Baker Spot Kick Seals Last Eight Place

Tommy Baker converted an extra time penalty that handed gap Connah's Quay Nomads a place in the quarter finals of the Welsh Cup.

The substitute stepped up in the 107th of 120 minutes to knock out Welsh Premier League outfit Carmarthen Town at their Richmond Park ground in a pulsating cup tie that almost went all the way.

Earlier, Nomads had recovered from a thumping Sacha Walters free kick to take the lead through Gary O'Toole and Jamie Petrie strikes either side of the break, only for Walters to quickly restore parity and set up extra time.

Baker showed the nerves of steel that comes with a player of his experience to step up and convert the winning goal after player-boss Mark McGregor had been felled inside the area.

McGregor was without cup-tied duo Adam McGhee and James McIntosh, whilst Rob Jones missed out through suspension.

Newly-registered former Chester City and Buckley Town stopper Louis Mackin took his place between the sticks and handled the occasion well in the early stages of the first half.

With the match put back to 2.15pm in order to allow the pitch to thaw out from overnight frost, the fiirst half-chance fell to Nomads as O'Toole drilled a low shot comfortably wide of the post from outside the area after six minutes.

Carmarthen won a free kick on the left side of the box just short of the quarter hour mark, which was swung in deep to the far post - but debut 'keeper Mackin parried clear.

Two minutes later, a scramble on the edge of the home side's area resulted in handball appeals waved away by the referee as Nomads looked to soak up the pressure and hit quickly on the break.

Andy Alston then launched a trademark long throw - the first of many - that was diverted away from a crowded area as far as Stuart Scheuber, back in the side in the absence of Rob Jones, but his shot was charged down.

On the 20 minute mark, the home side were handed their first real opportunity when Nomads' skipper Craig Jones mis-controlled on a bobbly pitch and allowed Nick Harrhy through - but his low shot from the right of the area was put behind for a corner.

Harrhy was picked out from the resulting corner, but another low effort was this time held by the increasingly confident Mackin.

The deadlock was broken on 25 minutes when the hosts were awarded a free kick 30 yards from goal following a foul by Craig Jones. Sacha Walters stepped up to launch a pile-driver high into the top corner with Mackin well beaten.

Carmarthen looked dangerous when attacking from the left and tested Mackin's resolve when a Walters cross flew over his six-yard box, but the Nomads' stopper scrambled above three gold shirts to parry clear.

On 37 minutes, Nomads were level through the familiar name of Gary O'Toole. He found space at the far post to bundle in after another Andy Alston long throw caused problems in the home area.

Nomads were now in the ascendancy after the equaliser but Scheuber wasted a great chance on the break, chipping harmlessly wayward from 25 yards with two team-mates free to play in.

Shortly before half time O'Toole played in Petrie on the right whose low cross picked out the unmarked Dean Thurston, but the former AFC Liverpool forward mis-kicked to let the hosts off the hook.

On a still partly-frozen outfield, the second half lacked the quality football of the first but Nomads' loyal travelling army did not seem to care when they saw their side take the lead for the first time in the game on 55 minutes.

After Nicky Palmer had blazed harmlessly wide from distance at the other end, Thurston played a one-two with Ben Collins down the left before dinking a ball across the box to Jamie Petrie to smash a low half-volley into the bottom far corner.

The lead lasted barely two minutes, however, as Walters glanced in his second of the game following a neat Corey Thomas flick-on to level the scores.

Midway through the half, a Carmarthen long throw caused havoc in the Nomads area and when most of the ground had thought Nick Harrhy had found the net, Ben Alston was on hand to clear from the goal-line.

Alston then made way for Tom Baker on 69 minutes, with the tiring and injured O'Toole then replaced by Sam McNutt ten minutes later as the heavy pitch began to take its toll.

With the final ten minutes fast approaching, a neat move on the right from Carmarthen ended with Tim Hicks' strike deflected behind. From the following corner, Mackin missed his attempted punch but Walters was denied a hat-trick by Baker's block.

Nomads had two gilt-edged opportunities to win the tie in the last ten minutes. First, McNutt's square ball across the edge of the area was missed by Petrie then hammered waywardly wide by the on-running Ben Collins.

Then, with four minutes left on the clock, Thurston was presented with the perfect chance to clinch the match when he raced clear of two chasing defenders, only to poke the ball inches past the post with the on-rushing 'keeper Mike Lewis bearing down on him.

Nomads could have looked back on the opportunity as the key to this game, and when the hosts' were given a corner two minutes into extra time, towering centre back Lee Bevan rose high to send a header goalwards, only for Mackin to dive to his right to hold on.

In the last of the first 15 minutes, Thurston snatched the ball from a Carmarthen full back but his low cross from the left was diverted behind for a corner, from which nothing came.

The second half of extra time was just as tight and tentative as the 105 minutes that preceded it, but when player-boss Mark McGregor was felled by home captain Dale Griffiths in the area Nomads were handed the match-winning chance almost immediately after the restart.

Griffiths was dismissed for his troubles, and Tom Baker stepped up to casually stroke the ball to the left of the goal - sending Lewis the opposite way.

The remaining 13 minutes were played out with the visitors clearing their lines as they desperately held on to the lead, but with McNutt and Thurston staying forward they almost finished the game off when the former played in the latter to shoot low and hard, but narrowly wide of the upright.

That proved to be Thurston's final contribution as he made way for Scott Baker to play the clock down for the final few minutes - just what McGregor's side managed to do.

In the end, it proved a penalty was the only difference between the two sides in a tight affair, but Nomads will be delighted to have dumped out higher opposition and to have their name in the hat for the last eight.

NOMADS: Louis Mackin, Ben Alston (Tom Baker 69'), Ben Collins, Mark McGregor, Andy Alston, Craig Jones, Jamie Petrie, Alan Hooley, Gary O'Toole (Sam McNutt 78'), Dean Thurston (Scott Baker 115'), Stuart Scheuber.

Substitute Not Used: Danny Pinch

Booked: Craig Jones (29'), Ben Collins (112').