North Wales Women’s League West – magnificent seven for Llangefni, heroic Caernarfon battle for draw at Amlwch

NORTH WALES WOMEN’S LEAGUE WEST – REPORTS, OCTOBER 1

Amlwch Town 1 Caernarfon Town 1

Report from Caernarfon Town

“You’ve been Tangoed” could have been the cry from Caernarfon at the final whistle after they defended like demons to gain an excellent point at Amlwch.

The Cofis have had no luck against the Anglesey side in the recent past, but they were feeling optimistic having three new young signings in Yazmin Owen, Elin Roberts and Amber Brown in the squad for Sunday.

Elin Roberts had scored 23 goals in 22 appearances for the junior side before joining the seniors.

Caernarfon arrived in their unmistakable orange away shirts loaned by the men’s first team, no doubt hoping the current run of fine form by Richard Owain Davies’ Cymru Premier side would serve as a good omen for the ladies.

Home side Amlwch took the upper hand early on, former Caernarfon player Tesni Hughes and Ellie Jones seeing cracking shots brilliantly saved by visiting goalkeeper Poppy Jones, who travelled that day from Aberystwyth University to attend the game.

Amlwch kept pressing hard with Cerys Gadd taking a corner which found Emma Roberts, who fired just over the bar.

Due to the pitch being very wet, both teams had problems controlling the ball.

At one stage Caernarfon’s goalkeeper lost the ball as she dived and Amlwch’s Lowri Thomas collected to pass to Hughes, but confronted and distracted by Jasmiine Leigh she blasted over. The shocker of the game came in the 12th minute when Caernarfon had a corner taken by captain Alaw Parry.

Her intention was to put the ball in the six-yard box but instead it headed for the goal and keeper Ceri Pritchard fumbled it into the back of the net!

That was Parry’s seventh goal of her Caernarfon career.

Amlwch attempts to get back on terms were often thwarted by good inter-play between new signings Brown and Elin Roberts and experienced Elin Jones in defence.

Poppy Jones also made outstanding saves against relentless Amlwch attacks.

The hosts went very close when Ellie Jones hit the ball from 40 metres out only to rattle the crossbar.

Amlwch perseverance was rewarded before half time when Mia Roberts’ shot at goal went in just before she clashed with Jasmiine Leigh.

Fortunately, Roberts was not as badly injured as first feared.

In the second half, Amlwch again swarmed into attack, but Caernarfon kept their cool and defended well.

They also broke out and went close to scoring when Pritchard lost control of Parry’s effort, but the keeper grabbed the ball just in time as it crept towards the goal-line.

Amlwch kept piling the pressure on, Shannon Thomas nearly scoring, before home frustration was compounded when Gadd saw yellow before the home team’s Bethan Jones was red-carded for an off-the-ball incident.

Plenty of drama on and off the field, but Caernarfon can be very proud in the way they played.

Caernarfon: Poppy Jones, Elin Jones, Luned Williams, Lisa Jones, Jess Lane, Elin Roberts, Alaw Parry (captain), Jasmiine Leigh, Amber Brown, Kerrie Jones, Natalie Lovelock. Subs used: Lowri Hughes, Yazmin Owen, Zara Williams, Cara Owen. Not used; Laura Walker.

Llangefni Town 7 Trearddur Bay 0

Hat-tricks from Jennifer Cox and Jess Jones guided Llangefni to an emphatic victory which put them three points clear at the West league summit.

Cox boosted her season’s total to five goals, while for 17-year-old Jones it it now an amazing 14 in six games, having found the net in every one of Cefni’s matches so far in 2023-24.

Jones netted the first two for Town, then Cox took over with the next three. Jones caught up her team-mate with a third and Catrin George added number seven before the end.

CPD Merched Tref Caernarfon P CPD Pwllheli P