NOMADS goal hero Stuart Rain said today he was just glad to be in the team which delivered the shock of the Welsh Cup fourth round.
Three-times League of Wales champions Barry Town were unceremoniously dumped out of the Cup for the second year running by Connah's Quay, who knocked them out in the penultimate round last year.
And now the goal-getter believes that last year's beaten finalists can go one step better this time out.
Standing in their way in the final eight will be either Inter Cable-Tel or Swansea side Pontardawe.
But for now Rain is savouring his moment of glory, although he admits, it wasn't the best goal he's scored by a long chalk.
"It happened that quickly, but I started the move around the halfway and knocked the ball I think to Keno (Jon Kenworthy), and then it was Darren Wynne who tussled going into the box," Rain explained.
"The ball came over and I thought 'I'm getting to this' and it just hit my knee, thigh and everything else but I hit it with a second effort �p; just to make sure."
Midfielder Steve Futcher also hammered a superb free kick, which refused to dip enough, against the crossbar.
"We started well and I thought our luck might be in then," Rain added.
The front man has endured a stop-start season so far and with Dave O'Gorman signing from Swansea there is likely to be even more competition for places at the Deeside Stadium.
"Most pleasing thing for me was that I was playing at all," Rain added.
"I've not really been in the side but Nev gave me my chance and I took it.
"We went close last year even though I was disappointed not to be involved myself.
"We've raised our game for the top league sides and lost to the lower ones but we now can get into that top eight and into that FAW Premier Cup," Rain insisted.
Nomads assistant manager Gary Wynne was full of praise for midfielder and his man of the match Darren Wynne after Saturday's Welsh Cup victory.
And said that Quay knew they had the ability to overcome favourites Barry Town. "It was all about the way the lads applied themselves and we're very pleased as we had a few out," Wynne said.
"And Darren Wynne who came in for the suspended Craig Hutchison, was, for me, the man of the match.
"We had a game plan and held out to half-time after Jamie Hughes was sent off and we defended our half and let them have the ball in theirs and closed them down."
Wynne has now backed his players to get into the top eight in the league, starting with their first home league fixture at the Deeside Stadium since October this Saturday against possible Welsh Cup quarter final opponents Inter Cable-Tel.
"We said last week that anyone was going to beat Barry it would be us," Wynne added.
"We've got a lot of talented players in the club and feel out players are as talented as Barry just that they train full-time."
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This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first appeared in the Flintshire Evening Leader, 15.02.99
Match report of Barry Town v Connah's Quay Nomads, 13.02.99, Welsh Cup Fourth Round
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