Welsh Cup, Sgorio and Safe Hands.

In my first blog of the present season I referred to the opening month of the campaign as being akin to riding a rollercoaster, with plenty of ups and downs and thrills and spills having already been successfully negotiated and lots more to look forward to. Thankfully, there have been many more ups than downs so far, and in fact the next three matches Caernarfon played following the last blog have been an accurate reflection of the first half of the season.

Caernarfon Town supporters will be only too aware that we have a rather poor record in the Welsh Cup, especially in recent years, and although we’ve had very strong sides at certain periods over the past quarter of a century or so, we have rarely been in the running to capture the nation’s premier knockout competition. I know that our manager, Iwan Williams, is still seething at having lost to Goytre in the third round last year (in fact, he’s probably still having sleepless nights about it!) and so it’s safe to say that he must have been looking forward to our third round tie with Carmarthen more than most.  

In my opinion, the match should have been broadcast live as it was the standout tie of the round but the powers that be at ‘Sgorio’ decided that Ton Pentre hosting Bangor was a better bet. I don’t want to knock them for making that decision but, trying to look at things in a purely footballing sense, a tie between the Cymru Alliance League champions and a Welsh Premier League side must surely have been a  more attractive prospect than the match they decided on? Anyway, safe to say whoever made that decision may have been doubting their wisdom twenty four hours after we beat Carmarthen when the television company’s ‘showcase tie’ was postponed due to a frosty pitch.

Breesey scores his second against Carmarthen. 

Our match with the Old Gold was a real thriller, one of those old-style cup-ties where both teams played it hard, no quarter given, and it was through a combination of heart and talent that the Cofis were victorious at the final whistle. The encounter had begun in typically cagey fashion, and whilst Caernarfon probably edged proceedings up to the break I thought the goalless scoreline at half-time was just about right. The second period was very different, however, and it seemed to me that Iwan had taken the shackles off his players during his team talk at the break because we really put  Carmarthen on the back foot immediately after the restart. Once Jamie Breese put us ahead the signs were there that we’d be in the hat for the third round and what impressed me most was the players’ belief and confidence to regain the lead after Carmarthen had got back on level terms. They obviously saw the equaliser as a temporary setback as it made no difference to the team’s attacking intent and whereas the opener had been a real poacher’s goal, Jamie’s second netfinder and then Messi’s strike, were top quality finishes to prove, as if we didn’t already know, that the side is more than capable of causing havoc to any defence in the Welsh pyramid system.

I was second best this time around!

As I hung around after the match to interview Iwan and Jamie Breese, the excitement amongst the players and coaching staff was obvious and who could blame them? Unfortunately, it seemed that the presence of the tv cameras at the ground (to show highlights in the weekly Sgorio show) seemed to confuse Iwan somewhat as he prioritised an interview with them over our weekly post-match efforts! On the downside this meant I was later than usual getting back home, but I can’t really complain because it also meant I didn’t have to sit through yet another offering of Strictly Dancing. On a more serious note, I think it’s fair to allow Iwan his oversight on this occasion, considering his side's impressive victory!

I happened across a number of comments on social media and certain reading outlets that Town’s victory was a shock and whilst I acknowledge that Carmarthen were slight favourites beforehand, I can’t think that the result was too much of a surprise when considering the side’s impressive record against Welsh Premier League sides under Iwan Williams. It should also be remembered that were it not for our off the field shortcomings last season the side would have taken its place at the top table  this year.

It was a superb performance from the team and I doubt that anyone at the ground would disagree that the Cofis deserved victory. It was good to hear Carmarthen manager Mark Aizlewood later state that the best team won and I wonder if Iwan was right when he hinted that the visitors may have underestimated his side? I’m not convinced they did but, following this excellent performance, Rhyl won’t be doing so when they visit the Oval in late January in the next round!

Gareth  Edwards goes close to putting us ahead against Buckley.

