Chirpy Canaries prove One Step Beyond the Seagulls
NOVIRA CYMRU PREMIER
Caernarfon Town 3 Colwyn Bay 0
Every time Caernarfon Town score at The Oval an excerpt from the classic Madness song One Step Beyond is blasted over the speakers.
Three times the Ska anthem was heard on Saturday – and it could have been a few more.
The flying Canaries were certainly one step beyond their opponents on this sunny afternoon.
It was fitting that the Cofis produced such a fine display on the weekend it was announced their thriving manager Richard Davies had earned a contract extension at the club until 2029.
Davies delivered a first-ever Welsh Cup for Town last season and on this form, the Ovalites could well better their best Cymru Premier finish of fourth place this term.
Yet it was Colwyn Bay who should have taken the lead in the early stages.
A long throw from the right by Matty Hill into the Town box left Louis Robles with a free header, but he nodded against the post.
Osian Evans had his low drive saved by Seagulls keeper Mark Halstead before the hosts took a 27th minute lead.
Daniel Gosset drilled home left-footed when the midfielder pounced on a loose ball after he had initially attempted to find Evans in the box.
Six minutes into the second half, Bay should have levelled when Jordan Davies’ low shot was pushed out rather feebly by Connor Roberts and Hill blasted over from the rebound.
Clarke volleyed over after his first strike bounced back to him, but the striker soon had something to celebrate.
In the 65th minute, Ryan Sears played the ball from the right into Gosset, who superbly teed up Clarke to fire home from 12 yards.
It was scintillaing stuff from Caernarfon which had the 1,352 crowd in raptures.
And the cheers got even louder in the 73rd minute.
Jake Canavan threaded a neat pass to the right of the box for Adrian Cieslewicz, who showed nifty footwork before finding the net with another stunning finish.
Caernarfon struck the woodwork twice before the end.
First, Clarke headed against the post from a Sion Bradley cross and hammered the rebound across the face of goal.
Then Gosset rounded off another magical performance with a left-foot currler which came back off the upright.