Holywell Town 1-3 Caernarfon Town (FAW Semi Final)

FAW Trophy Semi Final
Holywell Town 1-3 Caernarfon Town

The match between the Welsh Alliance League rivals was played at a cold and windy Maesdu Park which is the home of Llandudno FC and it was the Cofi’s who edged it, winning by 3 goals to 1.

The match started and both teams tired to stamp their authority on the game and a through ball from midfield had Ian Griffiths on the chase, but Paul Pritchard in goal for Caernarfon got to it first before Danny Stanton in the other goal was forced to tip the ball over from a Clive Williams header before Williams again headed over from a good position. A few minutes later, Darren Thomas saw his shot go across the goal and only needed a touch to see it home but the ball went out for a goal kick.

Caernarfon then took the lead just after the half hour mark when Kevin Roberts found himself with a bit of space on the edge of the box before firing low and hard and the ball nestled in the bottom corner of Stanton’s goal. Not to be out done by the goal, Holywell equalised a few minutes later. A cross field ball saw Barry Calder brought down by Moses Barnett and the referee awarded a free kick, deep in the Caernarfon half. Matty Roberts took the free kick and Tom Povey outjumped his marker and got his head to the ball and it flew into the goal with Pritchard well beaten. This was the response Holywell Town needed but it was Caernarfon who had the next couple of chances with Lee Mcardle hitting a free kick wide before Ywain Gwynedd saw a header cleared off the line. The pressure paid off a minute into injury time as Cai Jones carved a slight opening on the edge of the box before slotting the ball past Stanton to give Caernarfon a half time lead.

Holywell Town came out for the second half looking for an early goal to level the scores, and with the strong wind behind them caused problems for the Cofi’s. Unfortunately, the Wellmen were unable to test the keeper, and a Matty Roberts free kick which was deflected out for a corner and Danny Sullivan was just inches away from connecting with a Sam Jones cross the closest Town came to scoring. Caernarfon soaked the pressure and in the 73rd minute, their persistence paid off and they were able to increase their lead.

The Cofi’s hit Town on the break, and Darren Thomas ran down the right and crossed the ball into the danger area and Neil Thomas was able to avoid the challenge off Ashley Durham and found himself clear and shot the ball past Danny Stanton, much to the joy of the Caernarfon supporters who were standing behind Stanton’s goal.

The third goal hit Town hard but they kept plugging away to get back into it and a few minutes after the goal, Paul Pritchard was forced to palm away a Sam Jones free kick for a corner. Darren Thomas for Caernarfon shot wide of Stanton’s post and Lee McArdle was only inches wide with a dangerous free kick which beat the Town wall.

The referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game and it is Caernarfon Town who go into next moths final against Kilvey Fords. Holywell’s dream of re lifting the Trophy have gone for another year and Town must now pick themselves up from this defeat and no better place to do it than at local rivals Denbigh Town on Tuesday night.