Honours even as Nomads and Penybont play out stalemate

Saturday afternoon saw The Nomads and Penybont play out a 0-0 draw in the JD Cymru Premier.

• The Nomads faced Penybont in the 14th round of fixtures in the JD Cymru Premier
• No big chances in the first half saw both teams fighting for the breakthrough in the second half
• Both teams cancelled each other out and stopped each other in their tracks from creating any big chances
• A wonderful save from Ollie Byrne in the last minute from a Penybont free kick ensured The Nomads kept their clean sheet

The Nomads came into this game on the back of an impressive 4-0 win against Bala Town as well as another great 1-0 away win against Caernarfon thanks to a Neal Eardley thunderbolt which ensured they continued their top six push for the rest of the season and potentially boost our European hopes.

Penybont had also seen themselves gain a number of impressive results over recent weeks with a 2-1 home win against Cardiff Met and a 1-0 win against top six rivals Bala Town. However, they did suffer one defeat in the midst of these wins as Flint beat them 3-1.

The game started with Penybont showing their attacking abilities straight from kick off but Nathan Wood's cross was cleared by Danny Holmes. Another cross came for Penybont and found Mael Davies at the back post but his shot was saved comfortably by Ollie Byrne in The Nomads' goal.

The 14th minute saw Declan Poole put a cross in towards Craig Curran and as Curran headed the ball back into the danger area, Penybont were able to stop The Nomads from creating any sort of threat.

Minutes later, Penybont had the ball in the final third and as James Waite picked up the ball central to goal, he went for a wonder strike from 30 yards but Oliie Byrne was there to tip it away.

Nomads then had their spell in the final third as Jamie Mullan drifted inside from the left and went for glory but his shot was well blocked and Ashley Morris was there to save with ease.

The 22nd minute saw Ben Ahmun drive down the right wing and put a dangerous cross into the box, looking for Sam Snaith but the Penybont forward was unable to make any contact and the attack was stopped.

Declan Poole then found space down the right hand side in the 28th minute and laid the ball off exquisitely to Callum Morris who decided to cross rather than shoot and play the ball into the area but the ball looped over everyone.

Five minutes before half time, a flurry of offsides frustrated The Nomads while they looked to create the first big chance of the game as crosses from Aeron Edwards and Kris Owens looked for George Horan but the linesman put the flag up and so Penybont had possession back.

So the game reached half time at 0-0 and there were no big chances and it was clear both teams kept cancelling each other out. So, both sides were looking to improve their creativity in the second half.

The 53rd minute saw Jamie Mullan escape his man down the left wing and burst into the area but the dipping cross whistled past the back post and out for a Penybont goal kick.

The first substitution of the afternoon for Nomads saw John Disney be replaced by Jamie Insall as John Disney looked to have hurt his leg slightly in the first half. This was shortly followed by Penybont's first substitution of the match as James Waite came off for Lewis Clutton.

Jamie Mullan continued to show his qualities as he got in behind the Penybont defence again and delivered another looping cross towards Craig Curran but Penybont keeper Ashley Morris beat him to it, keeping the game at 0-0.

Penybont then made their second substitution with Keane Watts replacing Ben Ahmun who had a few decent opportunities in the first half. Nomads then made their second substitution five minutes later as Craig Curran came off for Aron Williams, clearly showing Craig Harrison and his men were looking to find the all important opener.

The Nomads then had a long throw in the 79th minute which fell to Kris Owens on the left side of the edge of the box but he could not get the right contact on the shot and the ball dipped over the bar keeping the game 0-0 with no major goal-scoring opportunities to be found.

The final substitution for Nomads saw Jordan Davies, who looked to provide fresh legs up front, came on for Jamie Mullan, who played very well down the left hand side throughout.

The 82nd minute saw undoubtedly the best chance of the game for Penybont as Sam Snaith headed the ball back across into the penalty area but Lewis Clutton fired wide from close range, still keeping the scoreline 0-0.

Penybont then caught Nomads dithering in possession and Keane Watts was the man to lead them forward and as he played the ball into the feet of Sam Snaith, Kris Owens brought him down and the referee gave Penybont a free kick in a decent position.

The free kick was then cleared by Nomads and Penybont drove forward again which saw them gain another free kick on the edge of the box as Callum Morris picked up a yellow card for a foul on Keane Watts.

This free kick was taken by Penybont captain Kane Owen and was well on target but Ollie Byrne denied him with an outstanding save to ensure The Nomads were a step closer to earning a clean sheet.

Although there were three additional minutes added on at the end of the second half, there were no more chances and so the game finished with a 0-0 stalemate between Nomads and Penybont.

The Nomads' next game is a huge one as we travel to Bala Town in the Semi Final of the Nathaniel MG Cup. The Nomads have already defeated Bala at their ground this season with an impressive 4-0 win so The Nomads will look to repeat that performance in order to get into the League Cup final for the second consecutive time.

Match Photos

Match Report by Adam Angerer