Nomads Suffer Double Figure Rout

A much-changed gap Connah's Quay Nomads side were beaten 10-0 by Colwyn Bay in the first round of the North Wales Coast FA Challenge Cup at a wet and windy Deeside Stadium this evening.

With one eye on Saturday's Welsh Cup tie against AFC Porth, boss Mark McGregor made nine changes to the starting line-up and handed youth team starlets Joel Thomas and Jordan Beck starts in defence. Only 'keeper Terry McCormick and centre back Andy Alston remained.

But Nomads came unstuck against a strong Seagulls side that are challenging at the top of the Evo-Stik Premier Division, just two promotions away from the Blue Square Premier - a gulf that was to prove too large.

The visitors' laid siege to McCormick's goal in testing conditions to leave Nomads shell-shocked and trailing 5-0 inside the first 35 minutes.

Hitman Ian Sheridan opened the scoring with a 16th minute header, and two minutes later his strike-partner Gareth Evans crashed a thumping header home from Anthony Sheehan's righr-wing cross to double the lead.

Despite enjoying the advantage of the strong wind direction, Nomads could not get out of their own half as the Seagulls ran in further goals through Sam Bailey's low shot, captain Mike McGraa with a 30-yard drive and Sheridan's second of the game, to go 5-0 up at the break.

The second half was much the same with the torrential rain and gale-force wind favouring Colwyn Bay, who took advantage of some poor defensive support to run riot.

An audacious 40-yarder from Steve Aspinall that flew over McCormick and dipped under the bar made it six midway through the half.

Danny Grannan added a seventh from a corner, before two goals in as many minutes from Sheridan and Lee Davey punctured Nomads further.

Sheridan added his fourth with three minutes remaining to take his side into double figures and complete the scoring.

Nomads gave second half debuts to teenage duo Jamie Wynne and Steve Belli - Wynne coming closest to scoring with a late strike that was held by visiting 'keeper Andrew Metcalf - but it was the performance of left back Beck that sent the home crowd home with one thing to cheer.

The 17-year old's impressive showing belied his inexperience as he regularly pushed forward to deliver some telling crosses into the Seagulls' area, whilst also providing a handful of dangerous set pieces and offering a steady defensive display.

Beck is certainly a name to look out for in the future, but for Nomads the immediate future brings the visit of AFC Porth on Saturday and the opportunity to draw a line under a heavy defeat by progressing in a competition with greater rewards.

NOMADS: Terry McCormick, Joel Thomas, Jordan Beck (Tom Price), Tom Baker, Andy Alston, Danny Pinch (Jamie Wynne), Jamie Petrie (Steve Belli), Stuart Scheuber, Dean Thurston, Scott Baker, Sam McNutt.

Substitutes not used: Mike Hayes, Rob Jones.