Nomads come back from dead to steal a point and maintain unbeaten run

CYMRU PREMIER LEAGUE – NOVEMBER 18, 2022

Connah’s Quay Nomads 3 (Nash 69, Malkin 74 & 90+4)
Caernarfon Town 3 (O’Rourke 10, Faux 50, Marsh-Hughes 65)

After 11 straight wins in all competitions in which they had conceded just two goals, surely one of the least likely scorelines expected from Connah’s Quay Nomads on Friday night would have been 3-3.

Even more of a surprise would have been seeing these Deeside defensive rocks have to come back from 3-0 down to salvage a point.

Yet all this happened in a quite extraordinary Cymru Premier League game.

Both teams will have come off the field with mixed feelings.

Nomads were no doubt delighted to preserve their unbeaten run thanks to a 94th minute equaliser in a game where Neil Gibson’s side showed their true battling qualities.

But having dominated the match for the most part, such rarely seen defensive frailties leading to the concession of three goals will have disappointed the Quay camp.

Caernarfon, meanwhile, would have gladly settled for a draw beforehand yet having been 3-0 up before the 69th minute, they will probably see the final outcome as two points dropped.

The Canaries took a 10th minute lead when a deep corner from the left led to Fidel O’Rourke timing his jump best to nod in at the back post.

Nomads rallied, George Horan’s header from a Ryan Harrington cross hitting the top of the crossbar.

Ryan Stratulis’ whipped effort was palmed away well by Josh Tibbetts, who seconds later performed marvels to tip over Mike Wilde’s header from a John Disney cross.

Stratulis was denied by another tremendous Tibbetts stop before Caernarfon almost added a second, O’Rourke’s header dropping inches wide over a stricken Andy Firth.

HALF-TIME: 0-1

Five minutes into the second half, Town went two-up when Joe Faux cut in from the right and drilled a left-foot beauty into the bottom corner.

Back came the hosts. Horan foiled by a Tibbetts wonder stop before Stratulis’ dipping volley missed by a fraction.

Some dreadful home defending cost them a third goal on 65 minutes. Sion Bradley’s cross was headed back into the danger zone by the hosts and Lloyd Marsh-Hughes had the easiest of tasks to nod in.

Home manager Gibson then brought on Joe Malkin for Mike Hayes – and what a masterstroke it proved to be.

Nomads pulled one back just before the 70-minute mark as Stratulis’ inswinging corner was turned home by Ben Nash.

When Malkin’s beautifully-timed header from a Callum Bratley cross made it 3-2 on 74 minutes, it truly was game on.

Quay launched attack after attack, but the heroics of Tibbetts initially suggested everything would be in vain.

However, in the 94th minute, Harry Franklin launched one last high delivery into the box, under-pressure Tibbetts could not collect and Malkin forced the loose ball over the line.

Hardly a goal of the month contender, but the Nomads were not complaining.