Rhos No Match For Dominant Nomads

Gary O'Toole racked up 35 goals for the season with a clinical first-half hat trick as gap Connah's Quay Nomads produced a professional display to see off Rhos Aelwyd.

The hot-shot striker fired Nomads into an early lead at Ponciau Park with a neat shot on the turn before adding two further strikes - one from the penalty spot - as the home side crumbled.

O'Toole then turned provider for Sam McNutt to complete the scoring inside the final 20 minutes, rounding off a thoroughly dominant display and giving cause for concern to the observing Bangor City boss Nev Powell ahead of next weekend's Welsh Cup semi final.

Nomads captain Craig Jones will miss that clash after receiving what was deemed a "phantom" tenth yellow card of the season in the 2-1 win at Penrhyncoch last time out.

He served the first of a two-match suspension and was replaced in the starting line-up by Sam McNutt, making his first league start of the campaign, whilst Ben Collins came in for Dean Thurston who dropped to the bench alongside player-boss Mark McGregor, the returning James McIntosh, teenage striker George Baxter and former Rhos 'keeper Adam McGee.

The visitors went into the game on the back of a much-needed two-week break and looked refreshed from the first whistle, controlling the early exchanges and coming close with an O'Toole volley that looped narrowly over from close range. 

Just as Andy Alston typically tested the Rhos defence with a handful of dangerous throws, O'Toole looked sharp in attack and he netted the goal his early running deserved when he controlled another Alston throw before turning his marker and shooting low inside the post to put Nomads in front.   

After falling behind, Steve Walters side showed flashes of attacking verve but they were largely restricted to a couple of long range efforts by winger Ben Jones which failed to trouble Louis Mackin in the Nomads goal.

Ben Collins and Andy Alston came close with set piece headers at the other end ands it wasn't long before Nomads doubled their advantage when, ten minutes after his opener, O'Toole converted a penalty after Collins had been bundled over when attempting to meet a high ball into the box.

Referee Alun Alexander - ironically the man at the centre of Craig Jones' controversial suspension - waved away the protests by a now increasingly aggravated home dugout.

The two-goal cushion proved a foundation for a rampant Nomads to push on and Danny Forde, revelling in an attack-minded midfield alongside Rob Jones, met a McNutt corner with a sweetly-struck volley from mid-height that whistled inches wide.

Rhos were only threatening from set pieces but made a hash of a glorious opportunity to draw themselves back into the game on the half hour mark when a quick free-kick played in Josh Russell but his cross-cum-shot flew harmlessly over.

The hosts belied their well-earned top six position in the table as they struggled to pressure Nomads' full backs Tom Baker and Alan Hooley, but with Jamie Petrie and Collins controlling the flanks Rhos were constantly pegged back in their own half.

O'Toole completed his fifth treble of the season in trademark fashion in the 38th minute - racing beyond the sluggish home defence to meet Jones' high ball before coolly slotting past Rob Evans and into the bottom corner.

With the game all but over as a contest, Nomads took their foot off the pedal for the final moments of the half and it almost came to their cost when Mackin had to produce a wonder save to keep a free header out, before Baker cleared another goalbound header off the line.

The beginning of the second period was more subdued as Walters' charges struggled to test the Nomads defence, producing only wayward, distant efforts by Steve Powell and Darren Hignett.

But Rhos slowly began to pose a threat and were left to rue a decision not to award a 59th-minute penalty when leading scorer Mike Burke was bundled over by Ben Alston - in a carbon-copy of the spot kick the visitors were granted in the first half.

And their anger at the rebuttal was taken out on the Nomads goal shortly later when former Wrexham and Cefn Druids veteran Waynne Phillips somehow clipped the inside of the post with a free header, before Mackin was inexplicably caught holding onto the ball beyond the regulation time and the indirect free kick eventually found Dave MacIntyre who blazed wide.

With Rhos now on top, it came as a sucker punch when Nomads wrapped up the scoring with their first real chance of the half in the 72nd minute.

O'Toole confirmed his status as Man of the Match by mounting a quick counter-attack through the centre before squaring for McNutt on the edge of the area who had all the time in the world to pick his spot, and calmly curled into the bottom corner.

The final 20 minutes threatened to fall back into the pattern that preceeded the fourth goal, with Nomads, who later handed 17-year old Baxter another run-out, content to soak up the pressure dealt on them by a now desperate home side.

Mackin had to be alert to palm a close-range Burke effort around the post, then the same striker rolled the ball inches wide with Mackin grounded, but Forde and substitute Thurston tested Evans in the opposite goal as Mark McGregor's side finished as strongly as they started - sounding a clear warning to the Bangor dignitaries in attendance.

NOMADS: Louis Mackin, Ben Alston, Ben Collins, Tom Baker, Andy Alston, Rob Jones, Jamie Petrie, Alan Hooley, Gary O'Toole (George Baxter 84'), Danny Forde, Sam McNutt (Dean Thurston 74').

Substitutes not used: James McIntosh, Mark McGregor, Adam McGee.

Booked: -