Nomads finish level with Lilywhites

A highly anticipated relegation conference match between gap Connahs Quay and Rhyl ended as a 1-1 draw, with the goals coming from Apai Ukuno in the 41st minute and Mark Cadwallader in the 87th.

The match was seen as vital, with The Nomads in 9th and Rhyl 8th place in the Welsh Premier League.  A win for either side would greatly benefit chances of challenging for 7th position, and a chance for European football.  The Nomads started a side that saw Ukuno make a second consecutive start, along with Riley and Fraughan who again retained their positions.  Rhyl brought their usual ferocity to the game with starts for Rob Hughes, Mark Cadwallader and David Thompson.

The game began evenly for both sides, although Cadwallader shot wide of goal in the first minute.  In his second ever game of Welsh Football, Ukuno looked to make an impression, carrying the ball upfield, only to be dispossessed.  Rob Jones caused concern for Rhyl with his long throws into the box, but Rob Hughes was there in the seventh minute to clear the danger.

Ryan Fraughan came close for The Nomads when he struck a shot from outside the area which curled wide and out for a goal kick.  The game saw an even amount of chances for both teams overall, with Alan Bull having an attempt blocked before Michael Walsh of Rhyl saw his shot go wide.

Jack Riley had one of the best attempts on goal of the game, nearly lobbing Alex Ramsay from outside the box, the Rhyl 'keeper doing enough to tip the shot over for a corner.  The Nomads continued to put pressure on the Rhyl goal with Miller having a dangerous looking shot well saved.

The breakthrough came on 41 minutes through Apai Ukuno’s first goal for The Nomads.  In a packed box, Ukuno saw his chance and simply tapped the ball into the net on the line.  This goal was enough to see The Nomads go in 1-0 up at half time.
 
At the start of the second half, Rhyl made it clear they were still in the game with pressure in the Nomads half, earning a corner that came to nothing.  Ashley Ruane got himself into a great position in the area but was caught offside.  Shortly after, Rob Hughes nearly equalised in style when his rocketing free kick went just wide of the goal.

As Rhyl pressured more, The Nomads remained resilient at the back with the likes of Steve Evans and George Horan winning numerous aerial challenges.  Horan had a great chance to double The Nomads' lead when he rose up for a header and sent it just over the crossbar from a corner.

As the game went on the battle on the pitch increased, with Hughes and Thompson receiving yellow cards from referee Mark Whitby.  The Nomads looked to keep a hold of the game with the introduction of Sean Cookson and Anthony Stanton who replaced Sean Miller and Alan Bull.

With under five minutes of normal time to play Rhyl were awarded a penalty when McCormick collided with a forthcoming Rhyl forward.  Mark Whitby pointed to the spot, where Cadwallader made no mistake, shooting to the right of the goal to equalise for Rhyl.

The Nomads were wary of the threat in the additional three minutes of injury time having conceded a late goal last week versus Bala.  After Rob Hughes had a long range effort saved by McCormick and Ukuno saw a shot go narrowly wide of the Rhyl goal, the referee blew for full time, confirming the 1-1 draw.

Although both teams went for the win, this was a fair result which saw The Nomads and Rhyl put on a great performance respectively.

The Nomads now move onto their next game against Bangor City, which takes place at the Deeside Stadium on Saturday the 21st February.