O'Toole on fire as Nomads retain top spot

Gary O'Toole's sixth goal of the season kept gap Connah's Quay Nomads at the top of the Cymru Alliance table with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Guilsfield this afternoon.

Making a first league visit to the Welshpool-based side, who had started their season with two away draws, Nomads boss Mark McGregor drafted in the fit-again Danny Forde in place of Stuart Scheuber in an otherwise unchanged 11.

Meanwhile, Scott Baker was called up to join his brother Tommy on the bench - replacing the unavailable Sam McNutt.

Nomads grabbed all three points thanks to a 76th minute Tommy Baker penalty but it was far from plain sailing against a Guilsfield side whose tackling was never short of robust.

An early foul on Alan Hooley committed by the Guils right-back set the tone for the match and it soon became obvious that few teams will be allowed to play football against the Mid-Wales outfit this season.

Once again it took McGregor's men a while to settle into their rhythm and chances were few in the first half hour. Nomads certainly enjoyed the greater share of possession and it was against the run of play when Ross Frame fired the home side ahead after 18 minutes - one of only two real attempts at goal Guilsfield had in the first half.

Referee Ian Evans constantly incurred the wrath of the home bench by spotting every foul Guilsfield committed but Nomads were finding it difficult to create much in the last third of the field. Nevertheless, seven minutes before half-time O'Toole showed why he is the league's leading goalscorer with a fine equaliser.

Running across the edge of the area, he controlled the ball, turned despite the close attentions of two burly defenders and fired an unstoppable effort past home 'keeper Dave Littleford.

Guilsfield adopted a more positive outlook after the break which allowed Nomads' attackers a little more freedom. Terry McCormick was forced into a good save at his left-hand post while McGregor and the Alston brothers had to be at their best to maintain an aerial dominance.

Nomads began to control midfield, O'Toole fired wide and Forde headed just over the bar as it seemed that a second goal for the league leaders was on the cards.

With less than a quarter of an hour to go, another foray into the Guilsfield area earned Nomads a penalty for a handball offence and substitute Tommy Baker stepped up to crack home the winning goal - his first since last October.

This was not a match for the purist and it proved there will be no easy games at this level but Nomads showed enough guile to win their fourth match and keep that 100% record intact.