Cymru Premier new boys Colwyn Bay learned that mistakes they may have got away with in tier 2 have serious consequences in the top flight as Caernarfon romped to a 4-0 victory at the Four Crosses Construction Ltd Arena on Sunday.
An impressive crowd of 1,411 gathered to witness Bay’s first-ever Cymru Premier game and it would have been much higher but for FAW restrictions to Caernarfon’s ticket allocation.
Bay made a good start and threatened in the ninth minute when Nick Rushton crossed low from the right and Alex Downes blasted high and wide under pressure.
In the 16th minute Tommy Creamer played a great one-two but was unable to direct his effort on target.
Creamer then delivered a fine cross across the face of goal, but no-one in a claret and blue shirt could apply a finishing touch.
From the 20th minute onwards. Caernarfon took the upper hand.
Phil Mooney won a crunching tackle with Bay skipper Lewis Sirrell and new signing Zack Clarke created space in the box, but his right foot shot lacked power and direction and home stopper Joe Smith saved with his legs.
In the 25th minute, Clarke was clear on the right but his cross was struck a bit too firmly and Adam Davies was unable to convert.
Sion Bradley’s free kick from outside the box was comfortably saved by Smith, who then had to be sharp to deny Davies on the turn.
The away goal was coming and it arrived on 31 minutes, created by a 35-year-old and finished by a legend of 36.
New Cofis capture Marc Williams worked brilliantly down the right and sent in a pinpoint cross which Darren Thomas headed home.
Danny Holmes should have equalised with a free header from a corner before Ryan Edwards clearly fouled Clarke in the box, but referee Bryn Markham-Jones somehow decided it was not a penalty.
The start of the second half saw Clarke head wide from a Bradley corner before great defending from Town’s Ryan Austin prevented a Matty Hill cross picking out Lloyd Marsh-Hughes at the back post.
Three goals in 11 minutes from the visitors killed off the game.
On the hour, Bradley robbed Downes and played a perfect pass to Davies, who worked the ball onto his left foot and beat wrong-footed keeper Smith for 2-0.
In the 65th minute, Davies took the ball off Edwards, centred low from the right and Clarke was able to whip home his first goal for the club.
And on 71 minutes, Clarke crossed deep from the right, substitute Rob Hughes did brilliantly to reach and hook the ball back into the middle and Davies found the net with a controlled finish.
ATTENDANCE: 1,411
Joe Smith
Alex Downes
Lewis Sirrell (c)
Ryan Edwards (Guto Williams 73)
Matty Hill
Lloyd Marsh-Hughes
Danny Holmes
Nick Rushton
Dan Jones
Tommy Creamer (Sam Downey 62)
Sam Turner (Stefan Edwards 73)
Ryan Woods
Iwan Cartwright
Ryan Austin
Dion Donohue
Sion Bradley (Ben Wynne 80)
Dan Gosset
Adam Davies (Lewis Lloyd 80)
Darren Thomas (c – Rob Hughes 70)
Marc Williams (Ben Maher 86)
Zack Clarke
Paul Mooney
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