Nomads off the mark at Bangor

The Nomads secured their first win of the 2016-17 Dafabet Welsh Premier League campaign with a 2-0 victory at Bangor City.  First half goals from Wes Baynes and Callum Morris were enough for The Nomads to take all three points on the Sunday afternoon.

The game was a highly anticipated as the pick of the weekend’s fixtures, as, for the first time, Andy Morrison’s Nomads faced Bangor who were also under a new administration and manager in Andy Legg.

With Ian Kearney and Danny Harrison suspended, The Nomads announced a lineup including John Disney and Tom Field, who was making his league debut for the club.  Les Davies started on the bench for The Nomads along with goalkeeper Jack Wynne who had been called up to the matchday squad.

The game began and it couldn’t have started any better for The Nomads, who scored after three minutes.  From a free kick 35 yards out, Wes Baynes stepped up and perfectly arrowed a strike beyond Connor Roberts in the Bangor goal.

Boosted by their early lead, The Nomads enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening stages.  Baynes sent a cross into the Bangor area where Tom Field sent a tame shot towards goal, with 'keeper Roberts dealing with it comfortably.

The hosts were setback by The Nomads’ early lead but far from stunned, with two corners earned by Bangor in the sixth and seventh minutes, dealt with by Disney and Danby respectively.

Callum Morris was the scorer of The Nomads’ second goal, which would have came earlier for The Nomads had his low diving header on 12 minutes not hit Connor Roberts' right post.

The Nomads were then dealt a blow when George Horan went down after a challenge with an injury to his ankle, and despite coming back onto the field he was replaced by Matty Owen on 19 minutes.

This substitution came seconds before Morris’ goal on 22 minutes as Nathan Woolfe sent a cross to the back post, where Morris met the ball with a firm volley into the Bangor goal to give The Nomads a two goal lead.

Recent signing Matty Williams played an active part in the game, nearly sending Nathan Woolfe through on goal with the pass just beyond The Nomads' winger. Williams was again involved just before half time when he nearly sent a header towards goal from inside the Bangor area, him and Wilde just missing out on the aerial assist.

Following three minutes of injury time during which Callum Morris had a shot blocked, the Nomads went in with their 2-0 lead intact at half time.

The second half was again met with an action packed start, when following a blocked shot for Jamie Reed of Bangor, Michael Wilde was brought down inside the Bangor area by Connor Roberts, forcing the referee to give a penalty.

Callum Morris stepped up and shot low to the left only to see his effort saved well by Roberts, who had kept his side in the game with over 30 minutes left for The Citizens to try and reduce the deficit.

Bangor had more chances following this lifeline, seen via the likes of Jamie Reed and new signing Henry Jones, who sent long range efforts at various intervals that were either just shy of the target or dealt with by Danby.

Perhaps the home side's biggest chance of the game came in the 69th minute when Brayden Shaw sent an effort just yards out from The Nomads’ goal, but it would not have counted regardless thanks a raised offside flag.

Changes were rung as the game entered its closing stages, with Les Davies coming on for Michael Wilde and Jay Owen, who forced off with a head injury, was replaced by Sean Smith.

Bangor were then reduced to ten men, when Christian Langos was shown a straight red card by referee David Morgan for a rash tackle on Nathan Woolfe.

For the remaining eight minutes, and four extra of injury time, The Nomads did well to contain play and retain possession with some great movement on the wing from the likes of Smith and Woolfe, the latter who may have scored in the final minute, going 20 yards out from the Bangor goal to shoot just over.

This was the final action of the game, confirming a great away win for Nomads, their first of the season. The win places them second in the league table, and sets them up for their return to the Deeside Stadium on Sunday 28 August when they play Newtown AFC for a 3:00pm kick off.

Match Photos

Match Report by Will Catterall