A return to league action beckoned seven days later and a trip to Buckley. This latest of our seemingly endless runs on the A55 was made easier by the prospect of visiting another of my favourite away destinations. Globe Way is a decent ground (though impossibly hard to find first time around!) and whilst a lot of it is quite spartan they have two decent stands and a very good canteen! However what makes our visits to Buckley stand out is the warm welcome always afforded to visiting supporters from club officials. There’s always a smile at the turnstiles, and it’s always good to see their secretary, Mike Williams, who always has time for a chat. I was particularly pleased to see Mike because he had originally planned to step down at the end of last season due to a lack of support behind the scenes but things are a bit easier for him these days following an influx of a few new faces.  

Jay Gibbs.

The match did not start well for Caernarfon as James Rumsey put the hosts ahead in the first minute but the Cofis responded well and Kevin Lloyd scored a belter to put us back on level terms, finishing impressively with the outside of his right foot from twenty yards out. Gareth Edwards went close to putting us ahead with a header soon after and Jamie Breese found the net in the seventeenth minute with a great finish, reaching a Darren Thomas cross at the far post to bullet the ball past Adam McGee in the hosts’ goal. The match was played at a frantic pace early on and there were some tasty challenges all over the pitch.  When Danny Sullivan got cautioned around the half-hour mark, and followed it up moments later with an interesting looking discussion with the referee, Iwan showed good sense to take the former Buckley captain off and replace him with Jay Gibbs. This is no slight at all on Danny, who is proving just as good as I thought he would be, but in a time when officials seem to love brandishing cards out for the slightest of things, it made perfect sense to make the change. Readers of this blog will already know how highly I rate Jay and it was great to see him back in the yellow shirt. I think we’re a better side when Jay’s playing well and in our engine room and I have to say he was outstanding after he entered the fray. He soon got back to his old ways with a stunning free kick that put us two goals ahead and, whilst it was frustrating we couldn’t score in the second period, any away victory in the Cymru Alliance League is a good result and I for one was more than happy that another three points were in the bag. 

Highlights of the afternoon were seeing Nathan receiving his League Player of the Month award for October from Iwan (right), the manager’s face when I asked him to step into the ladies’ toilets with me for a post-match interview (are you sure we should be doing this, Paul?), committee member Terry Roberts getting hit in the head by a rogue football, Caernarfon president John Watkins’ face at half-time as we stood next to the Buckley announcer when he pronounced Penrhyncoch as Penrhyn Cock  and finally the excellent home-made mince pies that Buckley officials were handing out throughout the match! All in all, another very enjoyable away day with the Cofis!

At the forefront of everyone’s minds for the next few days was our upcoming match at Prestatyn. The Seasiders had not only defeated us convincingly at the start of the season but have also done the same to nearly every other side on the way to a commanding lead at the top of the table. Whereas the Canaries have played very well in patches this season, there have also been one or two blips (Llanfair Utd, Caersws) and this had given our title rivals a six point advantage going into the match at Bastion Gardens. I had only ever been to the ground once before and so already knew they have an excellent set-up, with a hub at the entrance that includes the dressing rooms, canteen and clubhouse. Very impressive! I took the club’s advise to park at the nearby Nove Centre and am glad I did because it gave me an opportunity to see the ground from afar, and it looked pretty decent!

Bastion Gardens.

In the media, there had been a big build up to the match and that favourite old saying, ‘six pointer’ was bandied about more often than you’ll hear Gary Neville saying ‘when I was at United’. In truth though, it was a huge match and one the Cofis certainly didn’t want to lose. Unfortunately, despite a promising start where we looked quite comfortable around the pitch and tested Prestatyn keeper Carl Jones enough to suggest we could get the win we wanted, an unfortunate slip by Keighan Jones resulted in the hosts going ahead and if I’m being totally honest at that point I would have gladly settled for a point. There was nothing between the sides, but the Cofis couldn’t quite get back on level terms and when Prestatyn doubled their lead after the break I am sure that most teams would  have crumbled (indeed, most have this season!) but Iwan encouraged his side on and Jay Gibbs scored one of the best goals I’ve ever seen to get us back into it. The midfielder had already done well to steal the ball off an opponent on the halfway line to gain possession and I doubt that anyone in the ground would have expected his next move, as he looked up and nonchalantly struck the ball over the home keeper and into his net! An outstanding goal and one that Sky Sports (or even Sgorio for that matter) would have been repeating all night had they been there. Alas, this was as good as it got for Caernarfon supporters as the hosts soon regained their two goal lead and, despite Jamie Breese finding the net late on, we couldn’t find a way to equalise, although Leigh Craven went close in the dying seconds.

