Hotspur can avenge defeats to Denbigh
HOLYHEAD Hotspur will look to erase painful memories from earlier in the season when they host Denbigh Town at the New Stadium this Friday (7.30pm).
Last September saw the Harbourmen whipped 4-0 at home in the Word Cup by a Town outfit on a fairytale path to the final.
And two months later Campbell Harrison’s men went down 2-1 in a league clash at Denbigh, so the islanders will feel revenge is on the agenda this weekend.
Last Saturday saw Hotspur’s run of matches without a win in all competitions stretch to six when they lost 2-0 at leaders Caernarfon Town.
The result meant the Anglesey side slipped down to 10th in the Huws Gray Alliance.
However, Holyhead put up a good battle at The Oval and by the end of 90 minutes the Canaries certainly knew they had been in a game.
Harrison’s side are known for being a well-organised outfit and they proved it again with a combative display that tested Caernarfon’s own battling qualities.
Town made a lively start and Hotspur keeper Carl Jones did well to deny Jamie Breese from an angle early on.
Holyhead could have gone a goal up in the 12th minute when a loose pass was picked up by the visitors, who swept upfield, and Jamie Roberts should have done better when Dam- ien Ketley found him well placed in the box, but the youngster somehow failed to get a decent contact on the ball and scuffed his effort wide.
The Canaries broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Darren Thomas headed home an excellent inswinging corner from Nathan Craig, making it 1-0 at the interval.
Holyhead danger man Roberts tested Paul Pritchard on the hour, but the Town stopper was more than equal to the task, diving full length to his left to prevent the ball from finding the top corner.
Town’s Thomas was looking increasingly dangerous, making a number of his trademark runs into the penalty area, and when he threaded a ball to Breese, the striker forced Carl Jones into another smart save, the keeper rushing off his line to block the goalbound effort.
Despite showing plenty of effort and endeavour, Holyhead were threatening to get back on level terms only sporadically and the Cofis finally
Picture: Richard Birch gave themselves some breathing space in the 65th minute, courtesy of Grahame Austin, who rose above his marker to head in another impressive delivery from Craig.
The goal spurred Holyhead to greater efforts going forward, although Toby Jones and Thomas both went close to adding to the lead before the visitors finally found a way past glovesman Pritchard, but Dillon Roberts’ effort was cleared off the line by Gareth Edwards, securing another clean sheet for the league’s meanest defence.