TO say it has been an incredible season so far at Caernarfon Town would be something of an understatement.

The newly promoted JD Welsh Premier League side have thrived in their first season in the top flight, continuing their sensational form since the appointment of manager Sean Eardley.

The rookie boss kept faith with the majority of the squad that secured the Huws Gray Alliance title, bringing in a small number of new faces to keep things fresh and keep the competition for places as strong as ever.

This relative gamble has paid off in abundance as the Cofis have pulled off some immensely positive results that sees them within touching distance of the top six heading into the busy festive fixture list.

Things have not always gone their way which was to be expected from a side finding their feet within the division, but the Canaries have remained resolute during their poor runs and come out on the other side fighting.

The victories against The New Saints and Cardiff Met have definitely been the highlight, but what can not be underestimated is the way each member of the squad continues to show belief in the manager’s ethos, which is a testament to how highly thought of Eardley is within the set-up.

Goals have been a small concern at times but this has been alleviated by the outstanding play of their back five, who have produced a series of clean sheets that have been the source of some much-need points during games that have been decided by fine margins.

Another standout feature of their initial success is how organised they are. Eardley and his assistant Richard Davies have left no stone unturned in terms of their preparation each and every week, using every tool available for analysis and coaching methods in a bid to ensure their stay at the top of the Welsh pyramid is not a brief one.

This is a group that are working incredibly hard from the front in Jamie Breese and Cai Jones all the way to the back with Gareth Edwards and Alex Ramsay, and what is important now is that they avoid complacency in the run up to the split to keep their chances of a top half finish at the end of the season alive.

Should they manage to achieve this in their first campaign back with the elite, then it would represent another exceptional milestone from Eardley, who has further enhanced his reputation as one of the brightest young managers anywhere in the country and someone who gets a real response from his players thanks to his approachable nature that has seen him become adored by the loyal Cofi Army, who have been another massively positive asset to the league thanks to the size of their support home and away.

Overall, things could not be going better for Town, who have a solid foundation in place from which to build, but the WPL is an unforgiving place and Eardley will know that they will have to continue working hard, prepare in the right way and improve their fortunes slightly in front of goal if their fairytale run is going to continue.

Player of the Year: Joe Williams

The talented right-back has been one of the Cofis’ standout performers so far this season, and his tireless efforts from the right-back position have played a huge contributing factor in their overall success.

He is equally as adept attacking or defending and there are not many that have got the better of Williams so far this season, which tells you all you need to know regarding his performances against some high-quality opposition.

Player to Watch: Ryan Williams

The former Wrexham Academy prospect has performed superbly when called upon this season, and his versatility has been another fantastic feature for Eardley to call upon.

He is a Caernarfon native and his passion playing for his hometown club is evident every time he steps on to the field, and the club really have a diamond on their hands if he continues to develop at his current rate.