Not our day at Prestatyn.

So, a disappointing result for the Canaries but if there’s any consolation, it had been an excellent match, and probably one of the best I’ve seen in the Welsh Pyramid. I was obviously not the only one to think this as social media was full of people’s comments on the quality of the football on show and I was mightily proud of the players for their efforts. There can be no doubt that the best two teams in the league were on show that day and I would say that both sides would more than hold our own in the Welsh Prem.

And, for the second time in two weeks I was left wondering why Sgorio had not decided to break with formula and either broadcast the match, or at least send cameras to capture and share the highlights. It probably seems that I’m criticising the Welsh television company but really it’s more about questioning the way they’re covering Welsh football. I mentioned this on Twitter this week and ‘Sgorio’ presenter Dylan Ebenezer replied that it would be difficult to cover matches in a regional league at the expense of the national league. I totally understand and accept this, however I’m sure there could be a way they can widen their net a bit and include occasional live matches or highlights from the remainder of the Pyramid system? I think their coverage of the Welsh Premier League is excellent but, much like the top tier itself, the public must be fed up with watching the same teams playing against each other every week? Would it not have made more sense to show our match with Prestatyn live than the latest victory stroll by The New Saints? I may be completely wrong and viewing figures might be strong for their live WPL matches but, if the trend is anything like match attendances across the top tier then it can’t be a good thing.

Iwan during the post match interview at Prestatyn.

Anyway, this a subject I’ll be returning to in a future blog and so I’ll finish off this time with a word about our manager. I mentioned earlier that he had ignored me at the expense of the Sgorio cameras after the Carmarthen match but my words were said in jest of course and in reality I think his willingness to carry out our post-match interviews, win or lose, is a huge credit to him. It’s easy to discuss things when the team has won but Iwan will always stand up and talk after we’ve lost and, from what supporters have told me, it is very much appreciated. As a supporter myself I’m always gutted when we lose and it helps to hear what the manager has to say and to know that he feels the same as we do! Having said this, though, I was having doubts about approaching him after the Prestatyn match and, whilst I am sure he didn’t particularly want to discuss it with me, he still did so and, if you look at the video again after reading this (it’s on the club’s twitter and facebook feeds) you’ll see how much he was hurting. This is why I remain extremely optimistic about this season, it’s also one of the reasons why I know we’re in safe hands, and that the club’s goals will be achieved! I’ll be covering the final two matches of the year in the next blog, which includes the Christmas Cracker against Porthmadog when 1247 spectators came to watch the Gwynedd Derby.

Until then, Happy New Year and thanks for reading in 2016!

  

It’s Everything I Expected. An Interview with Our Assistant Manager, Richard Owain Davies.

“When one of the biggest clubs in Welsh football gives you an opportunity to join them you have to take it…..”

When Iwan Williams told the Caernarfon Town Board during the summer that he was bringing in Richard Davies to further strengthen his management team I was both happy and surprised in equal measures. I knew of Richard due to his excellent record as manager of Penrhyndeudraeth so he definitely ticked all the right boxes but was surprised that one of our fellow clubs in the Cymru Alliance League had not decided to get him in as their manager. His achievements at Maes y Parc are very impressive and so my opinion then, and now, is that it’s a real coup for us as a club that he decided to join. 

I had not met him before he came to the Oval and I believe the only time we may have crossed paths would be during Penrhyn’s victory over the Cofis in a Mawddach Cup Semi-Final during the 2012/13 season. Although the tie was eventually won by Penrhyn on penalties after a 1-1 draw, if I’m totally honest they deserved to go through after an excellent performance, during which our former striker Matty Hughes had been almost unplayable. That defeat cost us a clean sweep of all the winnable cup competitions we had entered (Welsh Cup not included) in our treble season and was a massive disappointment at the time.

We obviously don’t get much opportunity to talk on match days and so, six months after he arrived I still didn’t know too much about our assistant manager. With this in mind I thought it would be nice to get together with Richard away from the Oval and ask him a few questions about his footballing background, experiences in the game and how he sees his first few months with Caernarfon Town. Luckily he was happy to take part in an interview for the blog, and I’m delighted to share it with you here.

