Saturday 19th April 2008

CAERNARFON 12 Mold 07

Caernarfon picked up the vital win against the reigning champions and a step nearer the title. The mathematics is simple, but the challenge won’t be as easy. If Caernarfon beat Llandudno next Saturday they will be champions. But with Llandudno turning over Ruthin away from home the stage is set for another big game. Caernarfon will look back on a disciplined and controlled second half performance that kept possession for long periods of play, denying the potent attack capability that Mold posses.

Mold won the first battle, the toss, and elected to play up the slope and into the breeze. It was vital for the hosts to take advantage that the first half would give and quickly went about their business with flanker Dewi Williams crossing for his fourteenth try of the season with less than five minutes on the clock. The try coming from a well worked catch and drive from a lineout.

Any thoughts of a runaway win were quickly quelled as the game went into a tense battle with both sides looking to keep the ball tight. Caernarfon had the opportunity to extend the lead on twenty minutes, but the Kelvin Morris penalty kick drifted the wrong side of the uprights. Caernarfon finally extended their lead ten minutes before the break. Second row, Chris Wyn, went into contact, taking three Mold tacklers with him, quick ball followed and fellow second row and brother, Mark Vaughn, broke clean through the defensive line and cantered in from 10 meters out. With Morris adding the conversion the home side went into the interval 12 -0 up.

Mold started the second half in a totally different fashion. This time looking to spin the ball wide at every opportunity. But time and time again their over ambitious play broke down and allowed the Cofi’s to regain possession. The home side concentrated on the basics. Caernarfon’s Andrew and Paul Williams and Rhys Evans were a constant threat in both attack and defence, continually putting their bodies on the line gaining a number of crucial turnovers. Both sides had opportunities to add scores but both Morris and Jamie Griffiths’ penalty kicks failed to trouble the posts. As time went on Mold became more desperate to get on the score sheet and started running from anywhere.

They were finally rewarded in the seventy first minute. Mold run the ball wide and went through some quick phases, with the Caernarfon defence stretched the ball went out to the wing where hooker Liam Gill popped up take the final pass and run around under the posts for the score. With Griffiths adding the conversion, the scene was set for a frantic last ten minutes. It was an amazing period of play that saw control and determination from the Caernarfon fifteen who held on to deny Mold any opportunity of getting back in the game and take the important win.

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