Bad Grandpa, Social Media and Penalties

According to Sky Sports, Christmas is for football and it must be true because they’ve been telling us this since November. Of course, the game they are selling us is as far removed as possible from the one that is played in the Cymru Alliance League and the two Caernarfon Town matches I saw over the festive period were proof enough of this. Our fixtures against Porthmadog and Holyhead Hotspur were real crackers, reminiscent of the game I grew up watching, and nothing like the majority of matches my television subscription allows me to watch these days.

Local derbies are always enjoyable affairs and as a Cofi supporter I have many fond memories of watching the team play at this time of year against Bangor City, in both the Northern and Welsh Premier Leagues. Attendances of over a thousand guaranteed, full bloodied tackles and unforgettable chants from both sets of supporters were also guaranteed and it all added to memorable occasions that I recall fondly, despite the defeats and near misses in public houses near the grounds! Whilst this is a tradition that has long since disappeared it has, over the past two years at least, been replaced by a friendlier and much more enjoyable experience, the Gwynedd derby, played between Caernarfon and Porthmadog.

Last year’s fixture between the sides at the Oval, held on December 27^th had been a decent affair, with a crowd of 1100 seeing us beat our neighbours by two goals to nil. When the fixture list was announced this season I was delighted that we would once again be hosting Craig Papyrnik’s side over the Christmas period and even better was that the match would be played on Boxing Day. A  good old-fashioned local derby to get the juices flowing and entice us all out of our homes after the excesses of the preceding fortnight!

Both sides were in great form approaching the match, Caernarfon on a superb unbeaten run of twelve matches in the league and Port having suffered just one reverse in their last nine outings, a sequence of matches that included a victory over the Cofis in the Huws Gray Cup.

It was a nice, crisp day, and the weather helped to bolster the crowd, with an impressive 1275 people walking through the Oval turnstiles. Of course it also helped that there weren’t many matches held in the vicinity and so a local derby between two good sides would have appealed to other local footballers in addition to the casual football follower. I am pretty sure that those who did attend the match would not have been disappointed with what they saw, as both sides went at it hammer and tongues from the off.

Port are a very good side and always look up for the task of upsetting the Cofis. They proved it again in this encounter and although they played well I always thought Caernarfon had a slight edge. Having forced Port keeper Richard Harvey into a number of early saves, Town had to wait until just before the break to go ahead, courtesy of a Jamie Breese striker, after the frontman had been set up by the impressive Gareth Evans. The latter was at it again just after the restart to help set up a goal for Nathan Craig and, whilst former Caernarfon favourite Cai Jones pulled one back for the visitors, Breesey secured the victory with his second goal late on. Our number nine was deservedly named the supporters man of the match but in all honesty I’m sure that Gareth Evans must have run him close. Gaz has been outstanding in recent weeks following injury and I can see why he has been a Welsh Premier League regular for his former club. Great engine, great technique and an eye for goal – sounds like a proper Caernarfon Town player to me!!

And talking of proper Cofi players, it was with great pleasure that I got an opportunity to carry out a rather unexpected, but very enjoyable, interview for the club’s you tube channel with Kevin Lloyd (above) to announce his return to the Oval after a spell with Conwy. We know that Kev has been with us on three separate occasions in the past and readers of the blog will know how much I like him, both as a person and a player, so it will come as no surprise when I say that I’m delighted he’s back with us. I know he doesn’t really enjoy video interviews with me so I was pleased he agreed to this one, and if anyone doesn’t already know how much the club means to him, then I’d advise you to take a look at the interview we did, which will leave you in no doubt. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4oVzhhvBA8

A trip to Holyhead four days after the Boxing Day derby beckoned and, whilst Chicago is known as the Windy City, I believe Anglesey’s largest community has a very strong claim to being known as the Windy Town. I have been to Holyhead on many occasions and have just once known it to be anything other than blustery, especially in the football ground. Whilst our latest visit to the New Ground would not quite rank amongst the many ‘stand like a statue or be blown away’ occasions I have experienced there, I still needed to be on guard against the wuthering conditions. Bob had a better idea on how to keep warm, and grounded, by heading to the canteen for a Cheeseburger, which he highly recommended! And if anyone is thinking of writing a book on the best cheeseburgers, pies and chips in North Wales football, look no further than Bob! He's the one who stands next to me at away matches, with the local cuisine more often than not to hand!

Campbell Harrison’s charges had been the only team to defeat the Cofis up to this point in the campaign and they are undoubtedly a very good side on their day, although this can be said of every team playing in the Cymru Alliance this season. Hotspur are renowned for a certain style of play at home, where they are very adept at using the elements and have proved over many years that they can turn over the best of opponents.