OW: Can you give us a breakdown of your background in the game. Which teams did you play for?

Richard: “To be honest I haven't got much of a playing background, well not one that’s worth a mention anyway. I’m sure the lads will second this as I’ve got a season ticket for being in the middle of the circle in our warm-up! My previous clubs include Porthmadog, Nantlle Vale and Penrhyndeudraeth.”

OW: When did you decide that a managing career would suit you, and at which clubs have you managed?

Richard: “I started managing at the age of eighteen with Porthmadog Juniors. I began with the Under 14's and progressed with the same group to the Under sixteens and really enjoyed the experience. I was then offered an opportunity to join the Academy at Port and to also manage the Under sixteens. This gave me an insight into the more professional side of the game when compared to club football and from there I knew I wanted a future in the coaching side of the game. After a successful spell with the Academy which included winning the Welsh Academy trophy, I was given an opportunity to join Penrhyndeudraeth as assistant manager which I did for two years before making the step up to take the hot seat at Maes y Parc.”

OW: Who was the biggest footballing influence on you whilst growing up, and in what way?

Richard: “My biggest footballing influence whilst growing up would be my Dad. He gave me no choice in who I wanted to support and had me in an Everton kit before I could walk, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I was fortunate that there were a few of my mates around the same age that also had no choice and we were lucky enough that our dads would take us to Goodison Park once we were old enough.”

OW: Which team do you support, and who was your favourite player, both whilst growing up and now, and why?

Richard: “I support the pride of Merseyside, Everton! It's tough to pick just one favourite player when I was growing up but Big Duncan Ferguson and Neville Southall would be up there. Currently my best player would have to be Seamus Coleman for Everton and Gareth Bale for giving me an amazing time in France watching the Euros last summer.”

OW: I believe most followers of local football will know, or be aware of you, from your success at Penrhyn so can you tell us about your time there?

Richard: “I initially joined Penrhyndeudraeth as a player in Aug 2009 before becoming assistant manager to Gareth Piercy towards the end of the 2009/10 season and continued in that role throughout 2010/11.I took over as manager for the 2011/12 season and we achieved a lot together. In my first season at the helm we won the Gwynedd League, Gwynedd Safeflue Shield and Bob Owen Memorial Shield and followed that up a year later by winning the Take Stock Van Hire Cup. We were Welsh Alliance League Division Two champions, Take Stock Van Hire cup finalists and FAW trophy semi-finalists in 2013/14 and managed to reach the final of the FAW a tear later. Last season, we won the Mawddach Cup again.”

OW: Having enjoyed such a successful time with Penrhyn, what made you decide to join Caernarfon Town, and how did the move come about?

Richard: “The move came about when I received a phone call from Iwan asking if I fancied joining him and his coaching team as Gareth Parry had work commitments in Cardiff and would struggle to attend training sessions and some of the matches. I decided to take him up on the offer as it was a chance for me to step up to the Cymru Alliance and test myself. Although I was really happy at Penrhyndeudreath and had just won the Mawddach Cup, when one of the biggest clubs in Welsh football gives you an opportunity to join them you have to take it.”

OW: What knowledge did you have of the club and did you know any of the coaching staff and players?

Richard: “I knew Iwan and Gareth from the coaching staff and also some of the local players. I knew a lot about the club due to Iwan being manager and as we are good mates we regularly had chats on Sundays, asking how each others matches had gone. I have also had interest in the club from when Steven Smith (Psycho) was manager a few years ago. I know a lot of the supporters through following the Welsh national team away so whenever Penrhyndeudraeth didn't have a match I would sometimes drive to watch Caernarfon if they were at home.”

OW: What were your first impressions of the club when you joined, and has the club reached the  expectations you may have had?

Richard: “My first impression was everything I would expect from a club of Caernarfon’s size. The fan base is huge, probably one of, if not the biggest in the Welsh pyramid, and the professionalism shown by the lads in training and Iwan's preparation shows in the clubs success.”

OW: Was it hard to join the management team, bearing in mind last season’s success, and how have you adapted to being assistant manager after being in the manager’s seat with Penrhyn for so long?

