Barry Town clip Canaries' wings in Cymru Premier clash

GOALS in both halves from striker Kayne McLaggon and a bullet header from Curtis McDonald sealed the points for Barry Town against Caernarfon Town on Saturday.

Though Caernarfon's Mike Hayes would hand his teammates a glimmer of hope, Gavin Chesterfield's team dug in for a deserved 3-1 win, their first of the 2020-21 season.

In the single change from the opening defeat to The New Saints, Chesterfield gave a JD Cymru Premier debut to Nathaniel Jarvis, his summer signing from Chippenham Town replacing Curtis Hutson in Barry's attack, on what was a clear and breezy September afternoon.

Jordan Cotterill's twin assists helped Barry to victory (Picture: Mike James Photography) 

However, the former Cardiff City forward was kept quiet for much of an unremarkable first half at Jenner Park, leaving a pair of established Town favourites to engineer the breakthrough, behind-closed-doors.

As one would expect, Barry found greater joy against Caernarfon than opposing full-timers TNS, commanding a higher amount of possession on the deck and providing glimpses of attacking invention, yet failing to convert their efforts into chances of real quality.

There were, of course, exceptions and after Clayton Green fired over the crossbar in the 16th minute, McLaggon found himself with a prime opportunity in the 25th, but the Barry marksman could only head right into the waiting hands of Canaries goalkeeper Josh Tibetts.

Goalscorer Kayne McLaggon doubled up for Barry against Caernarfon (Picture: Mike James Photography)

Later, Luke Cooper foraged forward to chance his luck from a corner, but the centre-back was met with too great a task at the back post, crashing the ball into Tibbitt's side netting.

As Chris Hugh turned Noah Edwards inside out on the left wing, Barry were showing some zeal, but it took a moment of magic from Jordan Cotterill to shift the score in their favour.

Lifting the ball both delicately and dangerously towards the far post, Cotterill carved out a golden chance for McLaggon to nod past Tibbetts, breaking the deadlock after 37 minutes.

After Cotterill cast an anonymous figure in last weekend's loss to TNS, this deft assist was the highlight of the half and gave his team a valuable lead to take into the second period.

With referee Bryn Markham-Jones left unimpressed by a pair of penalty appeals, Caernarfon opened the second half with bluster, but failed to cause too many problems for Mike Lewis in the Barry goalmouth.

In contrast, Cotterill had the bit between his teeth and, after Jarvis shrugged off calls for handball, the former Ely Rangers goalscorer lashed a left-footed effort over the crossbar, crying out in frustration as the ball torpedoed away.

Nevertheless, despair soon turned to delight as Cotterill's corner kick cooked up Barry's second, with the imposing McDonald bursting in and heading home with authority to claim his first for the Jenner Park club.

Then, after Lewis pulled out an aerial save to spare a defensive slip, teammate Theo Wharton edged down the right, floating a well-judged ball to McLaggon, who struck with sweet technique on the turn, putting Barry three goals up in impressive style on 62 minutes.

Though Hayes would cut Caernarfon's arrears, latching onto a Tibbett upfield hoof that got further than it rightfully should have, any thoughts of a Canaries comeback were brief and, at best, half-hearted.

Of course, the visitors remained characteristically lively, but their chase for a second left them perilously exposed to a counter, even if Barry's best attempts at making it 4-1, from Wharton and substitute Hutson, drew textbook saves from Tibbett at the Barry Road end.

Worthy of the 3-1 result, Town will aim to continue their winning ways this Saturday (26 September), as Sgorio broadcast Barry's first top flight meeting with Flint Town United since the glory years of the mid-late 1990s.

While league encounters have become something of a collector's item, Barry supporters will happily remember their team's most recent trip to Cae-y-Castell, a 2-0 triumph in the quarter-finals of the 2012-13 Welsh Cup.

With Cymru Premier fixtures continuing to be played behind-closed-doors, Saturday's match between Flint and Barry kicks off at 5.45pm and will air live on both S4C television and the channel's Facebook page.