Magic of Darren Thomas puts seal on welcome first league win in nine attempts for Caernarfon Town
JD CYMRU PREMIER LEAGUE REPORT, SCORES AND TABLE – TUESDAY, JANUARY 10
Airbus UK Broughton 0 Caernarfon Town 3
Canaries legend Darren Thomas proved he can still produce the magic of old with a magnificent third goal in his team’s 3-0 win at the Hollingsworth Group Stadium.
The 35-year-old put a glorious seal on Town’s first league win in nine attempts which also ended a run of six straight Cymru Premier losses.
The result lifted Huw Griffiths’ men up to seventh spot, although they are already resigned to a bottom-half Play-Off Conference berth in phase two of the season.
Caernarfon took a fourth-minute lead at bottom side Airbus when Rob Hughes converted a penalty he earned himself after being clipped in the box while on a mazy run at goal.
The in-form Josh Tibbetts then twice saved the visitors, producing great blocks at the feet of Adam Davies and George Peers.
The Cofis were denied a second when Daniel Gosset’s touch let him down in front of goal, but the lead was doubled in the 20th minute.
Noah Edwards ran at the Airbus defence and threaded a sublime pass through for Josef Faux to score from an acute angle.
Chances fell at both ends for the remainder of the half.
Thomas broke clear for the visitors, but his final effort was blocked, claims for a penalty for handball being ignored.
Edwards went on another fine burst but rippled the side-netting, and Faux was in on goal but Lewis Dutton saved well.
At the other end, the Wingmakers found the net but it was ruled out, while Davies robbed the ball in the box in added time, but Tibbetts went down to smother again.
Thomas’ stunning goal came two minutes into the second half.
A long ball forward bounced high on the pitch and Thomas took advantage of indecision by Airbus defender Reward Mwakona to fire a spectacular volley from 25 yards over Dutton and into the net.
Thomas could have had a hat-trick, failing to connect properly with a cross from new recruit Rhys Alun to the back post before the ‘Mini Messi’ capitalised on a weak back pass, but was thwarted by a fine Dutton stop.
Elliott Orton was twice foiled by Tibbetts before the end, the second close range effort being pushed onto the post, while Rhys Alun so nearly marked his debut with a goal when Dutton fumbled his strike, but the ball went wide.
TEAMS
AIRBUS
Lewis Dutton
Joe Palmer (Kaiden Cooke 61)
Gareth Edwards (c) – Sam Rickett 72
Jamie Crowther
George Peers
Reward Mwakona (John Black 57)
Beau Cornish
Jeanny Leblanc-Akpo
Jake Phillips (Stephen Tomassen 46)
Elliott Orton
Adam Davies (Bradley Knight 72)
CAERNARFON TOWN
Josh Tibbetts
Iwan Cartwright
Daniel Gosset
Darren Thomas (Fabrizio Murtas 82)
Noah Edwards
Aaron Simpson
Ryan Williams
Cai Powell-Roberts
Josef Faux (Sion Bradley 76)
Cai Griffith (Laurie Bell 35)
Rob Hughes (Rhys Alun Williams 46)
UNUSED SUB
Tomos William Pritchard (GK)
OTHER RESULTS
Aberystwyth Town 0 Penybont 3
Bala Town 0 Connah’s Quay Nomads 0
Flint Town United 1 The New Saints 8