Heartbreak for Nomads as play-off final is turned on its head
ADRAN LEAGUES PROMOTION PLAY-OFF FINAL
Connah’s Quay Nomads 2 (Wild-McGregor 43, Kendrick-Jones 45+2)
Pontypridd United 3 (Hindmarsh 46, Fenton 82, Wheeler 83)
Heartbreak for Nomads after they lost a 2-0 half time lead and finished up beaten by their Premier bound South Wales opponents.
Today’s play-off final at Latham Park, Newtown saw Connah’s Quay take a while to settle and it was Pontypridd who made the better start.
Three times inside the first 20 minutes, the Adran North champions were indebted to keeper Molly France for superb one-on-one saves to deny Lauren Payne, Libby Emmanuel and Quianna Wheeler.
However, Quay steadily imposed themselves on the game, Hannah Slack firing over seconds after a decent penalty shout before Anna Marsh’s free kick from 20 yards flew beyond the bar.
In the 37th minute a wonderful pass from Marsh put Polly Wild-McGregor in on goal, but Ameila Forkings in the Ponty goal produced a great save.
France produced more brave heroics to block from sub Faye Marshall. There was a hold-up in play so Marshall could have treatment and United claimed their player had been fouled.
Perhaps that incident affected the Adran South title-winners’ concentration, as seconds after play restarted they were a goal down.
Marsh threaded another magical pass from midfield and Adran North top-scorer Wild-McGregor confidently slipped the ball past Forkings to break the deadlock.
Two minutes into added time, things got even better for the Deesiders.
Poppy Kendrick-Jones dazzled with her skills before hitting a magnificent shot from outside the box which flew into the net.
Half-time: Nomads 2 Pontypridd 0
There could hardly have been a more dramatic start to the second half.
Shannon Hindmarsh, who had only just come on as a substitute for the injured Marshall, got her head to a Nicole Fenton corner to put Ponty back in the game.
It should have been 2-2 on 54 minutes when Payne was free in the box, rounded France, but from an angle could only find the side-netting.
Nomads had a chance for a third after 65 when Ella Jones broke forward at pace, but wrongly chose to pass to Wild-McGrgor, who found the net but was offside.
The final turned on its head with two goals in a minute.
On 82, former Llandudno star Madison Williams crossed low into the box and Fenton turned on a sixpence before slotting in the equaliser.
Seconds later, it was 3-2 to Ponty when Wheeler found the net.
Sub Phoebe Ellis missed an opportunity for the equaliser, firing straight at the keeper, before Fenton went close to a fourth for United.
Pontypridd saw the game out well and sealed a return to the top flight after one season’s absence.
NOMADS
Molly France
Polly Wild-McGregor (c)
Nicole Samson (Sophie Hodson 65)
Ella Jones
Evie Chard
Megan Andrews (Mae Hodgers 65)
Anna Marsh
Hannah Slack (Phoebe Ellis 73)
Natasha Spearing
Tia Lockley
Poppy Kendrick-Jones (Alisha Whitehead-Hughes 89)
SUBS
Aimee Redfern
Alisha Whitehead-Hughes