Caernarfon Town say they are wary of the threat posed by Rhyl 1879 as they bid to reach the JD Welsh Cup Final for the first time in their history.
The JD Cymru Premier side go into Sunday’s clash at the Blue Turtle Arena (KO 1:30pm) as favourites, but Cofis boss Richard Davies has been at pains to warn against complacency after Rhyl stunned Barry Town United in the quarter-final.
“We have the utmost respect for Rhyl. I’ve been to watch two games and we’ve also got footage of another four. We’ve treated it like any other game and have given them the respect they deserve because they beat Barry,” he said.
Davies suggested Rhyl 1879’s quarter-final triumph underlined how mindset can matter as much as ability.
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“When you think about it, were Barry a little bit complacent? Sometimes it’s about mindset rather than the actual ability. So we’ve tried to drum that into our players this week, to make sure that we’re not complacent.
“We’re going to have to be at it, because we feel they can be a threat and they have got some quality. The harsh reality is it’s 90 minutes and it’s 11 against 11, so anything can happen and cup football’s different.
“We can’t treat it like a league game. It is slightly different, so our approach will be different in the way we do things. But again, you’ve got to take confidence from being the Cymru Premier side and try to use that advantage as well.”
Caernarfon go into the game fresh off a commanding 3-0 victory over Colwyn Bay in the JD Cymru Premier. Brad Young struck twice in that win in the latest encouraging performance from the recently signed striker, who could prove key to the Cofis’ hopes of reaching the final.
“When he came in, he’d not done anything in five months, so expecting him to be ready straight away was not realistic. We’ve had to work with him and he’s been brilliant in his application,” Davies explained.
“Now he’s getting more minutes under his belt and more training sessions, he’s starting to feel good about himself. We all know strikers — once they get one goal, it gives them that confidence and belief. You can see with not just his goals, but his work rate and what he does for the team, not just on the ball, is really good and hopefully, if selected, he can do his part.”
Davies has welcomed the extra local excitement surrounding the game, saying messages from pupils and the wider community have given the squad an extra lift ahead of Sunday’s semi-final.
“We’re in a good place at the minute. Just getting to the final will be an achievement. We can’t look any further than the semi-final because we know Rhyl can pose a threat.
“We all know how much passion the fans have for this football club and without them, things would look very different, so it’d be nice to give them another day out for the final. There’s been a lot of buzz locally and the schools are doing their bit to help try and give messages to the players, which has been a really nice touch.
“The players know what it means and just to have an opportunity to go to the final would be massive and a great honour for the club.”
