21 | May | 2025 | Hopping across The Pond

North Wales Coast East League

Premier Division

Wednesday 21st May 2025

Kick Off 18.30 On Time!

Kinmel Bay 0 Penmaenmawr Phoenix 0, attendance 150

@ Y Morfa Leisure Centre

Cader Avenue

Kinmel Bay

LL18 5HU

£3 Admission

No Programme.

This was 2nd verses 1st in the league table, with Penmaenmawr Phoenix two points clear. This was the last game of the season for Kinmel Bay, so they knew nothing short of a win would be enough for them, as it would see them go a point clear of the visitors and mean Penmaenmawr would then have to go away to third in the table Cerrigydrudion to get the point they’d require to take the title on goal difference. In the end they got the job done tonight. It was a game that produced very few clear cut scoring opportunities, but was fully committed from first whistle to last. The bone hard pitch certainly didn’t help matters, but that can’t be blamed for neither team managing to find the net. The nearest we came to a goal was when Penmaenmawr hit the post just before the hour mark, after a corner to the far post wasn’t cleared. I don’t recall either ‘keeper having much to do, apart from taking the odd goal kick or two. A couple of minutes from the end both teams had a man sent off following an off the ball incident and Kinmel Bay also had their manager sent off in stoppage time, which I assume was for dissent. The final whistle was greeted with huge cheers from the visiting players and a high number of their supporters present in a crowd of over 200, although the official attendance was given as 150, which I assume only counted those who’d paid to get in.

The ground is pretty poor for level 4. It’s a pitch at the back of the sports centre, with a pair of dugouts on the far side. Officially, spectators are limited to the near side of the pitch, but a caged area in the centre means barely half the length is actually useable. There were a couple of mobile food wagons operating and toilets were available inside the changing room building.

The journey up to North Wales took around four and a quarter hours, with the only hold up being at the M5/M6 intersection, which added ten minutes to the drive. At least I didn’t have to do the drive back, as I was staying overnight in Rhyl, just across the River Clwyd from Kinmel Bay, which was under ten minutes drive back from the ground.