Mendes header sees off Aber in tense battle

Friday night saw The Nomads defeat Aberystwyth Town 1-0 at Park Avenue thanks to a well worked goal finished off by Paulo Mendes.

• The Nomads dominated the play inside the first 20 minutes
• A Paulo Mendes header gave The Nomads the lead on the half hour mark
• Aber saw the better of the ball in the second half but couldn't find the back of the net
• The Nomads' defence played outstandingly to ensure the three points and clean sheet

The Nomads came into this fixture with their brilliant form continuing as recent wins against Caernarfon in the league and Bala in the league cup saw them back to their best. A draw against Penybont stopped their winning streak but Nomads are now unbeaten in their last nine games.

Aberystwyth also came into this game on impressive form as wins against Cardiff Met and league leaders TNS gave them confidence coming into this fixture against Nomads as both teams look to push for a top six place.

The first few minutes of the game saw Nomads dominate in the final third as a cross from Kris Owens led to Ryan Harrington fiercely striking towards goal but was wide of the target.

Straight after this, Jamie Mullan then got down the left hand by-line and delivered into the box which eventually led to an Aeron Edwards shot on goal but was well saved by Aber keeper Gregor Zabret.

Aber then had their first chance of the game in the 15th minute as Jack Rimmer got down the right hand side and delivered a low cross into John Owen but the strike could not get any sort of contact and Nomads regained possession.

The 18th minute saw Nomads earn a free kick on the right hand side, just outside the box which was taken by Kris Owens but the Aber wall blocked the near post effort.

Five minutes later, Declan Poole showed his pace and precision as he beat his man to deliver in towards George Horan but as his header looked to be nestling into the bottom corner, Zabret was there again to save down to his right.

The key moment of the match came in the 29th minute as Declan Poole got down the right flank to cross towards the back post and found Paulo Mendes who powered his header into the goal to give himself three goals in his last two games for Nomads.

George Horan then had another chance to score but the captain's header was straight at Gregor Zabret who saved comfortably.

Another chance came for Nomads where Declan Poole looked to provide another assist as he laid the ball off to Kris Owens on the edge of the box. Owens then went for goal and almost found the bottom corner but Zabret was there again to deny Nomads a second goal.

Just before the half time whistle, a horrifying collision between Ollie Byrne and Danny Holmes halted play for five minutes as they tried to stop a long ball from Aber. It seemed like their foreheads had collided and after consultation with physios and officials, Danny Holmes could not continue and so on came John Disney who returned to the squad following a short illness.

This was the final action of the first half and Nomads had looked really dominant in possession and were seeing themselves create more chances. So, a Paulo Mendes header was what separated the two sides going into the second half.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw evidence that this half was going to be a tense battle as Paulo Mendes was deemed to have pulled down Jamie Veale on the counter and both received a yellow card each for the foul and dissent.

The 57th minute saw Aber finally break into the box but as Harry Franklin went down off a challenge from Aeron Edwards, the referee saw it the other way and booked Franklin for simulation.

Five minutes later, Aber got into the box and the ball was headed back down to Harry Franklin who smashed an effort towards goal but a sacrificing block from George Horan kept the score at 1-0.

Aber captain Jack Thorn then intercepted The Nomads in the final third and eventually Jamie Veale played the ball into John Owen who went a near post thunderbolt but Ollie Byrne was there to make another astonishing save.

Nomads made their second sub of the night as Jamie Insall came on for the last 20 minutes in place of Craig Curran. This was shortly followed by an Aber sub which saw Sam Phillips come off for Jonny Evans.

The tension continued and the Aber supporters were getting behind their team as they searched for an equaliser but efforts were either being blocked by The Nomads defence or off target.

George Horan and Jack Rimmer then both received a yellow card each after a slight tussle which caused frustration among many. As a result, Aber were awarded the free kick but their effort on goal was blocked well by The Nomads wall.

The fourth official then indicated an extra five minutes of stoppage time as Aber continued their push for an equaliser. Nomads then made their final sub as Jay Owen came on for Nomads goalscorer Paulo Mendes.

The last minute saw Nomads win the ball back and keep possession which eventually led to Declan Poole playing Jamie Insall through on goal. He then took it past Zabret but the angle proved to be too tight for the striker to seal the deal for Nomads.

The full time whistle was then blown and Nomads had seen off the second half Aber pressure and their incredible first half performance which included the all important Paulo Mendes goal was enough to earn them another vital three points in their top six push.

The Nomads' next fixture sees them return to Deeside Stadium to take on Cardiff Met Saturday 11th December with a 2:30pm kick off being held. Cardiff Met stunned The Nomads last time out as a late Brandon Roberts equaliser earned them a point, so this upcoming match is certain to be a crucial match for both teams.

Match Photos

Match Report by Adam Angerer