REFLECTIONS
David Rapson looks back at previous league games against Caernarfon Town Wishing to remain in the English non-league pyramid upon the formation of the League of Wales, Caernarfon Town played in the Northern Premier League’s second tier between 1989 and 1995 when a decision was taken to join the Principality’s national league. The Canaries’ first game was against The Nomads at the Halfway Ground on 19th August 1995, Connah’s Quay winning 4-1, a victory that was repeated at The Oval in the return fixture in May 1996. Having scored one of our goals in the first game, left-winger Danny McGoona notched a hat-trick as Nomads completed a league ‘double’. Despite the foregoing, Caernarfon enjoyed a good inaugural season finishing sixth in the table, four places and eight points above Connah’s Quay. The following campaign saw them finish fourth, equal on points with Ebbw Vale. A European spot was in their grasp when they arrived at the Halfway Ground for the last game of the season, but a solitary goal scored by Chris Davies in front of 507 spectators condemned Cofi to a 1-0 defeat and the European chance was snatched away. As if to rub salt in the wound, Nomads completed a league ‘double’ in 1997/98 without conceding a goal, Davies and Stuart Rain netting on Deeside and Carl Smyth scoring the game’s only goal in the return fixture at The Oval in late February 1998. Honours were even in 1998/99 as both matches were drawn. Jamie Hughes equalised down at Caernarfon after Jason Sadler had given the home team a first-half lead and Hughes grabbed a brace inside 10 minutes in the return fixture. Goals from Steve Fisher and Chris Pickering either side of the interval rescued a point for our visitors. Nomads claimed a third league ‘double’ in 1999/2000 despite Mark Edwards giving Caernarfon an early lead at the Deeside Stadium in October 1999. Jon Kenworthy scored just after the break and with five minutes remaining Julian Pepper struck our winner. Our victory at The Oval was rather more comfortable after Andy Griffiths (penalty) and Carl Smyth had put Nomads two goals to the good inside the first 12 minutes. The Canaries suffered relegation at the end of that campaign having won just a solitary match (3-0 v Rhayader Town) but took the Cymru Alliance title twelve months later after scoring 105 goals in their 32 games. Once again, their first match back in the national league was away to Connah’s Quay Nomads and this time they went home happy. Former Nomad Darren Wynne scored after eight minutes George Horan equalised two minutes later, but Wynne completed the scoring on 25 minutes. 10 Connah's Quay Nomads vs Caernarfon Town
