- Harling (36')
- Owen (79')
A disappointing result for us last night, a frustrating night given there wasn’t much in the game?
“It was a pretty even game, I just thought in the second half their experience showed. They got the better moments of the game, and played the conditions in the second half far better than we did. There were lots of positives to take, I thought we were good in the first half and had a few decent chances, but we never forced their goalkeeper to make a save which is disappointing.”
The weather obviously had an impact on the game, which was a shame given it could have been a better spectacle between two European sides from the summer?
“I thought it affected both teams, but Pen-y-Bont used their experience better than us and played the conditions better. In the second half they were the better team and that’s won them the game really.”
Can we view the result as a good lesson for us, and something of a reminder of how games in the Cymru Premier are often played out?
“We spoke about that in the dressing room after the game. For the boys who are new to us and the league. They can’t be shocked about the way the league will go this season, with what happened last night and what happened several times last season, we need to be better than we were last night against the strong teams. Pen-y-Bont finished third last season, and I expect them to be pushing up that end of the table again this season. They’ve got a very good squad, they’re coached well, and they all know their jobs inside out. A lot of them have played together for a long time, which is something we’re trying to create here, but Pen-y-Bont are a very good side so losing there is never a disgrace.”
It was a game which was always going to need some inspiration if either team was going to score, and as it worked out Pen-y-Bont were able to do that twice?
“Their first goal was a great header. It was poor from us defensively, but it’s still a good header. He shouldn’t be having that much time in and around our box, and then the second goal comes from a number of errors on our part. It’s something that Kane Owen does several times a season. He’s very good technically, in the right place at the right time and his technique to finish that was excellent. It’s something our boys need to do, we need to do the basics better than we did last night.”
Is it fair to say that things haven’t quite clicked from an attacking perspective in the opening two games?
“We’ve had several chances in both games. I think the goalkeeper last week only had to make one decent save from a shot outside the box. But we’ve had chances from inside the six-yard box which we haven’t hit the target with, so that’s something we need to improve on. We need to defend our goal and strikers need to take their chances when they come. Away at Pen-y-Bont you’re not going to get many, and that one can make all the difference. If we get the first goal, then it gives us something to hold on to against a good side, but we didn’t take our chances last night and Pen-y-Bont punished us in the big moments in the game.”
Next up for us is Caernarfon, who will be travelling down to us with plenty of confidence?
“A lot of people seem to think that Caernarfon aren’t the team they were, but if you look at their squad, they’ve got a lot of experience in that side, boys who have played a lot of Cymru Premier games. They’ve brought some new lads in too. Caernarfon is never an easy game, we saw that last season where they had the better of us away, and we did OK at home, but they’re a team who will come down to us full of confidence. We’ve only got one point and they’ve got six. We have to be up for a challenge. It’ll be a slightly different challenge to the ones we’ve had so far, but Caernarfon are a very good team; good staff, good experience, so we know how tough next Saturday is going to be.”
