Archive Classics: A legendary mascot is born as Holywell complete second leg of a treble (2014-15)

Having covered North Wales football for close on 40 years. I’ve attended and reported on hundreds if not thousands of games across the pyramid.
Here’s another in a series of personal classics from the archives

FAW TROPHY FINAL 2015
HOLYWELL TOWN 4 (Lloyd 12, 70, Thomas 50, S Jones 79 pen)
PENRHYNDEUDRAETH 2 (Roberts 45, Hughes 60)

APRIL 2015

A crowd of 510 were at Maesdu Park, Llandudno, for the 2015 Trophy final with the Holywell supporters, armed with a large inflatable green crocodile as their mascot, singing and cheering from start to finish.
Winning Wellmen manager Johnny Haseldin said after the game: “The supporters are amazing; the best reward for them was to lift the cup.”
In the opening minute Penrhyndeudraeth almost took the lead from a Steven Jones corner. Mathew Hughes’s header was blocked and Penrhyn were unable to convert the loose ball from a scramble.
Penrhyn’s Paul Roberts flashed a good effort across the face of goal before Holywell’s Steve Thomas cut in from the left and let fly but his shot was straight at keeper Robert Watson.
The Wellmen made a 12th-minute breakthrough when Phil Lloyd headed home a Thomas corner from the right.
Four minutes later Mathew Hughes looked to be in for Penrhyn, but he was closed down quickly and his eventual shot failed to trouble keeper Mike Platt.
The Maes-y-Parc outfit went close when Tom Hughes hit a fine free kick from 25 yards which Platt saved well at the foot of his left-hand post.
Holywell suffered a blow on 28 minutes when midfielder Tony Roebuck went off injured, to be replaced by John Leonard.
Town’s Sam Jones was shining like a beacon and his tremendous pass released Paul Williams, who ran the ball too far and allowed Watson to thwart him.
Another marvelous pass by Jones then found strike partner Lloyd, who blasted wide.
There was a big chance for the Wellmen in the 45th minute when a Thomas header picked out Matty Harvey in space. Harvey had just Watson to beat, but lashed against the top of the bar.
And Town paid for that miss when Penrhyn leveled in injury-time, 37-year-old former Wales Under-21 and Wrexham striker Paul Roberts getting goal-side of his marker and stabbing in for 1-1 at the break.

Half-time: 1-1

Holywell started the second half strongly and Thomas saw his rocket tipped over by Watson before Haseldin’s heroes took the lead.
Lloyd’s cross from the right caused problems for the keeper and Thomas volleyed in from an angle.
There was almost an instant reply when Penrhyn’s Adam Griffiths pressurised Wellmen defender Lee Emberton and rounded Platt, but could only find the side-netting.
Thomas hammered over before Sam Jones went down in the box but no penalty was given.
Back came Penrhyn, a Jack Jones cross from the right evading everyone in the box, enabling Tom Hughes driving in at the back post for 2-2.
In the 70th minute Lloyd gave the Flintshire side the lead for a third time with a formidable low shot from the edge of the area which Watson could not keep out.
On 79 minutes referee Nick Pratt adjudged Tom McElmeel was sufficiently impeded to award a penalty and Sam Jones made it 4-2 from the spot.
Holywell’s delighted supporters threw their crocodile onto the pitch and referee Pratt decided it was time for a snap decision.
He carried the inflatable off the field for confiscation until the final whistle. It was a case of ‘see you later alligator, in a while crocodile’ for the Wellmen’s vociferous fans and their new-found friend.
That was the final incident of an enjoyable final and the Wellmen made it a trophy double.
Full marks too to Penrhyn for not only reaching their first Trophy final but also making such a game of it for the first 70 minutes.

The crocodile was later named Cecil and became the club’s unofficial mascot. He has been present at other Town trophy presentations in the ensuring years.

LINE-UPS

Holywell: Mike Platt, Matty Harvey, Lee Emberton (Graeme Williams 81), Tom McElmeel, Dafydd Griffith, Jack D’Arcy, Paul Williams, Tony Roebuck (John Leonard 28), Phil Lloyd, Sam Jones, Steve Thomas (Matty Roberts 81).

Penrhyndeudraeth: Robert Watson, Jack Jones (Richard Jones 84), Liam Watson, Iddon Price, Mike Foster, Iwan Lane, Adam Griffiths (Carwyn Price 80), Steven Jones, Mathew Hughes, Paul Roberts, Tom Hughes.

• During 2014-15, Holywell held a winning streak which ran to 23 games before they were held 4-4 by Kinmel Bay.
  By the end of the season, Town had recorded a terrific treble, being crowned Welsh Alliance Division One champions with just one defeat in 26 games, lifting the FAW Trophy and scooping the Mawddach Cup with a 3-2 success over Llanrug,
  However, Llanrug did gain the satisfaction of denying the Wellmen a quadruple when they pipped them 2-1 in the Cookson Cup final.