Lisa Jones grabs hat-trick for Caernarfon but Flint edge a seven-goal cracker

REPORT – NORTH WALES WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Flint Town United 4 (Jess Collings 7, Talia Jones 12, Rosie Hughes 18 & 56)
Caernarfon Town 3 (Lisa Jones 11, 64 & 66)

Lisa Jones scored a hat-trick for a Caernarfon side which so nearly picked up their first point in the North Wales Women’s League.

Two newly-formed teams shared two different halves of football in a truly entertaining game.

There were chances galore for each side with both emerging with their heads held high at the end of 90 minutes.

The game started frantically with Caernarfon getting the first chance with nice play down the left feeding the dangerous Lisa Jones through the middle. Flint keeper Becky Bott came out to block with her feet with Erin Wyn Jones first to respond and unlucky not to get a goal thanks to resilient home defenders getting back in time to stop the attempt.

Soon after the home side started to find their passing game with lovely one-touch football creating openings on both sides of the pitch.

And it was Flint who broke the deadlock, a switch in play finding Jess Collings with space to slot away the opener.

After another spell of pressure from the Silkwomen, Caernarfon pounced on the break, Erin Wyn Jones and Lisa Jones combining with the latter finding the bottom left hand corner from the edge of the box with a precise left-footed finish to make it 1-1.

Straight from the restart home captain Talia Jones finished a well rounded move from the left, finding the bottom right hand corner with a delicious curving shot which left keeper Sara Williams with no chance.

With Caernarfon struggling to find their rhythm, Flint continued to move the ball and soon added a third goal through the talented Rosie Hughes.

As the first half remained in the hosts’ favour, Caernarfon kept themselves in the game through some brilliant saves from Sara Williams and excellent last ditch defending with defenders putting their bodies on the line.

The first half came to a close with Flint 3-1 up.

Both teams went for it at the start of the second half, but it was the home team who added a fourth with 56 minutes on the clock, Hughes with her second.

Not to be downbeat, the visitors found their passing game and full-back Kerrie Jones unleashed a brilliant defence-splitting pass for the ever-dangerous Lisa Jones on the left hand side and she made no mistake, chipping the on-rushing Bott from 20 yards to find the net.

With their tails up from the goal Caernarfon scored another within two minutes this time from the opposite side as full back Natalie Lovelock found Zara Jones in space in midfield who with the quickness of thought found Erin Wyn Jones in the middle.

She combined well again with Lisa Jones, who completed a deserved treble after a ricochet off the keeper left the goal gaping for her to tap in.

With the game now on a knife edge the last 20 minutes saw both defences tested and proving up to the task of preventing any more goals.

Flint hit the post and Caernarfon were unlucky not to draw level soon after, Bott producing a super stop.

A brilliant watch for the neutral and great advertisement for North Wales Women’s football with the game played in the right manner throughout.

Caernarfon coach Owain Jones said: “A very good game of football. We didn’t show ourselves as we wanted in that first half but credit to Flint Town who played nice football and capitalised with lethal play.

“We got together at half time and talked through it and came out in the second half and showed our team spirit and our ability to play football. On another day we could have had a result from the game.

“I am proud of all of them again today as they never let their heads drop whatever the score and always gave their all for each other which is pleasing to see. I am confident we will soon get a result our performances deserve.”

TEAMS

FLINT TOWN UNITED

Becky Bott
N/A (Eva Gowen 73)
Jess Collings
Charlotte Walters
Caitlin Latham (Tara Davies 52)
Sinead Beck
Courtney Lancaster (Charlotte Durrans 66)
Leah Davies Williams
Talia Jones (N/A 52)
Rosie Hughes
Taylia Chaloner
SUBS
N/A
Leah Phelps

CAERNARFON TOWN

Sara Williams
Elin Jones
Luned Williams
Elen Bee (Zara Williams 46)
Lowri Hughes
Lauren Murphy
Erin Jones
Lisa Jones
Natalie Lovelock
Kerrie Jones
Awen Pritchard (N/A 73)