A look at the Nomads� fortunes in 1998-99
Date Comp. Opposition Venue Result Scorers 22.08 LoW Rhyl A 2-1 Smyth, C.Davies 29.08 LoW Rhayader Town H 4-1 Hughes 3, A.Thomas 08.09 LoW Bangor City A 2-0 Edge, C.Davies 12.09 LoW Barry Town H 0-3 14.09 FAW.C Cwmbran Town A 2-2 Hughes, P.Jones 19.09 LoW Carmarthen Town A 2-6 Hughes 2 23.09 GLC1 Total Network Solutions A 1-1 Edge 26.09 LoW Aberystwyth Town H 0-0 29.09 FAW.C Inter Cabletel A 2-3 Hughes, Kenworthy 03.10 LoW Afan Lido H 0-0 07.10 FAW.C Cwmbran Town H 1-1 Smyth 10.10 LoW Inter Cabletel A 1-1 C.Davies 13.10 GLC1r Total Network Solutions H 1-3 17.10 FAW.C Inter Cabletel H 0-3 31.10 LoW Conwy United A 3-1 Futcher 2, Hughes 14.11 LoW Caernarfon Town A 1-1 Hughes 21.11 WC3 Newtown H 2-2 25.11 WC3r Newtown A 1-0 Hughes 27.11 LoW Caersws A 0-2 08.12 FAW.C Newtown A 1-2 Thomas 12.12 LoW Total Network Solutions A 0-2 26.12 LoW Holywell Town A 0-0 16.01 LoW Barry Town A 0-1 18.01 FAW.C Newtown H 1-2 Hughes 23.01 LoW Carmarthen Town H 0-2 30.01 LoW Aberystwyth Town A 1-2 Hughes 06.02 LoW Afan Lido A 3-1 Hughes 2, RaineThe season of 1998-99 will be written in the annals of Connah�s Quay Nomads football club as a year of �What Ifs�. Right at the very start of the year, everything looked so sunny for the Deeside club - a new ground, the 400 seater Deeside Stadium, and top of the League of Wales after only three weeks. Add a pinch of Premier Cup action, and the opportunity to build upon a Welsh Cup final appearance, and you�re looking at a good season, aren�t you?
Unfortunately, the dreams for 98-99 have turned slightly sour, but today is the day the Nomads will be hoping to put their season back on track.
The Nomads� season began with a series of friendlies, and the opening of their new Deeside Stadium, with more than 750 turning up to watch them play English Third Division side, Chester City.
Their League of Wales season started well back in August, with a visit to their former landlords, Rhyl. There, a 2-1 win sufficed, with Carl Smyth scoring a 59th minute equaliser for the Nomads and Chris Davies scoring the clincher with twelve minutes to go.
That continued the following week, with 393 people turning up for their opening competitive match at the Deeside Stadium against Rhayader Town. They were rewarded with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over the mid-Walian side. Jamie Hughes was the star of the day with a hat-trick. The 21-year old scored the opener after 13 minutes and made it 2-0 when he added another goal after 28 minutes. Andy Thomas made it 3-0 before half-time, and as they came back out for the second half, Hughes scored again for Nomads� fourth.
That high was added to when Connah�s Quay got revenge over their Welsh Cup opponents, Bangor City. Two second half goals, one from Chris Edge after 68 minutes, and the other from Chris Davies with eight minutes left, gave them a satisfying win over the side who inflicted Nomads worst ever LoW defeat - an 8-0 thrashing back in 1995.
The stage was set for a classic match when Barry visited the Deeside Stadium, with the Nomads on top of the LoW and the champions languishing in mid-table. However, Barry pulled out all of the stops and the home fans in the 591 crowd were disappointed as Barry went home 3-0 winners.
The Nomads started their Premier Cup Group C campaign two days later with a 2-2 draw against Cwmbran Town. Jamie Hughes and Paul Jones scored the goals to earn them a point.
Worse was to follow a week later, as Connah�s Quay made the long trip to Carmarthen in South-West Wales. Jamie Hughes scored a seventh minute goal, but that and his 87th minute strike were only consolations as the Nomads slipped to a 6-2 defeat.
Connah�s Quay were drawn away against Total Network Solutions in the Gilbert League Cup. Chris Edge scored the Nomads only goal, as the game went to a replay.
Connah�s Quay drew their next two League of Wales games, at home to Aberystwyth Town and Afan Lido.
