The New Saints defeat Caernarfon Town 5-2 in exciting Boxing Day clash

Match Report

Goals: Bodenham (2,40), J. Williams (11), Clark (72, 74)
Substitutions: Marshall for Smith (63), Oteh for McManus (69), Woollam for Holden (88)

Match report by Sam Wood

The New Saints picked up a 5-2 victory on the road against Caernarfon Town to maintain their pressure at the top of the JD Cymru Premier table.

Craig Harrison’s side were twice pegged back after taking the lead in an entertaining first-half, but a second goal from Jack Bodenham five minutes before the break set them on their way.

Ben Clark would then score twice in as many second-half minutes at The Oval to wrap up the victory, leaving the defending champions just a point behind current leaders Penybont.

The Saints couldn’t have asked for a better start, as it was they who scored the first goal of the game with less than two minutes on the clock.

Summer signing, Jack Bodenham, was the man who broke the deadlock, heading home from just inside the six-yard box after a good cross from Ben Clark.

The lead would last just three minutes though, as the home side wasted no time whatsoever in hitting back.

Racing onto Zack Clarke’s forward pass, Louis Lloyd got goal side of Harrison McGahey, before firing past Connor Roberts after creating space with a good first touch.

The match continued in an end-to-end fashion, and with 11 minutes gone, The New Saints were celebrating again.

Jordan Williams raced onto Dan Williams’ over-the-top ball and knocked a composed finish past the goalkeeper under pressure from the covering defender to make the score 2-1.

Then, remarkably, in the 18th minute, another equalising goal arrived after Declan McManus was dispossessed on the halfway line.

It sparked a Caernarfon counter-attack, and it was Clarke who squeezed the ball past Roberts from the right of the penalty area with the angle against him.

Chances continued to flow throughout the half, and an important challenge from Phillip Mooney prevented Rory Holden from finding the net in the 21st minute.

Caernarfon goalkeeper, Hari Thomas, then denied Redmond seven minutes later, before McManus had shouts for a penalty turned down by referee, Tom Owen.

Clarke almost gave his side the lead for the first time with 36 minutes played, but after taking advantage of a defensive slip, the former Chester man was denied by some last-ditch defending from McGahey.

Five minutes before the break, however, the JD Cymru Premier champions would get their noses in front for the third time in the game.

After his initial header was saved by the goalkeeper, Bodenham was on hand to bundle the ball home to score his second of the afternoon and send his side into the half-time break with a 3-2 lead.

Following the restart, there was a chance for Caernarfon to score their third in the 51st minute, but Joe Faux’s cross from the left came back out off the crossbar.

Four minutes later, Holden drilled wide down the other end after a fast counter-attack, as The Saints looked to strengthen their grip on the game.

Compared to the first, the second-half was much quieter in terms of goalmouth action, but 18 minutes from time, The Saints did double their advantage and take a firm grip on the game.

The ball reached Clark following Jordan Marshall’s corner from the left, and the Academy graduate sent a curling effort through the crowded penalty area and into the far corner to make the score 4-2. 

And just like, Clark got in again two minutes later to score a quick-fire second, beating the goalkeeper at the near post to ensure all three points would be heading back to Park Hall.

With the win, The Saints remain two points behind league leaders Penybont as phase one of this season’s JD Cymru Premier approaches its conclusion.

Craig Harrison’s side return to action on New Year’s Eve (December 31st) when they welcome Connah’s Quay Nomads to Park Hall. Kick-off in that match is scheduled for 2:30pm.