MATCH ANALYSIS: Was Friday’s stunning victory Rhyl 1879’s best performance under Paul Moore?

MATCH ANALYSIS: JD CYMRU NORTH – DECEMBER 5, 2025

CPD Y Rhyl 1879 3 (A Jones 58, Parry 66, 71)
Holywell Town 1 (Breese 56)

Was Rhyl 1879’s outstanding win over second-place Holywell on Friday night their best result under Paul Moore?

Looking back over Moore’s 13 months in charge since taking over on November 7, 2024, the conquering of the mighty Wellmen has to be right up there with the best.

Moore got off to a flyer last season, going 15 games unbeaten – 13 wins and 2 draws – before a couple of hiccups at home to Holyhead Hotspur and Trearddur Bay asked the first serious questions of the management.

However, the Lilywhites then rallied to win their next three matches to be crowned Tier 3 Ardal North West champions.

Of last season’s results under the leadership of Moore and assistant Ronnie Green, we’d say the 3-1 home win over fellow title hopefuls Porthmadog on April 5, 2025, was the best.

Having gone undefeated for so long, the first loss of the manager’s reign was always going to be a test of character and going down 4-3 at home to Holyhead in a game they were well in control of was a sickener.

After losing 2-1 at the Hops and Barley Community Stadium to Trearddur Bay seven days later, there was a suggestion the title jitters were setting in.

Rhyl really needed to beat Porthmadog the following weekend to steady the ship and it turned into a glorious voyage, a Dylan Proctor double and Jason Foulkes strike guiding the Lilywhites to a 3-1 victory – it was pretty plain sailing after that.

This season four results really stand out – both games against Holywell, where Rhyl became the first team to take a point off the Wellmen this campaign by getting a 1-1 draw at the Bartons North Wales Stadium, and then of course that heroic 3-1 success on Friday.

Also among the best this term was a 4-3 victory over Holyhead Hotspur, a real statement win versus a team they had lost to by the same score in 2024-25.

In the rematch, Rhyl led 3-0, were pegged back to 3-3, but then Archie Jones struck his fourth goal of the day to clinch a magnificent result.

Another great outcome this season was the 3-2 success at Guilsfield – a peach of a scoreline against Tier 2 old heads who hardly ever lose at home.

Morgan Murray, Archie Jones and Ben Lawrence got the goals in Powys on August 9, sealing a win which strongly hinted promoted 1879 will not be out of their depth in Tier 2.

All of these great displays under Moore and Green share a common theme – Rhyl are often at their most dangerous when their backs are to the wall. They have that character to eke out a result, as well as win in style.

They have also now beaten a genuine ‘big name’ of the league in Holywell – taken 4 points out of 6 against them, in fact.

So, our top 5 results under Moore and Green so far are:

• Rhyl 1879 3 Holywell Town 1 (2025-26)
• Guilsfield 2 Rhyl 1879 3 (25-26)
• Rhyl 3 Porthmadog 1 (24-25)
• Holywell Town 1 Rhyl 1879 1 (25-26)
• Rhyl 1879 4 Holyhead Hotspur 3. (25-26)

The team’s overall record under Moore since the start so far reads: Played 41 Won 26 Drawn 6 Lost 9

That’s pretty impressive, and on that showing at home to Holywell there could be a lot more great things to come from this Lilywhites squad.

HOLYWELL PERFORMANCE

Everyone in the Rhyl starting XI and those who came on off the bench on Friday deserve great credit for their efforts.

In the first half, when the Lilywhites were under a lot of pressure, keeper Alex Swindell produced a couple of top drawer saves. He looks like a class act.

The lively pairing up front of Jack Parry and Archie Jones are really starting to look the part.

Jones has already proved his finishing ability this season and with four goals in his last three appearances, Parry is now really delivering the goods.

I rated him as North Wales football’s No1 summer signing in 2025 and that’s starting to look like a decent shout.

The back four, made up of highly experienced Reece Fairhurst, Tom Kemp and Billy Holmes were inspirational in horrible conditions, as was the younger rearguard member Leo Latter.

In midfield, Rocco Hewitt and skipper Ben Lightfoot shone like beacons and never stopped working, while Morgan Murray and James Farr really put the hard yards in and showed plenty on the ball.

Subs Damase Kiwanda, Lewis Hodson, Daniel Woods and Paul Fleming all came on full of fire and industry.

Like their team-mates they desperately wanted this victory and played their roles perfectly as Rhyl denied Holywell any prospect of a late comeback.

Rhyl 1879 made a big statement on Friday night – now they must kick on from here, especially with a Welsh Cup quarter-final place soon up for grabs. Their opponents? None other than Porthmadog, a fixture which neither side will need motivation for.