Richard: “It was a bit daunting at start because of all the success last season but everyone within the club made me feel welcome from day one, for which I was grateful. Going from Manager to assistant was strange at first but I'm getting to know the league and I’m learning from Iwan so I’m really enjoying my time here and hope I can help the team emulate last season’s success.”

OW: Playing wise, is there a big gap between the Welsh Alliance and Cymru Alliance Leagues?

Richard: “Yes there is most definitely a gap playing wise, especially in the top half of the Cymru Alliance. I think the quality of the players is on a higher level and the fitness levels also but this is to be expected. I also think there’s a gap again between the best teams in the Welsh Premier League and some of the Cymru Alliance sides.”

OW: You’ve already mentioned you were aware of the club and players before you joined us and I was wondering if the quality in the squad matches what you had expected?

Richard: “I knew the quality in the squad was high but working with the lads on a weekly basis you get to see a bit more and they try things maybe they wouldn't in a game. I think what impressed me most was the accuracy of the long balls, the technique in striking the ball and bringing it under control.”

OW: It’s been a very good first half of the season for the team, what have been your highlights thus far?

Richard: “Highlight of the season so far, for me, is the victory at Porthmadog. It was a nice win as we hadn't really been playing well and had suffered a late equaliser against Denbigh followed by a home defeat to Prestatyn, so it was nice to get back to winning ways. And it’s great to have bragging rights at home! Flint away was a great victory also, to score six at such a tough place was a good day at the office. I think the most memorable win for myself would have to be the Holywell away game, to come back from 1-0 down at half time and show so much determination, character and desire to get back and win the game with only ten men was very satisfying to say the least.”

OW: Have there been any real ‘disappointments’ in your time at the club thus far?

Richard: “I was very disappointed when we were held to a draw in Denbigh especially to concede an equaliser in the ninety seventh minute after being in complete control on ninety minutes with a two goal lead. It was just one of them freak things in football. Then the next match was even worse as we lost to Prestatyn, so that was a tough two weeks. The only other real disappointment that stands out is the defeat to Rhyl in the Cup put I'm confident we can put that right in the Welsh Cup.”

OW: What do you think of the club’s supporters, and how much does it help the staff and players that there is such a strong following at both home and away matches? 

Richard: “The supporters at Caernarfon in my opinion are the best in the Welsh pyramid. I knew the team had a good following after watching them a few times last season but to be a part of the club and witness it home and away every week is quality and I know that the players and us coaching staff appreciate the support. I would also like to give the Clwb Caneris (Canaries Club) a mention and thank them for the hard work they put in behind the scenes. It is evident how much Caernarfon Town means to them.”

OW: Iwan has brought the ‘Un Clwb’ ethos to the club, do you think that everyone at Caernarfon Town is pulling in the same direction?

Richard: “Yes I definitely think that everyone is pulling in the same direction.  There is a certain buzz around the club from the Academy all the way to the first team and this includes the ladies teams, who are flying at the moment. I think that everyone working together is a credit to Iwan as he has everybody believing in him and his ‘Un Clwb’ ethos which isn’t an easy task to achieve. It takes a lot of hard work, long hours and determination to do this but with the effort being put in by everyone at the club from the Academy to the  groundsman, canteen staff, fans and the Board everyone wants the same thing as Iwan and that is to get Caernarfon town back where we belong, in the Welsh Premier League.”

OW: Who’s the biggest joker in the dressing room?

Richard: “There are a few jokers and characters in the dressing room but the top three for me would be Kev Bach, Gas and Joe Williams.”

OW: Who’s got the worst musical preferences in the dressing room?

Richard: “We have a playlist on Iwan's phone for which everybody had to choose a song for pre match, but I'm not sure who chose what sorry.”

OW: If you were manager of our current squad would you give Iwan a game?

Richard: “If I was the manager would I give Iwan a game? Ha, ha that’s a good question! He could certainly do a job and has played in a few positions over his career so would be a decent versatile player to have in the Squad. Iwan in his prime would get into my team but currently I think he would be on the bench. Sorry Gaffer!”

OW: Going forward, what do you think is a realistic target for the team this season?

