Caernarfon Town FC V Connah's Quay Nomads
Tuesday 27 September, 19:45
Caernarfon’s 100% home record in the Cymru Premier League came to a stuttering halt last night as they lost 0-2 to Connahs Quay Nomads at the Oval.
Caernarfon 0 – 2 Connahs Quay Nomads.
The first ten minutes of action was a scrappy affair as both sides found it difficult to keep possession and it took until the twentieth minute for the first meaningful effort on goal, after Rob Hughes and Danny Gosset had linked well on the edge of the penalty area before Hughes had seen his goalbound effort blocked by Disney.
Stratulis had an effort sail over the bat three minute later for the visitors and Hughes, again, threatened soon after for the Cofis, having jinked around three Nomads players before firing wide.
Visiting keeper Firth did well to get down to a Noah Edwards effort soon after whilst Town’s Josh Tibbetts finally joined the action when he sped off his line to thwart former Town striker Mike Hayes, wo had beaten the offside trap I the thirty fourth minute.
Caernarfon’s best opportunity of the half fell to Alec Mudimu a minute later, when he got on the end of a Hughes corner but his first time effort lacked any real power and Firth got down comfortably to it.
Nomads began the second half in a sharper mood and another Town favourite, Paulo Mendes should have done better when he headed wide from short range a minute after the restart.
Noah Edwards thought he had put the Cofis ahead a minute later after Marsh-Hughes had put him through, but the midfielder’s shot was deflected by Stratulis onto his own post and rolled away to safety.
Stratulis put the visitors ahead in the sixty ninth minute after Caernarfon had given away a needless free kick on the edge of their half and the playmaker stepped up and thundered his effort past Tibbetts.
The goal seemed to spur the Cofis to take a less pragmatic approach and the introduction of Joe Faux gave them added threat on the right flank. The winder set Noah Edwards up in the seventy ninth minute and Edwards was unlucky to see his first shot on goal blocked, but having gathered the rebound, he just failed to keep his second effort from flying over the woodwork.
Nash came to the Nomads’ rescue with a last ditch headed clearance as O’Rourke looked to get on the end of a header across goal whilst Firth superbly saved an Edwards effort late on.
With Caernarfon camped around the Nomads box, they were open to a counter attack and this is exactly what happened in injury time, as Stratulis gathered the ball and sped into Town’s box before crossing for Aeron Edwards, who had the simplest of task to place the ball beyond the diving Tibbetts.
Huw Griffith’s squad will be frustrated not to have gained at least a point from the encounter and will now head to Pontypridd on Saturday to try and regain the momentum they and previously picked up.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Noah Edwards.
Team: Josh Tibbetts, Gruff John, Alec Mudimu, Aaron Simpson, Dion Donohue, Iwan Cartwright, Noah Edwards, Danny Gosset, Rob Hughes, Lloyd Marsh-Hughes, Ben Wynne.
Subs (used): Joe Faux, Fidel O’Rourke, Darren Thomas. Not used: Harold Essien, Osian Evans, Ryan Williams, Tomos Pricthard.
