Flashback – 10 years ago: O’Toole treble guides Nomads to derby victory

Connah’s Quay Nomads 4 (Gary O’Toole 3, 52 pen & 86 pen, Jamie Petrie 74)
Buckley Town 1 (Gareth Edwards 41)
Huws Gray Alliance
Friday 14th January 2011

On this date 10 years ago a Gary O’Toole hat-trick proved the difference as Nomads overcame Buckley in an intense local derby.

Hotshot striker O’Toole took his tally to 20 for the season to send the home side two points clear with a game in hand over title rivals Rhyl.

The Quay line-up saw Tom Baker replace the injured Ben Alston in the back line as Rob Jones was handed his first start since November – at the expense of Dean Thurston.

Nomads were a goal up inside three minutes. Jamie Petrie sent over a perfect low cross from the right wing that O’Toole converted at the far post.

Buckley were certainly out to prove themselves as an attacking force and looked dangerous when Anthony Williams and Neil Wynne were going forward.

The visitors’ wind-assisted corner kicks were proving troublesome and it was from such a set piece that the visitors equalised four minutes before the interval.

A right wing delivery was only partly cleared allowing tall centre-back Gareth Edwards to fire home from 12 yards, the ball going in off the underside of the bar.

Half-time: 1-1.

The visitors, buoyed by their goal, forced Nomads back in the early stages of the second half but it was the hosts that scored again after 52 minutes.

A fierce drive struck a Buckley hand and although O’Toole netted the rebound, referee Howie Farrell had blown for a penalty kick. O’Toole duly despatched to restore the advantage.

On the hour, however, Nomads were reduced to 10 men when Rob Jones was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Gareth Caughter.

The home side had to dig deep but were constantly spurred on by captain Craig Jones and it was no surprise when they took a 3-1 lead after 74 minutes.

Keeper Jamie Hulse kicked clear but his effort struck Jamie Petrie and ballooned into the air. With Hulse and his defenders out of position Petrie had only to wait for the ball to drop before firing into the unguarded net.

With Nomads by now on top, despite the numerical disadvantage, Buckley’s former Quay frontman Phil Molyneux was having to drop deeper in order to provide a service for his strike partners and to supplement the midfield efforts of Barry Calder, Caughter and skipper John Leonard. Nomads defenders were equal to all that was thrown at them.

The visitors did manage to hit the bar with a wind-assisted effort. but otherwise the hosts remained comfortable.

The points were sealed four minutes from time when last man Gareth Edwards upended Ben Collins in the ‘box and O’Toole grabbed the ball to ensure another hat-trick – sending Hulse the opposite way.

NOMADS: Adam McGee, Tommy Baker, Ben Collins, Mark McGregor, Andy Alston, Craig Jones, Jamie Petrie, Alan Hooley (Stuart Scheuber 73), Gary O’Toole (Dean Thurston 82), James McIntosh, Rob Jones.