Mold Alexandra caretaker boss Gareth Thomas has paid a classy tribute to Barry Owen following his side’s 2-1 victory over Rhyl, recognising the work of his predecessor.
Thomas, who has been placed in caretaker charge following Owen’s decision to leave Mold and take over as manager of Rhyl, masterminded an important three points against his former club.
The victory moves Mold Alexandra to within a point of second-placed Newtown, providing a significant boost following an eventful week behind the scenes.
Rhyl took the lead through Max Moore, but Mold responded just four minutes later when Luca Hogan found the net. The hosts then completed the turnaround nine minutes later, with Rhys Nash scoring what proved to be the winning goal.
The fixture had attracted plenty of attention following Owen’s move, particularly given the contrasting league positions of the two clubs. Mold sit third, while Rhyl occupy 14th place in the Cymru North.
However, Thomas was keen to recognise the foundations laid by Owen and assistant manager Liam Groves insisting their work has left the club in a strong position moving forward.
Mold Alexandra boss reflects on victory over former club Rhyl
Thomas admitted there had been plenty of attention surrounding the fixture but insisted his priority was getting the game played and securing the points.
He also felt the competitive nature of the contest made it a deserved victory for Mold, despite the difficult circumstances surrounding both sides.
“It was a little bit overhyped,” he said in a interview with Mold Alexandra’s media team.
“There’s a lot happened this week. But I think credit to both sides. I wouldn’t say it was a dirty game, it was very competitive, and I think we deserved the victory. A challenging week for both sides.
“If we’re being honest, we just wanted to get the game out the way. We’ve got the three points, now we can settle. We’ve been involved in a couple of committee meetings already. We can now regroup focus and challenge to move forward.”
For Thomas, the result represented an important opportunity to draw a line under an eventful week and allow the club to concentrate on the challenges ahead.
Gareth Thomas pays classy tribute to Barry Owen after Mold Alexandra exit
Owen’s departure prompted discussion on social media, with some questioning his decision to leave a Mold side sitting third in the table for a Rhyl team occupying 14th place.
However, Thomas was quick to acknowledge the contribution made by Owen and Liam during their two years at the club, insisting their work should not be overlooked.
“I’ve seen various comments on social media this week. Let’s not forget the work Barry and Liam have done at this club in the two-years.
“They have left whoever is coming in to this club with a very talented squad of players and a togetherness.”
Thomas’ comments offered a show of respect towards the outgoing management team, with the caretaker boss keen to ensure their contribution was recognised rather than allowing the circumstances of Owen’s departure to overshadow it.
Mold Alexandra players show togetherness after Barry Owen departure
Thomas also revealed the response behind the scenes following Owen’s exit, with players making a collective effort to ensure the uncertainty did not disrupt the group’s unity.
He explained that players put their own plans aside to come together for a meeting on Wednesday night, before a further gathering at the clubhouse on Friday allowed everyone to discuss the situation.
“Collectively, we called a meeting Wednesday night. Everyone dropped their plans. There was about six players on a call. We had a chat about it and then it was testament on Friday night. We had 19 players in the clubhouse to let the dust settle.
“We had a good chat about everything and togetherness has been with them from the word go this season. That is testament to the players Barry and Liam brought into the club.
“They’ve brought people who in who work for the club. There’s no big-time Charlies here. I didn’t expect anything less from the players. They’ll dig together. We start again tomorrow, we’ve got a lot of work to do off the pitch.”
While Thomas was understandably pleased with the response from his players, he was also keen to make clear that there is plenty of work to be done as Mold look to maintain their position towards the top of the table.
The caretaker boss will now turn his attention to Friday evening’s trip to Central Park, where Mold Alexandra face Denbigh Town on November 6.
With second place within touching distance, the Alex will be hoping to carry the momentum from their victory over Rhyl into their next fixture as Thomas looks to guide the club through the next chapter.