Most teams are already well versed with Holyhead’s usual tactics and I know that Sean and Richard will have ensured the Cofis were ready for the first half onslaught they faced against the wind. To be honest, Caernarfon handled the direct style and early deliveries into the penalty area very well and, having reached half time scoreless I thought we were in with a great chance of winning the match. Thigs didn’t quite pan out like that, however, and the hosts looked a different team after the break when they decided to play the ball on the ground as opposed to off it. Town exerted plenty of pressure on the hosts’ defence early in the second half and Clive Williams and Danny Brookwell both went close to scoring before Paul Pritchard pulled off three super saves to keep Holyhead level.

As always, Mel McGinness was proving a real livewire up front for the hosts and he scored a stunner shortly after the hour mark to put Hotspur ahead, much to the delight of the vociferous old-timers who stood in front of the club house. One seventy plus year old got so excited that, shortly after the goal, he kicked the ball away from a Caernarfon player looking to reclaim it for a throw in before completing his ‘Bad Grandpa’ impersonation by telling a Cofi supporter to ‘F*** Off’. It was both hilarious and sad in equal measures.

Nathan rescued a point with late equalisers

against Holyhead and Denbigh. 

Pritch continued with his antics in goal to keep us from scoring an equaliser right up to the eighty eighth minute, when Nathan Craig salvaged a point by defeating ‘the cat’ directly from a corner. So, for once, the wind actually helped us in Holyhead, although Nathan is so good that he probably tried to curl the ball into the top corner!

I headed for home from the match feeling both disappointment and relief as, whilst I felt we were more than good enough to have won the match, and probably would have done if Pritch had not been in goal for Hotspur, it could also be seen as a good point earned because it’s not an easy ground to visit and, having gone a goal down, the players showed a lot of determination to get back on level terms. A fair result and a decent end to 2017 for the Cofis as we finished top of the Cymru Alliance League at the half way mark.

Our first match of 2018 promised to be a real cracker as we travelled to Denbigh on the opening Saturday of the New Year. Eddie Maurice Jones has put a really strong side together at Central Park and they’re having a very good season, placed second behind us just a week before our visit. I never fail to enjoy this particular away trip as it’s a nice ground and the Board members and staff are always friendly, as was proved again this time around. The sides produced a thriller in last season’s corresponding fixture, which had seen Denbigh score twice in injury time to claim a 4-4 draw and this latest encounter proved just as exciting!

Shaun Cavanagh signs on the dotted line for the Cofis.

On the Friday before the match I had received a call to say that we had signed Shaun Cavanagh from Llandudno and were in a position to announce it immediately if possible. Before carrying on I must confess that this had been news I had been hoping to announce for two years as I know Shaun since the days his father, Dave, was assistant manager to Lee Dixon at the Oval. Shaun would always attend the matches with Dave and, without fail, would help warm up Paul Pritchard, who was our number one at the time. Whenever I’ve seen Shaun since, we’ve always spoken about football and he’s always said he’d like to play for Caernarfon one day. He’s played for both Bangor and Llandudno in the Welsh Premier League and is very highly rated amongst local circles, and I think it’s a real coup by Sean Eardley to finally bring Shaun to his home town club. Here’s the link to a video interview we did after he signed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23v7lPabnfY

Gareth Evans in action at Denbigh.

It was good to see the manager giving Shaun an immediate debut and he certainly didn’t let his new gaffer down, showing plenty of talent and tenacity in his first match in the yellow shirt. The match began with a bang as we went close to going ahead early on when Chris Williams’ header from a corner thundered against the bar. The woodwork came to Caernarfon’s rescue twice in quick succession after that before Duckett put Denbigh ahead in the ninth minute with a great finish. The Cofis responded well, but found Jonathan Hill-Dunt in good form between the sticks for the hosts, as he again showed why he is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the league. We deservedly got back on level terms just before the break when Nathan Craig netted with his spot-kick, although the referee’s decision to award the penalty amusingly signalled the appearance of another ‘Bad Grandpa’ impersonator, who was every bit as unruly and rude as his Hollywood and Holyhead counterparts!

Kev Lloyd and Jay Gibbs join in against Denbigh.

Caernarfon started the second half well but Denbigh were lethal on the break and were 3-1 ahead just ten minutes after the break. Eards responded immediately by introducing Jay Gibbs and Kevin Lloyd into the action and, in my opinion, they turned the match our way. I was given instant hope when Kev ran on to the pitch and growled at his team-mates to get stuck in! And one thing you know with Jay is that he is good enough to push his team-mates along when things are tough and, just as he had done against Airbus, he increased Town’s tempo and gave us the impetus to go on the front foot, which we did impressively.

