Caernarfon rejoice after first win of season in North Wales Women’s League

NORTH WALES WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE – APRIL 16, 2023

Llanfairfechan Town 3 (Slaney 3, Blackwell 34 & 50)
Caernarfon Town 4 (L Jones 12 & 20, C Jones 30, Parry 90+2)

Llongyfarchiadau mawr i CPD Merched Tref Caernarfon – big congratulations to Caernarfon Town Ladies FC.

Sunday saw the Canaries celebrate their first league win of the 2022-23 season at the 16th attempt after 15 successive losses.

Town’s last victory occurred on March 8, 2020 – the final day of the 2019-20 campaign shortened through Covid when they defeated Holywell 7-2.

The winless sequence since was not as bad as it sounded as the 2020-21 season was wiped out completely by the pandemic and last term the Cofis played just the one league game before folding.

They have returned this season and performed well at times, but until Sunday, April 16, that first win had eluded them.

However, that is the case no more as Caernarfon broke their duck with a 4-3 success at Llanfairfechan Town.

And Town ended the jinx in dramatic style with a 92nd minute decider.

A hard-fought contest with both teams giving their all made for a very entertaining game of football.

Llanfairfechan earned an early indirect free kick as one of the Caernarfon players was deemed to have given a back pass.

The hosts made no mistake with a lay-off finish as ex-Canary Ceri Slaney found the bottom corner to make it 1-0 after three minutes.

Not ones to let their heads drop, the Caernarfon ladies responded well and continuously looked to attack as Llanfairfechan struggled to contain the dangerous duo of Alaw Parry and Lisa Jones up front.

The visitors were rewarded 10 minutes later as Lisa Jones got to the ball first to tap in following a shot from the edge of the area.

With confidence on the up following the goal, Caernarfon went in search of another and got it on the 20-minute mark as Cara Jayne Jones, back from university this weekend, placed a perfect through ball in between full-back and central defender for Lisa Jones to run on to and round the oncoming keeper for the finish.

The Cofis continued to press and almost got their reward as Alaw Jones rounded the keeper and hit the post after a well-placed through ball from new signing Sioned Bohana.

With the pressure still mounting, Caernarfon made it three on the half hour mark when Cara Jayne rose highest and found the bottom corner with a brilliantly guided header.

Llanfairfechan mustered up a few chances of their own through the hard graft of Sadie Richards and managed to get their second following a mix up in defence freeing up Caitlin Blackwell to produce a fine finish.

Despite the setback the Cofis still looked for more goals and came close with captain Sara Williams hitting the crossbar following an inswinging corner from Alaw Jones, then Lisa Jones once again broke through and rattled the goal frame.

HALF-TIME: LLANFAIRFECHAN 2-3 CAERNARFON

Starting the second half with a determined feel, Llanfairfechan mixed it up and managed to get the equaliser when Blackwell was free once again to finish from six yards.

With the game now on a knife edge and tensions rising higher as the minutes ticked on, both teams showed their desire as the crowd were entertained to some brilliant last-ditch defending and heroic saves with both keepers on fine form.

Caernarfon nearly got another on the 70-minute mark as Luned Williams found Lisa Jones in the box but the ever-aware Jamie Boyd in goal made a great save to deny her and unlucky Lois Bee’s shot hit the side-netting on the rebound.

As the game got into the last 10 minutes Llanfairfechan thought they had found the winner, but a seemingly goalbound effort clipped the outside of the far post much to the delight of the supporting Cofis.

With a minute of stoppage time left and the match heading towards a draw, Caernarfon got a free kick 25 yards out.

Up stepped Alaw Jones, having already ran more than five miles in the game, to use every last bit of her energy to smash the ball into the far left hand corner to win the game for the Cofis and leave her team-mates and coaches in a state of delirium. A great finish to a very entertaining game of football.

Well done to both teams for their attitude and commitment to the game.

Caernarfon Town manager Owain Jones said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the win. It feels like it has been a long time coming for the girls as they have turned in some brilliant showings this season and not got the result they deserved.

“I am so, so proud of them, each and every one stepped up to be counted and showed exactly what it means to them to put on the Caernarfon shirt. Hopefully this game can give us a platform for the rest of the season now and push us on for more results.”

TEAMS

LLANFAIRFECHAN TOWN

Jamie Boyd (C)
Ceri Slaney
Sarah Pacelli
Bethan Smith
Morgan Jackson
Tiffany Pacelli
Brengain Jones
Connie Tulloch
Sadie Richards
Elin Jones
Caitlin Blackwell
SUBS
Myra Jones
Lois Thomas
Jess Jones
Jess Roberts
Charlotte Gallacher

CAERNARFON TOWN

Gwenllian Bell-Rennie
Elin Mair Jones
Luned Williams
Lowri Hughes
Lisa Jones
Alaw Parry
Natalie Lovelock
Zara Williams
Sara Williams (c)
Sioned Bohana
Cara Jayne Jones
SUBS
N/A
Elen Lois Bee