast on match days to ensure he gets on the scoresheet! 

The side was back at the Oval on Saturday where Caersws were the visitors. The Bluebirds seem to have strengthened their squad over the Summer and look a stronger outfit than last season although, if truth be told, following a blistering start to the game from the Cofis, I thought we were in for a decent victory. Once again we dominated possession early on without finding the net and, as the match wore on, Caersws gained in confidence and started to play some good football of their own. Having gone into the lead courtesy of a Sean Evans free-kick, the visitors seemed content to sit back, especially having gone down to ten men mid-way through the first half and, despite Town’s dominance and many opportunities, it took a late Jamie Breese goal to get the draw that was the least we deserved. Darren Thomas very nearly secured victory with the final meaningful kick of the match when the ball landed at his feet two yards from goal, but he couldn’t quite manage a clean contact and the opportunity passed.

Jamie Breese secured a point against Caersws with a late goal.

To be fair to Caersws, anything but a draw would have been harsh on them and, whilst the Town players were frustrated at failing to win I think it’s worth noting that they showed a lot of determination to get something from the match when things had not quite been falling for us in front of goal. The supporters man of the match was Darren Thomas and I can certainly see why but, for me, Sam Ashworth was the stand-out performer following his introduction from the bench early in the second period. I thought Sam’s composure and drive from midfield made a huge difference to the side and, at just sixteen years of age, he is already playing beyond his years. Iwan mentioned Sam to me during the summer and said he is a real prospect, and how right he was!

Talking of prospects, it’s been great to see our striker Corrig McGonigle knocking in the goals at Glantraeth in the last two weeks. He’s gone there on loan to regain match fitness and certainly seems to doing that, finding the net three times in his two matches for Warren Gibbs’ side.

Hopefully, we’ll get to see him back in the yellow shirt in the not too distant future.

When Dave Jones asked me a few weeks ago if I fancied putting together my favourite Caernarfon Town XI I jumped at the chance, but did so without fully realising how hard a task it would be! It was almost impossible to look beyond our famous FA Cup side of 1986/87 because that was, without doubt, the finest team I’ve seen in the yellow shirt. However, I also feel that we’ve had other outstanding players who either might have strengthened that side or who are just my favourites. The truth is, of course, every supporter would pick different players in their favourite XI’s and really, I could have named three or four sides of my own picks. What it did prove is that I’ve been lucky enough to have seen many wonderful players representing the side, and I count the current squad in this, and such is the status of the club I’m sure that this will continue to be the case in the future.

Darren Thomas would always be in my favourite XI.

We’ve got another big match coming up this weekend, as we head to Conwy in the Welsh Cup. Iwan has made it clear since joining the club that the cup means a lot to him and I’m sure he’s as desperate as all the Cofi Army to see us enjoy a long run in the competition.

The league title is the priority, but how much would we all love a run in the Welsh Cup?!

Finally, as is often the case in football, some people enjoy criticising other clubs and love to hide their remarks behind the banner of 'banter' and I've read and heard plenty of this since the start of the season. However, we're less than two months in, are unbeaten in six matches and currently lie second in the league. And the players are only just getting started! 

Come on the Town!

        

Rollercoaster: John Travolta and an Eventful Start....

Riding an early season rollercoaster was not what I had expected and probably doesn’t accurately describe the fledgling campaign thus far but, if for some reason you’re reading this and haven’t been following Caernarfon Town, or might have missed a match or two, at least the analogy will give you a general idea of what it has been like to be a Town supporter during the first four weeks of the season. 

After a particularly busy pre-season programme, it came as something of a relief when we were finally able to welcome Penrhyncoch to the Oval for the season opener. As I’ve already mentioned recently, the summer friendlies had been a mixed bag, where the team won the matches they’d been expected to, but lost against the more fancied opponents, such as The New Saints and Aberystwyth. Iwan had used some of the fixtures to take a look at a fair number of the reserves and whilst I had found it an enjoyable build-up to the season, seeing new players, and trying to guess the make-up of the first team, especially when taking into account the changes made to the squad since last year’s double triumph, I was more than ready for the real action to begin on August 13th.

Penrhynchoch were a decent side but had obviously travelled from Mid-Wales with a gameplan to put everyone behind the ball and hope to escape with a point. Caernarfon struggled in the opening half and I was very much reminded of our stalemate with Gresford last season when they parked the bus, and keeper Jonathan Hill-Dunt, in front of goal and got the draw they were looking for. It didn’t quite work out that way for the Roosters though and an impressive second half from the Cofis led to a 3-1 victory, thanks to a Cory Williams goal and Darren Thomas brace. 

Meilir Owen.

It was good to see former Town striker Meilir Owen back at the Oval, although this time instead of terrorising defences as he used to thirty years ago, this time he was running the line in his recent defection to the dark side! To be fair to Meilir, he had an excellent game and is just the type of person we need to manage matches, either in the middle or on the touchline. .

