Cofis storm into Welsh Cup semi-finals
CAERNARFON Town clinched their place in the semi-final of the Welsh Cup after a barnstorming second half performance that yielded three of their four goals against Cefn Druids, writes PAUL EVANS.
Manager Huw Griffiths has had to wait a month for his first victory in charge of the Cofis and the manager will not have escaped the irony that it happened against his former charges from The Rock.
Conditions were tricky at the Oval due to heavy rain and strong winds but both sides should be applauded for their part in an entertaining affair as they did their best to play the ball on the floor.
The hosts began well and Leo Smith forced visiting keeper Michael Jones into first minute action as he turned away a low effort for a corner. However, Town did get in front from the resulting set-piece, as Smith’s corner saw Peate head into his own net under pressure from Jamie Crowther.
Despite their quick start, Caernarfon will be disappointed that they could not manage to sustain momentum and Druids certainly had the better of the first half.
Town’s number one, Alex Ramsay, pulled off an excellent save to deny Howarth in the sixth minute after the striker had sprung the Cofis’ offside trap.
The same player missed an even better opportunity to equalise for Druids four minutes later when he got on the end of an Ashton header but he screwed his effort from four yards wide of the upright.
Ramsay made two more fine saves to deny Howarth and Faux whilst the closest Caernarfon got to a second goal before the break were free-kick efforts from Breese and Smith.
The second half began slowly, with much of the play condensed into a tight midfield although Caernarfon were certainly enjoying most of the possession after the restart.
A key point of the match occurred in the 57th minute when referee Mr Markham-Jones gave Naim Arsan his marching orders after a second yellow card, given for ‘simulation’.
Caernarfon were immediately on the front foot and Darren Thomas forced Jones into a smart save three minutes later, before Jamie Crowther doubled the lead in the 64th minute as he got on the end of a clever Sion Bradley pull-back and thundered into the net from ten yards.
The tie was all but over less than two minutes later when a sweeping move upfield saw Smith find Darren Thomas on the right flank and his inviting cross to the far post was met by a diving Bradley, who headed past the diving Jones from close range.
Druids continued to work hard and managed to keep Caernarfon out again until the closing minutes,
Gruff Jones finally adding a fourth for the hosts as he got on the end of a deep Nathan Craig corner to somehow back heel the ball in from the byline.
Prior to the game, assistant boss Sean Eardley said that although results hadn’t gone their way under new boss Griffiths, there was a good atmosphere in the camp.
“Huw has been fantastic since coming in, for the management team it’s been brilliant having another voice around the place and his experience has been invaluable,” Eardley told the club’s official website.