Richard: “I think a realistic target for the season is to retain both the League and the League cup and get a good run in the Welsh Cup, which I know the fans would love.”

OW: Do you have a message for the Cofi  Army?

Richard: “My message to the Cofi Army would be keep up the great support and remember it’s a marathon not a sprint. Un Clwb.”

A massive thank you to Richard for taking the time to answer all the questions and especially for being so honest when asked about whether or not Iwan would get into his team! On a more serious note though, as a Town supporter I know that we’re in the fortunate position of having a very vibrant and dynamic management team and what excites me is the prospect of where they can take us.

It’s early days for Richard at the club but he has already proved to be another great signing by the manager!

Un Clwb.  

Pep Talks, Man Flu and Pantomime Villains

I’m sure we all have football grounds that we enjoy visiting more than others and one of my favourite destinations as a Caernarfon Town supporter is Holywell’s Halkyn Road.

My first visit to the ground was in the late seventies when I attended a Cup tie with my grandfather, who was chairman of our village side, Mountain Rangers. I can vaguely recall a cold Saturday afternoon watching my Taid’s team, in their black and white striped shirts, against what I perceived back then to be an English side. I now know they’re not, but back then, a trip up the A55 past Conwy may well have been, such was the rarity of travelling too far from Rhosgadfan. I don’t recall too much about the match itself but am sure it ended in a draw.

In more recent times, of course, my visits have been in support of the Canaries, and matches have included League of Wales encounters, the infamous Battle of Halkyn Road during our treble campaign of 2012/13, and last season’s opening day stalemate.

To use a rather boring footballing idiom, last year’s encounter had been a match of two halves, where Caernarfon bossed the first period before the hosts turned the tables in the second, although the match remained goalless and the points were shared. Our latest visit to the home of the Wellmen was very similar, with the difference this time being that, unlike Holywell’s efforts last year,  Caernarfon’s second half performance was good enough to clinch all three points as the team, and our frontmen especially, ran riot following a half-time pep talk from Iwan! 

Clive Williams and Danny Sullivan. 

Of all the matches I’ve seen between the sides, I am yet to witness anything less than a fiercely contested affair and this recent tussle proved no different. Iwan changed his starting line-up quite drastically for this one with Danny Sullivan forming a new centre-half partnership with Clive Williams, Tom Quinn in at left-back, and debuts for Jamie Roberts and goalkeeper Alex Ramsay. The make-up of the side was very different to what we’ve been used to recently and, to be honest, I feared the worst when the hosts went into an early lead. Holywell started really well and took advantage of Caernarfon’s disjointed performance before the break, although I did fell that, despite not being at their best, the Canaries had enjoyed plenty of possession and, with only a goal separating the sides, the match was still there to be won. The Caernarfon side that re-emerged for the second half was much sharper and seemed rejuvenated, as they set about getting back on level terms. Kevin Lloyd came up trumps with two goals in quick succession to put us ahead and Danny Brookwell sealed the victory with a superb individual goal, finished off with a celebration with the Cofi Army! It all sounds quite simple, but turning the tables on the Wellmen in their own backyard is anything but straightforward and there was a period when we were 2-1 up that a victory was all but secured when Rob Jones was sent off and the hosts were then awarded a penalty. Thankfully, Ramsay pulled off a fine save to keep out the spot kick and, rather than just hanging on, Town still managed to create a number of opportunities to increase the lead before a very late own goal by our new keeper made the score look closer than it could have been.

Alex Ramsay.

Followers of the game outside the top tier in Wales will know that Holywell are a very competitive side and have been for a few years so to manage the win at their ground under the circumstances was a very good result. The Wellmen always seem to play in a similar fashion, with quick strikers up front and an in your face attitude running through the team, and so to get anything more than a few bumps and bruises from them is a good return. I’ve mentioned their manager in the blog on more than occasion in the past and so will refrain from saying much this time around except to say that if the Cymru Alliance League was a pantomime, the Holy Dean of Hasselwell would surely be cast as the villain. Good for a bit of banter and full of theatricals, he’s the perfect fit.