This was followed by a trip up the A55 for a Friday evening fixture with Denbigh Town and I was certainly expecting a tough match. Central Park is one of my favourite away grounds, where the pitch is excellent and we always get a warm welcome. This time was no different, and I was pleased to see that work was being carried out on their Main Stand, which will be double its’ original size once the project is completed.

Readers of a certain age will remember the football programme 'Saint & Greavesie' and Jimmy Greaves’ oft quoted saying that football is a funny old game, and rarely can this have been truer than for this thriller!

The stand at Denbigh. 

Town started impressively and led 2-0 at half-time although, truth be told, we could have been further ahead at that stage, such had been our dominance. Then, when Jamie Breese put the Cofis three ahead in the seventy third minute, I think most of us in the ground felt we’d clinched the points. Denbigh did not see it that way, though, and they produced a stunning fightback to clinch a 4-4 draw, salvaging the point with the final kick of the match. If I’m being honest I was slightly relieved that the final whistle was blown immediately after the point clincher as it seemed the hosts looked like scoring each time they attacked in the final twenty minutes.

Having been 3-0 and 4-2 up late in the match, of course it was disappointing that the team could not manage to hold on to victory but credit should also be given to Denbigh for refusing to give up, despite the uphill battle they faced for most of the match.

I have heard a few supporters bemoan the fact that the referee played seven minutes of injury time on the night, during which the hosts scored two goals and I agree that it seemed unwarranted. Having said that, I would have settled for a point before the match so it wasn’t the disaster some would have us believe, although it definitely felt like a defeat on the night! I had carried out a video interview with Iwan for his post-match comments after the Penrhyncoch match and had hoped to do likewise at Denbigh but, considering the disappointment of dropping two points, I decided against it. I know the manager would have been prepared to give his verdict but I might have had to put an 18 certificate on it to share it!  

Not our day against Prestatyn.

Our next match was another tough looking challenge as Prestatyn arrived at the Oval with two impressive victories already under their belt. Last season they had outplayed us on the way to a 4-2 victory and had looked very strong, making their subsequent implosion rather surprising. Unfortunately for us, Neil Gibson’s men seemed to have regained their swagger and proved too strong for the Cofis, running out comprehensive 4-1 winners at a stunned Oval.

I can’t really add too much about the match as, from a Caernarfon Town supporters’ point of view, it was very disappointing that Prestatyn seemed so much better than us. I don’t believe they are, and it may have been just one of those afternoons when the team just can’t get out of first gear but it worried me that the side had conceded four goals for the second successive match as they had enjoyed such an excellent defensive record on the way to the title last year.     

So, four points from the opening three matches mirrored last season’s start to the campaign and, as it didn’t end up too badly at all in May, it was hardly a time for panic. It was also easy to forget that the team was getting used to a new goalkeeper, Mike Jones, and were doing so without a mainstay of the defence, the captain Grahame Austin. Added to this was Danny Brookwell’s absence and also Nathan Craig’s for the past two matches, all of which will not have helped in the grand scheme of things.

Job done after a battling victory over Porthmadog.

The players had the perfect opportunity to bounce back to winning ways just three days after the Prestatyn defeat when they took on our neighbours Porthmadog at The Traeth. As we all know, this fixture has become a staple part of the local football scene in recent years with large crowds usually turning up to witness the Gwynedd derby. This match was no exception and nearly six hundred spectators paid for the privilege of watching the sides go head to head. Of course, Port have a number of former Cofis in their squad these days, which always adds a little spice to the proceedings, and it was good to see Cai Jones, Gareth Jones Parry, Jamie McDaid and Ywain Gwynedd taking part, although for this once I hoped they wouldn’t be at their best!

Nathan Craig marked his return to the side with an exquisite goal in the opening minute, somehow caressing the ball into the top corner of the net from twenty five yards out to give us the perfect start. Jamie Breese added a second and this proved enough for the points as, despite the hosts pulling a goal back before the break, they failed to truly threaten an equaliser for the remainder of the evening. It was an impressive victory for Town, ad very much required when considering the previous result. It was an interesting team selection from Iwan, as he moved Tom Quinn to defence  from midfield, and brought Kevin Roberts and Corrig McGonigle into the side. The selection worked a treat as Town attacked with verve and looked solid throughout, and they thoroughly deserved the victory.

Kevin Lloyd. 

Following such a convincing performance, the next match could not come quickly enough and I hoped the players would be able to repeat their midweek performance when they took on Gresford at the Oval on the Saturday. As previously mentioned, the team from Clappers Lane proved a hard nut to crack last season and I was expecting more of the same from them, especially when I saw that Hill-Dunt was still between the sticks for them. This time around, however, he had much less of an impact on the match, as the Canaries proved lethal in front of goal, finding a way past him five times before the end of the afternoon. A brace from McGonigle and a Jamie Breese hat-trick were not the only highlights of the match however, as there was also the return of Cofi favourite Kevin Lloyd to the squad.

