Remember the last NWCFA Challenge Cup final 12 years ago?

The North Wales Coast Senior Challenge Cup is set to return next season after a 12-year absence.

Not since May 2014, when Caernarfon Town beat Bangor City on penalties to win a fiesty final, has the 103-year-old competition seen the light of day.

Here, we look back at that 2013-14 final which – we did not know at the time – would be cup’s last action for numerous years.

NWCFA Challenge Cup Final – May 13, 2014

Bangor City 2 (Mcdaid 14, Colbeck 98) Caernarfon Town 2 (Austin 41, Barrow 105 pen)
(aet – Caernarfon won 5-4 on pens)

Lee Dixon’s Caernarfon side ended up winners of the last Coast Challenge Cup Final on a penalty shoot-out following a volatile encounter at Nantporth.
The local derby got off to a lively start as within the first minute the referee was forced to stop play as smoke bombs were hurled onto the pitch by visiting fans.
It was a young City team who showed the first real sparkle when on 14 minutes Jamie Mcdaid put the home side in front after rounding the ‘keeper and sliding the ball into an open net.
On the half-hour Caernarfon made a break into the City penalty area and as Gerwyn Jones cleared the ball off the line the referee blew his whistle and indicated a penalty.
Worse was to follow as City defender Jones was dismissed for what the referee said was a pulling of shirts.
Nic Bould in the Bangor goal became the hero as a well-struck penalty from Dion Donohue was saved by the young stopper down to his right-hand side.
It took until the 41st minute for Caernarfon to make their numerical advantage count as captain Grahame Austin beat Bould after a long period of pressure by the visitors.

Half-time: 1-1

As the second half got underway, City fans may have been forgiven for thinking the match would now be dominated by Caernarfon.
The young Bangor players had no intention of lying down though, and at times it seemed as if it were they who had the extra man.
Time after time City pushed the visitors back into their own half with Jay Colbeck, Mcdaid and Joe Culshaw all going close to regaining the lead.
Despite the pressure City just could not find the goal they needed and on 88 minutes Caernarfon thought they had won the match as Donohue put the ball in the back of the net.
Caernarfon were already celebrating before they finally noticed the linesman’s flag raised for offside.
With only two minutes of normal time left it was a well deserved let-off for the depleted Bangor side and extra time was on its way.

Full-time: 1-1

Eight minutes into the first period of extra time, Bangor found the net as Colbeck got on the end of a lovely cross into the box and put the ball beyond visiting keeper Paul Pritchard.
The travelling fans had been silenced behind the goal and 10 man Bangor had the upper hand.
Another controversial decision on 105 minutes then changed the match.
As a Caernarfon player broke into the box ‘keeper Bould came racing from his line and appeared to win the ball, but the referee again pointed at the spot ruling that the young stopper had fouled the attacking player.
Jordan Barrow stepped up to take the penalty and this time Bould could do nothing to stop it as it was struck straight down the middle.
City had not yet given up, and on 114 minutes substitute Ieuan Lloyd struck the woodwork.
Neither side could grab the winner so penalties would decide the outcome.
Colbeck’s penalty was saved brilliantly by Pritchard, and it was 4-4 when Barrow stepped up to win the cup for Caernarfon.

LINE UPS

Caernarfon Town

Paul Pritchard, Steve Kehoe, Clive Williams, Grahame Austin, Daniel Murphy, Dion Donohue, Jordan Barrow, Ywain Gwynedd, Tom Molyneux, Darren Thomas, Cai Jones. Subs used: Moses Barnett, Geraint Mitchell, Nathan Williams

Bangor City

Nic Bould, Caio Hywel, Gerwyn Jones, Joe Culshaw, Iolo Hughes, Corey Jones, Jay Colbeck, Craig Whelan, Sam Faulkner, Phil Warrington, Jamie McDaid. Subs used: Ieuan Lloyd, Dafydd Jones, Chris Jones.

Aftermath

Following the match, Caernarfon Town were found guilty by an FAW Disciplinary Panel of two separate charges for the alleged throwing by its supporters of potentially harmful objects onto the Nantporth pitch and for the alleged failure of its fans to conduct themselves properly after the game.

Caernarfon Town were fined £5,600 (£4,350 suspended) and in addition, the FAW withheld the club’s share of the gate rescipts.

As a result, Caernarfon refused to defend the cup in the 2014-15 season in protest at the punishment, but as it has turned out the competition was suspended anyway due to a lack of entries and has been so ever since.