Connah’s Quay Nomads Under-19s win league title, women’s team finish second

Congratulations to Connah’s Quay Nomads – Genero Adran North Under-19 champions 2023-24.

The Deesiders wrapped up the title with a 5-0 away victory over The New Saints Under-19s on Good Friday.

Quay have won seven out of nine league games, their only defeat a home 4-0 loss to TNS, but they have turned over Saints 5-0 twice at Park Hall, including on the night they clinched the championship.

Several of the under-19 squad have made the breakthrough into the women’s first team who finished runners-up in Genero Adran North.

Friday’s battle stood goalless at half time, some fine stops from TNS keeper Lois Jones keeping the scoresheet blank.

Two minutes into the second half came the breakthrough, Alisha Wright heading a Sophie Rawling cross into the net.

In typical style, Rawling made it 2-0 on 53 minutes via a thunderous free kick.

Polly Wild-McGregor added a third with 62 gone, applying a calm finish after latching onto a through ball from Meg Andrews.

McGregor added her second on 84 and Wright completed the rout by making it a personal brace before the final whistle.

HOW THE TITLE WAS WON

Sep 15: Airbus UK Broughton (h) 3-1 (Anais Bathily, Phoebe Ellis, Polly Wild McGregor)
Oct 6: Wrexham (h) 5-3 (Elana Harley 3, Ellis, Bathily)
Oct 27: TNS (a) 5-0 (Alisha Wright 3, Ellis 2)
Nov 17: TNS (h) 0-4
Jan 26: Airbus (h) 4-0 (Bathily 2, Ellis, Emily Hughes-Jones)
Feb 16: Wrexham (a) 0-0
Mar 1: Wrexham (h) 2-1 (Alisha Whitehead-Hughes, Megan Andrews)
Mar 13: Airbus (a) 5-0 (Whitehead-Hughes, Wright, Aimee Redfern, Kylie Jones, Sophie Rawling)
Mar 29: TNS (a) 5-0 (Wright 2, Wild-McGregor 2, Rawling)

GOALS (29)

6 – Alisha Wright
5 – Phoebe Ellis
4 – Anais Bathily
3 – Elana Harley, Polly Wild-McGregor
2 – Sophie Rawling, Alisha Whitehead-Hughes
1 – Emily Hughes-Jones, Megan Andrews, Aimee Redfern, Kylie Jones

GENERO ADRAN NORTH

Connah’s Quay Nomads 9 (Wright 3, Whitehead-Hughes. Rawling, Andrews, Hughes-Jones, Harley, Kural)
Airbus UK Broughton 0

Nomads will finish the 2023-24 Tier 2 Genero Adran North season in second spot.

Fourth in the league’s inaugural 2021-22 campaign, the Quay were runners-up last term and have matched that achievement this season.

After winning their first six games in the current season, Nomads looked well set for title glory, but a disastrous 4-0 home defeat to CPDM Y Felinheli on January 14 derailed them, further losses to Llandudno and CPDM Y Rhyl 1879 killing off their challenge.

Nomads have bounced back by ending the season with three straight wins, including a 9-0 demolition of bottom side Airbus on Sunday.

Alisha Wright followed up her double on Friday night in a 5-0 win at TNS which clinched the Under-19s their title, by knocking in a hat-trick two days later against the Wingmakers.

Alisha Whitehead-Hughes, Sophie Rawling, Megan Andrews, Emily Hughes-Jones, Elana Harley and Kirstie Kural added a goal apiece.

Nomads still have Airbus to play in the NEWFA Challenge Cup Final on May 12.