Flashback – 15 years ago: Victory at the lucky 13th attempt for Nomads !

Connah’s Quay Nomads 3 (Pinch 2, O’Toole)
Airbus UK Broughton 0
Welsh Premier League – November 25, 2005

Imagine Connah’s Quay Nomads failing to register a win in their first 12 games of a Welsh Premier season.

It wouldn’t happen nowadays to the current champions for sure !

But back in 2005-06 the Deesiders suffered a nightmare start to the campaign which only ended in late November when they recorded a first league victory at the 13th attempt, beating local rivals Airbus 3-0 at the Deeside Stadium.

Although Nomads had most of the early pressure, two former players combined to create a chance for the Wingmakers when Steve Hopkins fed Steve Futcher who tested keeper Paul Smith from 20 yards.

Some of Neville Powell’s new boys were prominent, with Martin Robinson firing two 25-yard free kicks over the bar, before Phil Molyneux’s long throw was headed past Adam McGee from eight yards out by Gary Pinch.

our minutes before the break, Ben Heath released Gary O’Toole and the former Coventry City youth fired home between the Airbus keeper’s legs.

O’Toole was a prolific goalscorer for The Nomads in his time at Deeside, netting 96 goals in 115 (+15) appearances.

He left the club for Bangor City in 2012, but returned to the Deeside Stadium in September 2013. Following a 17 month spell back with Quay, O’Toole left to sign for Conwy Borough.

David Hughes and Craig Jones went close for the visitors either side of the interval, while Conall Murtagh blasted over for Nomads and set up Ryan Crawford, who saw his effort brilliantly saved by McGee.

Leigh Williams gave Quay a wake-up call when he rattled the crossbar, but the points were safely in the bag when Pinch grabbed his second with a tap-in after Heath’s 25-yard free-kick also came off the bar.

Nomads: Paul Smith, Alan Morgan, Liam Brownhill, Craig Hutchinson, Gary Pinch, Danny Jellicoe, Ben Heath, Conall Murtagh, Martin Robinson, Gary O’Toole, Ryan Crawford. Subs: Phil Molyneux, Stuart Rain, Chris Williams, Daniel Stanton.

Report courtesy of welsh-premier.com