Famous win for Caernarfon’s women as they burst Cefni’s bubble

NORTH WALES WOMEN’S LEAGUE WEST

Llangefni Town 3 (Coulson 4 & 76; J Jones 72)
Caernarfon Town 5 (Rowlands 13, Brown 19, 47 pen & 80, Murphy 31)

This was easily the greatest result Caernarfon Town have achieved since returning to league football under a new set-up last season.

Having lost 7-1 to Llangefni on the opening day of the current campaign, the Cofis enjoyed sweet revenge to put it mildly at Cae Bob Parry on Sunday.

On paper, judging by previous results and the West division league standing, this game should have only gone one way, but what unfolded was quite the opposite.

The match started brightly for Caernarfon as they had the majority of the ball for the first few minutes before a first surge forward for Llangefni found Catrin George in space at the edge of the area.

George beat two approaching defenders to surge into the box and shoot. Keeper Luned Williams got a hand to the ball, only for Ellie Coulson to bundle in from five yards out.

Not to be disheartened the Cofis rallied together, urging themselves on not to let the goal disturb the bright start.

After probing for an equaliser from a few shots outside the box the leveller came on 13 minutes from an outswinging corner from Llinos Hughes, who managed to find recent signing Jemma Rowlands to score her first goal for club, guiding the ball through a raft of players to find the bottom corner.

Caernarfon’s second came six minutes after.

Some nice short passing play from the right found Manon Evans on the turn who drove past the Llangefni midfield causing a defender to step out only for the visiting player to release a reverse ball past the last cover and finding the feet of Amber Brown on the edge of the box.

Brown made no mistake with a brilliant first time finish into the bottom corner.

With the home team and crowd in shock, the Cofis grew more confident and found themselves first to every ball it seemed as Llinos Hughes and Lisa Jones came close to adding to the score.

The reward for their forward endeavour earned a corner on the half hour mark and this time Hughes found the head of Lauren Murphy who guided the ball expertly to the bottom far left corner.

Llangefni did manage to pull themselves back into the game as they created a few opportunities with Beth Jones going ever so close, crashing the crossbar following a looping cross from Jess Jones.

Half-time: Llangefni Town 1 Caernarfon Town 3

Expecting a second half rally from Llangefni, it was the Cofis who started better as short one-two passing in midfield found Lisa Jones, who was bundled over by an onrushing Llangefni defender. Penalty to Caernarfon.

Up stepped recently turned 17 year old Amber Brown with confidence from her first half goal to coolly finish to the keeper’s right to extend the Cofis deserving lead.

With a healthy scoreline, Caernarfon changed to a 4-5-1 formation and looked to exploit the space Llangefni left at the back, going close once again through Brown, who was only denied by a brilliant save to her left from Cefni keeper Mia Gleave.

Llangefni’s persistance was rewarded on the 72 minute mark, however, as George found Jess Jones in space and she clipped the ball past the oncoming keeper. The ball crept over the line for Jones’ 20th league goal this term and 38th in all competitions.

With that goal, Llangefni searched for another and four minutes later they made it 4-3. A looping free kick from the right saw Coulson use her height advantage and get a touch to find the bottom right corner.

With Llangefni somehow only a goal away, they searched for blood and threw the whole kitchen sink at Caernarfon only to be denied at every turn by the Cofis’ defence led by captain Elin Jones.

In the 81st minute the reward for Caernarfon’s hard work came to an emphatic finish as a counter attack from halfway found the ball at the feet of midfielder Manon Evans who once again drove at the defence and slipped in Amber Brown with a delicate pass between the central defenders.

Brown found the net with glee to seal her first senior hat-trick and Caernarfon’s fifth goal, rounding the onrushing keeper and slotting the ball into the empty net to the absolute delight of the team and the supporting Cofi faithful.

The last goal took the wind out of Llangefni’s sails and Caernarfon saw out the remaining minutes for the well deserved victory.

After the game, a proud Caernarfon coach Owain Jones said: “Am ffordd i orffan y gynghrair!! Buddigoliaeth llawn haeddiant gyn y genod gyda gols gwych a chwara da ar draws y 90 – mor prowd o bob un ohonynt

“Ar ol chydig o sylwadau anisgwyl cyn y gem ac y ffordd natho ni ymateb ar ol y gol gynta, doedd ond un tîm yn mynd ar fuddigoliaeth heddiw yn fy llygada’ i!

“Nid yn unig natho nhw frwydro drost ei gilydd ac y clwb, dangoswyd safon uchel o chwara ar hyd y gem ac mi oedd yn bleser i wylio y datblygiad maent wedi gwneud fel tîm.

“Un gem fawr yn y gwpan ar ol i ni rwan yn y tymor a bydd angen ailadrodd perfformiad heddiw eto i gael unrhyw siawns o gyrraedd y rownd terfynol ond tan hynnu mi nawni fwynhau hon! CTL!”

With Caernarfon Town men’s magnificent 2-1 win over Connah’s Quay Nomads on Friday, what an amazing weekend it was for The Oval club!