I think it’s fair to say that supporters were sad to hear that Kevin had decided to leave the club during the summer and I, for one, had hoped he would have stayed on. At the time, Kev gave his reasons for leaving as added work commitments and so it was great to hear that he and Iwan had agreed his return to his hometown club. Kevin is one of us, a true Caernarfon Town supporter, and so we know what it means for him to put on the shirt, and he proves it every time he plays. I really hope he decides to stay on with us now for the long term because he’s a cracking player, and always fully committed to the cause.

Midweek saw us take a break from league action as we welcomed Welsh Premier League side Rhyl to the Oval in the Nathaniel MG Cup, formerly known as the Word Cup. I had been looking forward to this tie as it would be a good test for the side against decent opposition from the top tier and I was quietly confident the players could progress to the next round.

I thought the Cofis started well and probably shaded the first half, although Rhyl did seem a useful outfit and certainly not as bad as their recent heavy defeat to TNS would suggest.

I didn’t feel that the 1-2 half-time scoreline was a fair reflection of the action up to that point but having scored on the stroke of the break, I felt the team were in with a real chance of winning after the restart, but it didn’t pan out this way and the Lillywhites ran out 5-1 winners.

To be fair to Caernarfon, Iwan obviously told the players to go for it in the second half and I thought they put Rhyl under a fair bit of pressure in the opening minutes after the break. However, they couldn’t find a quick equaliser and the visitors made the most of the spaces available to them as Caernarfon attacked, and punished the Cofis with three more strikes.

It was a peculiar evening because the ground felt a bit flat even before kick-off and the scoreline seemed to flatter the visitors, although they certainly deserved to win. It was very reminiscent of the Prestatyn defeat in that the players just couldn’t seem to click into any pattern of play and when that happens, you need a little luck to pull you through, and this was also in short supply on the night.

I don’t want to dwell too much on defeats so will just say that, judging by the faces of the players as they left they ground, they were as disappointed as everyone else at the result.

I carried out a short video interview with Iwan on Friday evening and he spoke at length of how frustrated he had been at Wednesday’s performance and how he expected the players to knuckle down and show what the club meant to them by putting in a much improved performance in the next match, which would be at Flint on Saturday. 
Something I forgot to mention about my visit to the ground last year was the car park available next to the clubhouse, which must be amongst the most picturesque in Welsh football, situated as it is next to Flint Castle (photo).

Flint Castle.

I had heard rumours over the Summer months that the Silkmen were gunning for the title this season and to be perfectly honest I would not expect anything less from them. Unlike us, they achieved the FAW Domestic Licence in April and therefore, very much like us, seem determined to return to the top flight at the earliest opportunity.

The sides had enjoyed an identical start to the league campaign before the encounter but that is where the similarity ended as Caernarfon outclassed the hosts and were full value for the 6-1 victory. I had expected a reaction from the players from the midweek defeat but had not expected us to outplay a team that many people have been tipping to challenge for the title this year. Of course, it’s still early days and they may well do just that, but on yesterday’s evidence, the Cofis are a much stronger outfit. Nathan Craig scored four goals, including two free-kicks that gave Ben Jones no chance in the hosts’ goal. The first of these included a bit of banter between Nathan and the goalkeeper and suffice to say, Jones fell for it, and got caught out by the free-kick!

The Cofis were in imperious form against Flint.  

It was a much improved performance from Town and the return of Darren Thomas certainly made a difference as the Cofi Messi danced his way around players for the whole match, looking to strike at goal or create opportunities for his team-mates. It was, without doubt, the best performance of the season so far by the team and I feel sure that they can now carry on this form and go on a long run of good results.

This time, I did carry out a post-match interview with Iwan and managed to complete it after an aborted first effort, due to schoolboy banter from one of the players! I’ve posted the aborted recording on the Oval Ways Instagram account if you’re interested!

Nathan Craig during the match at Flint. 

Before moving on, I must commend the excellent pre-match music selection that was offered at Cae y Castell, as disco tunes from the seventies streamed through the speakers, which included The Bee Gees classic Night Fever. Nathan Craig must have heard the song whilst warming up because he did a fair impression of a swaggering John Travolta as he led the Silkmen, and especially their goalkeeper, a merry dance for ninety minutes!

So, that’s a quick run-down of the first seven matches of the season, and the reason why I used the rollercoaster analogy at the beginning of the blog. We’ve had ups and downs, highs and lows and not much in between thus far on the pitch, and when you add the departure of Jay Gibbs, the return of Rob Jones and the introduction of our third new goalkeeper, Paul Whitfield, it has been a pretty eventful start to the campaign!

I wonder what I’ll be writing about in the next blog?

Come on the Town!

All photographs used in this blog are copyright of Paul Evans.