Flashback – 5 years ago: Port robbed of late equaliser as Breese pair seals Cofis win

Porthmadog 1 (E Edwards 33)
Caernarfon Town 2 (Breese 73 & 87)
Cymru Alliance League – October 6, 2015

Cymru Alliance champions-to-be Caernarfon Town did not lose a single away league game in 2015-16 – but five years ago this midweek they had to pull out all the stops to collect three points at Y Traeth.

On a night of torrential rain Porthmadog and the Canaries provided high entertainment and some quality football.

It was that old cliché, the game of two halves, with Port on top in the opening 45 minutes and deserving to go in ahead at the break, but in the second period the Cofis stepped up the tempo, forcing the hosts to defend for lengthy periods and eventually completing their fightback with a late winner from two-goal hero Jamie Breese.

Port threatened in the early stages with Cai Jones, Iwan Lewis and Leon Newell all having opportunities.

Good work by Newell down the right then set up Eilir Edwards whose clean strike was only inches wide.

When the Port goal came it was a shot from distance but this time a free kick wide on the right.

Eilir Edwards’ well-struck 33rd minute shot sailed over Paul Pritchard into the far corner of the net.

At this stage it was no more than Port deserved and they should have extended this lead before the interval, Newell and Edwards both having chances.

In a rare Caernarfon retort, Richard Harvey pulled off a good save to keep out a Rob Jones 25-yard stinger.

Half-time: Porthmadog 1 Caernarfon Town 0

For the second half Caernarfon introduced Jay Gibbs and this proved to be a significant tactical change.

Now the visitors from the off stretched the play, using the width of the pitch and increasing the tempo. Port were being forced to defend and the balance of power was shifting.

Rob Jones was not far off target when he cracked one from distance. A Port break out could have had a better result when a fine through ball from Gwydion Ifan put in Newell, who fired wide when well placed.

This was only a brief relief from Cofi pressure. Following a break on the right Harvey needed two attempts to keep out Gibbs.

On 70 minutes it seemed as though the goal had come for Caernarfon, when a foul by Eilir Edwards was punished with a penalty, but Harvey had other ideas, saving Nathan Craig’s shot superbly low at his left hand post.

Despite this, the equaliser was inevitable. It came in the 73rd minute when following a short corner Breese met Craig’s cross and his header looped over Harvey to level the scores.

Although Caernarfon pressure was unstinting their second goal did not come until three minutes from the end.

It was a counter attack following a Port corner with Gibbs breaking well down the left and crossing perfectly for Breese to net at the far post.

Even then the game was not over as Port stormed back, forcing a 90th minute corner with Cai Jones finding the net from close range after the ball seemingly came to him off a Caernarfon defender.

The referee only disallowed the goal following lengthy discussions with the linesman, giving Caernarfon the victory in a tense finale.

PORTHMADOG: Richard Harvey, Gwydion Ifan (Jack Davies), Josh Banks, Gruff J Williams, Iddon Price, Iwan Lewis, Stuart Rogers, Eilir Edwards, Cai Jones, Leon Newell, Julian Williams. Unused Subs: Iolo Hughes, Sion Parry, Rob Owen, Craig Papirnyk.

CAERNARFON: Paul Pritchard, Joe Williams, Nathan Craig, Clive Williams, Gareth Edwards, Kevin Roberts (Jay Gibbs 46), Gareth Jones Evans, Rob Jones, Jamie Breese (Carl Owen 89), Ellis Healing (Danny Brookwell), Jamie McDaid. Unused subs: Gareth Parry, Graham Austin.

Referee: Iwan Griffiths
Attendance: 444

Many thanks to Gareth Williams for the match information