Mold Alexandra FC

The second part of our North Wales double header took us to a Saturday afternoon trip to the historic Welsh club of Mold Alexandra, for a top of the table clash vs Newtown. Mold is a decent little market town and it was market day so we bought some good local produce including bread, pickled onions, carrots, beetroot and Welsh cakes. Sadly the beetroot didn't make it home as the paper bag split and the jar smashed all over Mold High Street. After coffee in the bus station cafe and a bacon and egg sandwich from pound bakery we had a lemonade and milkshake from the local KFC before making our way to the ground. As a big fan of Google maps, I couldn't really ground hop without it, it doesn't always get things right and it sent us down a dead end housing estate on this trip. The ground was only meters away but our route was blocked off by a 6ft fence which had probably only appeared when the houses did. So we had to turn back on ourselves and venture up the main road and loop down the slope to the ground where we paid and headed straight into the bar as we were well early. To my delight they stocked badges, that with a pint of Madri and an R Whites lemonade came to £11 and we sat and watched ex York keeper Harrison Male concede four goals away at Chesterfield for his current club, Tranmere. There was also some of the club's trophy cabinet on show on the bar which was interesting. Heading out into the glorious October sunshine and after a delay getting the food ready I purchased a chip bap and lemonade for £3.90 and we took a seat in the small stand. There is a strange old stand next door but it seems very rickity with its narrow stairs and wooden floors so we gave that a miss, I went and stood in the sun behind the goal and was followed by my dad in the second half. I'm not usually a fan of behind the goal vantage points but there was a good clear view from here with nobody distracting that only attended to drink alcohol and talk about anything but football with their mates.

I had seen Mold earlier in the season at Ruthin and they looked a big, strong, skilled side in that match, albeit very mouthy towards the officials. That last trait was to continue today, but against better opposition they didn't look a strong or skilled side at all. The first half was to remain goalless but both sides were flying into the challenges, Newtown looked the better side and the more likely to score, they thought they had when a throw in was hooked home in added time but it was given as a foul throw and awarded no goal and throw in to Mold. There was a lot of long ball play on a bobbly pitch and numerous yellow cards.

Second half and I was confident Newtown would come good, they looked to possess far more threat. They didn't let me down just before the hour when the number two went on a monumental run from inside his own half, skipped past at least two challenges, maybe three and finished in off the post to rapturous celebrations. I could do 100 games and not see a goal as good as that again, a definate goal of the season contender, well done to the lad. I said to my dad I bet Mold equalise through a scruffy goal and sure enough they did when ten minutes later they got a corner which was headed home from two yards by one of the giants in their team, the Newtown keeper was claiming he was fouled but to no avail from the officials and resulted in derision from someone in the home crowd. Newtown were to have the last laugh though and sixteen minutes from time the Mold number 10 was shown a second yellow for blocking the goalkeepers kick, waving and shrugging as he trudged off the pitch. Seven minutes from time a fantastic save from the Mold keeper to tip it over then in the 90th a good diving save forced it behind as Newtown upped the ante. They weren't to be out done though and well into added time the Newtown forward who had just come on robbed the defender and slammed home making no mistake to wild celebration as the bench was on the pitch, fully deserved and nice to see the team that play football and not spoil and argue all game prevail. They nearly had a third from kick off, the keeper fouled the forward when clean through but he got away with it somehow, possibly as the ref played advantage and the other forward missed as it went wide for a corner. He insisted on a corner and never pulled the keeper up on the foul, next thing I knew and the benches were having a mass brawl resulting in a huge delay to the game. The corner was eventually taken before another brawl in the dugouts, the game eventually finishing nearly 20 minutes late. Miraculously nobody was sanctioned for the brawling but the referees report will make interesting reading and I wouldn't be suprised to see the club's fined by the F.A, it really was a disgrace but the visitors will be happy leaving a tricky game with the points going back to Mid Wales.