I met Holywell’s chairman, Sean Elliott, for the first time before the match and enjoyed hearing about the club’s plans for Halkyn Road. Having recently built a clubhouse at the ground, there’s more work on its way, including a stand behind one of the goals and it was interesting to hear how they as a club are also looking to become a part of the community, much as we are trying to do.

Joe going topless....

Before moving on, I must mention Joe Williams, who was forced off with an injury midway through the second half. The Cofi Cafu came over to watch most of the remaining minutes with the supporters behind the goal, and it’s not something we generally see with players, but it said a lot to me that he was as passionate as every single member of the Cofi Army when Danny Brookwell scored to wrap up the victory! Iwan mentions his One Club ethos a lot and Joe’s actions proved that the players believe it every bit as much as we do. However, I must have a word with Joe soon about taking unnecessary risks with his health by removing his shirt as he walked off the pitch and to the dressing room 

The Cofi Cafu joins us to cheer the team on.

after his injury. 

Whilst everyone else in the round were well wrapped up against the elements, Joe decided to go topless, and he paid for it in the next few says by suffering from the dreaded ‘Manflu’. Thankfully, I’ve found out that Boots chemists have come up with a new way of combating this serious illness and I’ve already put in a decent sized order with them for the new concoction, called ‘Manflu SoupaHero’ (see below). I would, however, still advise Joe to keep his shirt on!   

One the way!

The victory would have given the players a huge lift so soon after the home defeat to Llanfair United a fortnight earlier and I hoped that the next match, at home to Mold, would not be a case of ‘after the lord mayor’s show’. Despite playing well, it looked as if this may well prove to be the case as the visitors frustrated us for eighty five minutes of that match, successfully frustrating Town with a rearguard action reminiscent of John Wayne and his gang in the Alamo film. They seemed to have succeeded where Big John failed right up to the final minutes when Kevin Lloyd popped up with the winner, racing before his marker to a Jamie Breese cross and flicking the ball past Mike Jones at the near post. It was a great finish and Kev fully deserved the praise heaped on him by Iwan in the post-match interview we carried out. I hope Kev won’t mind me saying this but I remember him telling me last summer that he wasn’t sure if he would be able to commit the time to getting himself fit enough for this league and, if he didn’t know it then, he surely does now! What an impact he’s had since coming back to us from Llanrug!

Although Mold showed little desire to take us on and played as defensively as if they’d been coached all week by Jose Mourinho, I can’t blame them for that and they very nearly succeeded in their attempt to get something from the match.  This has become a theme in recent times at the Oval and whilst I’m not a big fan of such a pragmatic approach, the only problem I have with it is more to do with the match officials, who always seem to turn a blind eye to the players’ time wasting. This was indeed the case during the Mold match and it’s something that the FAW should look at and try to combat. 

Sky Sports would have us all believe that teams using such tactics are ‘cute’ and like to dress it all up as ‘match management’ but I prefer to watch football matches with the ball in play and not in the keeper’s hands, or awaiting a defender to fetch it for a restart. In fact, one of the referees' assistants did decide to stamp one thing out on the day, this being Darren Thomas' overhead 'goal' that would have lit up an otherwise dour opening half. I think the official flagged for offside and I was in no position to say if he got it right or not, but it was an incredible finish by 'Messi' which deserved to count just for the skill he showed.

Messi's disallowed goal against Mold. What a finish!

After the match, I carried out a joint interview with Iwan and Kev Lloyd, and another one with our recent signing, Jamie Roberts. I remember Jamie playing against us last year for Holyhead and thought he was a very good player, so was pleased to hear that Iwan had brought him to the Oval.

Jamie Roberts.

Having played for the reserves in their victory over their counterparts from Llandudno Junction Jamie made his first team debut for us in Holywell and was outstanding.  From what I’ve seen of him, he is quick, has great control and movement and in fact looks ideal for the way Iwan wants the team to play. Just as importantly, he is also a really nice guy and I’m sure Jamie will prove to be another massive coup for the manager and the club.

I had originally planned on including the Carmarthen and Buckley victories in this blog but have decided against it as I suspect it’s already overlong as it is. Therefore, I’ll be looking at those encounters, and the return of Leigh Craven and one of my favourite players, Jay Gibbs, next time around. With a bit of luck I may also be able to publish an interview with a member of Iwan’s first team background staff….