They also traveled to South Wales for a Premier Cup game against Inter Cabletel, losing 3-2 despite a goal from Jamie Hughes and a 40-yard strike from Jon Kenworthy.
Playing Inter in Cardiff again, this time in the LoW, they drew 1-1, with Chris Davies finding the net after 15 minutes for the equaliser.
Two cup games in a row went disastrously, though, as the Nomads were knocked out of the Gilbert League Cup with a 3-1 defeat in the replay against TNS, before a 3-0 defeat in yet another match against Inter Cabletel. That was the return game in the Premier Cup.
However, only one further match was to be played on the Deeside Stadium pitch in the following three months, as problems began to occur with surface water. This has meant that a number of home matches were cancelled, leaving the Nomads with a number of home games in hand and in a false position in the table.
The Nomads were in League of Wales action at Conwy at the end of October, where they got their first win for nearly two months. Steve Futcher scored twice, after 34 and 78 minutes, with Jamie Hughes adding the third goal in their 3-1 win at the Morfa.
A Jamie Hughes goal on thehour earnt Connah�s Quay a point at the Oval in a 1-1 draw with Caernarfon.
Drawn at home against Newtown in the Welsh Cup Third Round, the Nomads drew 2-2 in the match, but in the replay at Latham Park four days later, a fourth minute goal from Jamie Hughes was enough to see them through.
However, the Nomads then went five League of Wales games without scoring a goal. The first of those was when visiting Caersws on a Friday night in November, and lost 2-0.
The Premier Cup visit to Latham Park wasn�t so pleasant for the Nomads with a 2-1 defeat to the Robins. Barry Thomas, now at Bangor, scored the consolation goal.
Connah�s Quay had another disappointing League of Wales trip to mid-Wales a fortnight later, losing 2-0 to Total Network Solutions in Llansantffraid, while the Boxing Day derby between the Nomads and local rivals Holywell Town ended in a goalless draw, but at least a point for both sides.
Into the New Year, their home match with Rhyl was another game which had to be cancelled as a result of the pitch at Kelsterton College, and, ironically, following all of their postponements, a week later, they were the side left without a game in the fixture list.
The Nomads first game of the New Year was therefore their League of Wales game at Jenner Park, which ended as a 1-0 victory to Barry.
Connah�s Quay finished theit Premier Cup campaign with another 2-1 defeat to Newtown. Jamie Hughes scored the consolation goal in a match which was played at Rhyl�s Belle Vue ground.
Back at Rhyl again, the Nomads also went down to a 2-0 defeat from Carmarthen Town, who became the second side to inflict a double on Connah�s Quay.
However, on their travels at Park Avenue, the Nomads finally broke their scoring duck in the LoW, although Jamie Hughes� 53rd minute goal wasn�t enough for a point as they went down 2-1.
Last Saturday, though, Connah�s Quay took all three points when they visited Afan Lido. Stuart Raine scored the Nomads opening goal in the first half, latching onto a cross from the right, while two goals in the last ten minutes from Jamie Hughes, with a spectacular finish for his first goal, gave Nomadsa 3-1 win, and an important psychological boost for today�s match.
the Yellow Dragon.
CONNAH�S QUAY NOMADS APPEARANCES THIS SEASON SO FAR
(League of Wales only - maximum 17)
player Full Appearance Subs. Goals John ALLEN 4 0 0 Mike CARROLL 11 5 0 Phil COLLISTER 17 0 0 Chris DAVIES 4 8 2 Neil DAVIES 3 4 1 Chris EDGE 10 1 1 Dave EVANS 1 0 0 Neil FISHER 4 1 1 Steve FUTCHER 11 1 2 Carl HUGHES 4 0 0 Jamie HUGHES 17 0 10 Craig HUTCHINSON 11 0 0 Jamie JARDINE 16 0 0 Paul JONES 6 3 0 Jon KENWORTHY 17 0 0 Ricky LAMPKIN 1 8 0 Chris McGINN 0 1 0 Stuart RAIN 5 5 1 Carl SMYTH 17 0 1 Andy THOMAS 17 0 1 Barry THOMAS 6 3 0 Darren WYNNE 5 10 0 Gary WYNNE 0 1 0
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This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first published in the Barry Town Matchday Magazine v Connah's Quay Nomads, Welsh Cup Round Four, 13.02.99
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