Joe Williams scored an absolute screamer to put us within touching distance and, despite having to play with ten men for the final thirteen minutes due to Rhys Roberts’ red card, the Cofis managed to snatch a point with the final kick of the match, Nathan converting his second penalty of the afternoon after Jamie Breese had been upended in the penalty area. I can only imagine what the ‘Bad Grandpa’ of Central Park must have been thinking but it mattered not as the players celebrated their fightback with the Cofi Army after the final whistle.
The match had been an excellent advert for the Cymru Alliance League and although one or two of the players told me afterwards that they were disappointed with the performance I can’t really  agree with them. Denbigh are an excellent side and they had a number of standouts on the day, including Duckett, Pritchard and Nash, so to fight back from two goals down to earn a point was a pretty decent effort from the team, especially after having gone down to ten men in the final stages. I also have to mention the manager too, as Sean is definitely pushing the right buttons where the players are concerned, as they kept responding to him throughout the match, and you could tell at the final whistle that he and his staff and players are definitely together as a unit, which he needs to be applauded for. It’s Sean’s first senior management post in the game, but you certainly wouldn’t think it by the way he and his side are going about things! 

Before moving on, a quick word about the travelling supporters, who were outstanding! Sean alluded to it during his post-match interview and it’s becoming ever more obvious that the Cofi Army is making a difference in these types of matches, where things are tough and the players need their encouragement. I’m not sure how many of us had made the trip to Central Park but I’m sure Caernarfon fans easily outnumbered the home supporters, and I can only imagine how much of a boost it is to the players when they hear the chants and songs! Brilliant stuff! Here’s a video I took at the match which shows the Cofi Army in full flow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv6QSso_jLo

Joe and Gaz.

An added bonus for me during the Denbigh match was that Joe Williams scored his first goal for the club. Joe has steadfastly refused to take part in my post-match interviews with the players but had always promised that he’d go in front of the camera if he ever scored in the yellow shirt. I had already carried out my interviews with Sean and Nathan after the final whistle when I reminded Joe of this and, despite the initial look of dread on his face, he manly agreed to do something at the next match. To be fair to Joe, he was as good as his word and before Saturday’s match with Rhyl, we carried out a question and answer session, although he insisted on having Gareth Evans there as well. Apart from post-match, I don’t usually get an opportunity to interview the players so it was good to have a chat and some banter with Joe and Gaz. It was great fun and you can see results by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2xTpAJSkdU

And so on to our match with Rhyl, which may not have been as thrilling as the Denbigh encounter  but did provide a very special moment right at the death. Both sides are under new management since the controversial 3-3 draw at the Corbett Sports Stadium early this season and from what I had read the Lillywhites have improved in recent weeks, so a hard challenge was expected. The Cofis had three mainstays of the side missing through suspension whilst Darren Thomas was still absent through injury and, with two or three of his players also carrying knocks, Sean’s squad was down to the bare bones on the day.

Alex Ramsay

Once Alun Webb put the visitors ahead in the six minutes I think most of us knew they’d fall back and defend the lead. This is exactly what they did, becoming solid and compact, and they succeeded in defending as well as any side I’ve seen at the Oval this season. I think Caernarfon were just about the better side on the day, although Rhyl looked dangerous on the break and could have got all three points if it had not been for the late intervention of Alex Ramsay. The Town keeper came out on top when faced with a one to one with Webb in the final minutes before rushing up for a ninety second minute corner and scoring the equaliser with a finish Jamie Breese would have been proud of! Rambo’s celebration was a classic as he reeled away towards the Main Stand, arms aloft and chased by his team-mates! He even treated us to a celebratory dive although I’m not sure what our groundsman would have thought at the time!

I think the Cofis deserved a share of the spoils and, taking all things into account, it was another decent point for us. I asked club president, John Watkins, if he could recall the last time a Caernarfon goalkeeper scored and he couldn’t, so it must have been a few years ago!

It was good to see sports reporter Dave Jones at the ground on saturday and I hope he enjoyed one of his rare visits to see us. It wasn’t the best of matches but at least he saw a great finish to the action and, with a bit of luck, I’m hoping to see him again before the end of the season.

Social media has been very interesting for the past three Saturday evenings. The usual suspects, and some new ones, have been busy pointing out that the bubble must have burst at the Oval because the Cofis have had to rely on late equalisers in three successive matches.  I’ve also read comments that we get too many penalties and play a direct style of football. All true of course if you don’t support Caernarfon Town but if you watch the side every week, as I and many others do, these comments will have raised a smile! Predictably, these keyboard warriors fail to mention that we’re still top of the league and on an unbeaten run of sixteen matches. They’ve also forgotten, or tried to forget, how brilliant their own teams are doing, which is a good indicator that their favourites are not quite as interesting as the Canaries!

Just as entertaining are those who believe every tweet by everyone else is about them and/or their club. It got to the point over the Christmas period that I found myself justifying every tweet I sent out, whether it involved Caernarfon, the FAW or the Welsh Premier League. A very odd state of affairs indeed.

Anyway, back to the real business now, and Saturday’s trip to Flint. Former Rhyl manager Niall McGuinness is in charge there now, and I believe he’s signed a few players, including former Town midfielder Rob Jones. It should be another tough test for the Cofis but, if the past few weeks are anything to go by, Sean and his players will be more than up for it!