Nomads Win Ugly To Stay Top

Gary O'Toole netted both goals as gap Connah's Quay Nomads consolidated their place at the top of the Huws Gray Alliance table with a gritty 2-1 win over a determined Guilsfield outfit.

The fit-again striker, who had not featured since the 5-3 Welsh Cup success over AFC Porth at the start of November, netted two well-taken goals either side of half time after the visitors had taken a first half lead through Rob Cookson.

Nomads were, of course, kicking off the new year without 18-goal star striker Mike Hayes - who made his debut for new club Bala Town yesterday - but forgotten man O'Toole, who earned rave reviews at the start of the season with nine goals in the opening five matches, proved that life after Hayes may not be so disastrous as first thought.

O'Toole lined up alongside new arrival James McIntosh in attack, with Dean Thurston - a hat-trick hero last time out, playing just behind the front two. The only other change to the starting line-up saw Stuart Scheuber drop to the bench as Craig Jones returned from a recent suspension.

It was Guilsfield who started the better of the two sides, though. The plucky visitors were unfortunate to have been beaten in this reverse fixture by the same scoreline in September when Tommy Baker won the points for Nomads with a late penalty, and Russ Cadwallader clearly had his charges fired up for revenge on their visit to Deeside.

Nomads looked out of sorts and appeared to struggle after a period of three weeks without a game, and the home side's mismatched display was capitalised on when Guilsfield's hot-shot striker Ross Frame found space on the right flank on the break to cut a square pass across the area which was met by the on-rushing Cookson to drive low and into the net.

Nomads' only real chance of note in the opening half hour fell to McIntosh, whose shot on the turn was easily saved low down by Guils' highly-rated 'keeper Dave Maguire.

Four minutes before the regulation half time, O'Toole had clawed the hosts back into the game with his 13th strike of the season. The former Coventry City youth found space in a crowded six-yard box and held his nerve to bundle the ball over the line.

It was a welcome relief to the majority of the 104-strong crowd but at the other end, a testing cross from the right found Cookson flying in at the back post but he somehow contrived to head well over Terry McCormick's crossbar - to the disbelief of many watching observers.

The feisty first half saw a number of gritty challenges that culminated in referee Peter Kewley eventually signalling for the interval after what seemed like ten minutes of stoppage time.

Five minutes after the restart, O'Toole handed Nomads the lead when he escaped the attentions of a Guils' defender to drive the ball low, hard and beyond Maguire from just inside the area - after a neat move involving Baker and McIntosh.

Nomads looked much more assured once they got their noses in front but the majority of the second half was played out in the middle of the park - with Guilsfield dominating possession and the home side relying on lofted balls from the back to launch quick counter-attacks.

Jamie Petrie made his bow just past the hour mark, replacing O'Toole, and his pace on the right flank added another dimension to an otherwise sterile performance as the Nomads midfield began to spread the ball around in search of the live-wire winger, who tested the Guils' defensive credentials with a handful of dangerous crosses, though his team-mates couldn't take advantage.

Scheuber and Rob Jones were also thrown on in a bid to take control of the midfield, with Guilsfield often afforded too much time on the ball. The introduction of two central midfielders to join the already snappy Craig Jones and Alan Hooley meant for a final ten minutes that became a hive of nervy activity as the tackles came flying in, resulting in another period of near-on ten minutes of stoppage time.

The final stages saw Terry McCormick and his defence battle bravely to keep Nomads in the lead and the heroic 'keeper - now truly a fans' favourite - proved the match-winner with a stunning late double save, charging down two Guilsfield attackers in quick succession before his composed defenders worked the ball away from danger.

The visitors will feel aggrieved not to have taken a point off Mark McGregor's leaders for the second time this season, but McGregor and his team will have been satisfied with the way they ground out an ugly win - the sign of potential champions.

NOMADS: Terry McCormick, Ben Alston, Ben Collins (Stuart Scheuber 79'), Mark McGregor, Andy Alston, Craig Jones, Tom Baker (Rob Jones 87'), Alan Hooley, Gary O'Toole (Jamie Petrie 61'), James McIntosh, Dean Thurston.

Substitutes not used: Scott Baker, Danny Pinch.

Booked: Tom Baker 71'