Four Goal Haul Sees Nomads Top

Nomads returned to the top of the Huws Gray Alliance table with a resounding 4-0 victory against a Rhydymwyn side that approached their task from the first whistle with all the demeanour of a team already resigned to their fate.

Indeed, this latest defeat means financially-stricken Rhyd are relegated with three games still to play, whilst a professional Nomads began their final assault on the league title with ease - on a day that saw rivals Rhyl suffer their third defeat in four outings.

Mark McGregor sent out a rallying cry to his players, demanding they follow last weekend's heartbreaking Welsh Cup semi-final defeat against Bangor City with a charge for the league title, and the response was led by the player-manager himself - making his first start for over a month.

McGregor, who also welcomed captain Craig Jones back into the side at the expense of namesake Rob, fired Nomads into a perfect early lead with barely four minutes on the clock when he drove a low shot inside Leon Bimpson's near post after Sam McNutt had flicked on a famililar Andy Alston rocket throw. 

The early goal seemed to set the tone for the proceeding 86 minutes as the visitors piled on successive attacks on a floundering Rhyd defence, and the men in white only had a quarter of an hour to wait until their lead was doubled.

After former Bala Town stopper Bimpson had made a strong double save to deny first Ben Collins then Sam McNutt, who rattled in firm strikes in quick succession, a delightful through ball by the returning Jones played his midfield partner Danny Forde through with all the time in the world to pick his spot before firing low inside Bimpson's near post.

Nomads were not about to rest on their laurels in the hunt for pole position and so began the process of bombarding the home penalty area, which had enjoyed a very brief respite when Mark Pyatt blazed over Louis Mackin's crossbar at the other end.

First, Forde curled an effort goalwards which Bimpson punched out for Gary O'Toole to strike a volley into the path of two covering defenders, then Jamie Petrie and O'Toole combined to release Sam McNutt, but again Bimpson parried.

The Rhyd number one was, by now, impressing all observers with his heroic attempts to keep the scoreline respectful and he was soon called into action once more - palming a header from the back-pedalling Andy Alston over the bar after Jones had floated a ball forward.

Just shy of the half hour mark, a rare Rhyd foray into the Nomads half saw Jake Gibbons twist, turn and flick the ball over a covering defender before dragging his shot across Mackin's goal from a tight angle.

Two minutes later, though, the third goal that was threatening to kill off the hosts' challenge duly arrived as another clever lofted pass by Jones found Petrie, who raced inside the area from the right channel to smash his effort in - via the inside of the near post.

With the job at hand seemingly complete inside half an hour, the high-flying visitors rolled into an exhibition style of football which bore stark similarities with the 4-0 victory at Rhos Aelwyd in their last league appearance, in which they also led by three at the break. 

The first half petered out with a Sam Heenan shot that cleared Mackin's goal at one end, and a Ben Collins wayward cross at the other, just as Nomads were looking to end another flowing move with another goal.

The second half began with an air of unfortunate familiarity for Rhyd and, in particular Bimpson, when the impressive Forde launched a 25-yard piledriver towards goal, but fortunately for the home side the ball cannoned back off the woodwork - something with which Nomads themselves would become familiar as the half wore on.

Rhyd had their moments in the early stages of the second period, though, with two successive Ashley Garside free kicks producing half-chances for Dean Hughes - whose far post header clipped the top of the bar - and for Garside himself who blazed high and wide.

The doomed hosts never looked like troubling the scoresheet, in truth, and McGregor took the opportunity to withdraw himself and his captain Jones midway through the half, with Tommy Baker and Stuart Scheuber entering the fray in like-for-like personnel swaps.

Nomads warmed to the 'exhibition' nature of proceedings by experimenting ahead of an impending week of two home games that may well decide the destination of the league championship, and they abandoned their traditional 3-5-2 setup for the recently favoured 4-4-2 system - a change that moved Alan Hooley from a midfield three to left back, behind Collins, whilst Baker completed the backline.

Nomads' midfield foursome was now attack-minded as Forde and Scheuber pushed forward through the middle, allowing Rhyd to gain a foothold without particularly taking advantage of a period of possessional dominance.

As it was, the hosts' penalty area continued to endure relentless pressure as tricky winger Petrie saw his drive take a wicked deflection before being pushed out by Bimpson, with Collins' follow-up cross cleared into touch by an overworked Rhyd defence. 

Any shred of doubt of another Nomads goal was eradicated with 20 minutes remaining when Forde met Scheuber's corner to unleash a thunderous first-time strike high into the top corner - capping off an impressive individual display from the fit-again midfield man with his second goal of the afternoon.

Nomads played out the closing stages with long-distance shooting practise as substitute Dean Thurston, who had replaced McNutt moments before the final goal, fired straight at Bimpson from distance before Petrie hit the foot of the post on two seperate occasions - the first via another wicked deflection.

At the other end, Rhyd's lacklustre afternoon, and indeed season, was summed up by Heenan's glaring miss to save the stranded Mackin's blushes, then by Garside's tame free kick into Mackin's hands with the final kick of the game.

NOMADS: Louis Mackin, Ben Alston, Ben Collins, Mark McGregor (Tommy Baker 54'), Andy Alston, Craig Jones (Stuart Scheuber 57'), Jamie Petrie, Alan Hooley, Gary O'Toole, Danny Forde, Sam McNutt (Dean Thurston 68').

Substitutes not used: James McIntosh, Rob Jones. 

Booked: -