Date Comp. Opposition Venue Result Scorers 22.08 LoW Connah's Quay H 1-2 Webster 29.08 LoW Caernarfon Town H 0-1 06.09 LoW Cwmbran Town H 1-4 Pickthall 12.09 LoW Caersws A 1-3 o.g 19.09 LoW Rhayader Town H 3-1 Steel, Langley, Millington 23.09 GLC1 Caernarfon Town A 1-2 Sumner 26.09 LoW Total Network Sol A 0-6 03.10 LoW Newtown H 3-3 Gierke, Abercrombie, Murphy 10.10 LoW Bangor City A 1-4 Abercrombie 17.10 WC2 Denbigh Town H 5-4 Steel 3, Pickthall, A Jones 24.10 LoW Holywell Town H 5-2 A Jones 2, Abercrombie 2, Steel 31.10 LoW Haverfordwest Co A 2-5 Meehan, Abercrombie 03.11 FAWgpA Bangor City A 1-3 Mutton 14.11 LoW Barry Town H 0-6 17.11 FAWgpA Bangor City H 2-1 Murphy 2 21.11 WC3 Flint Town United H 2-2 Steel, Simms 25.11 WC3r Flint Town United A 1-1 Abercrombie (lost 5-4 on penalties) 28.11 LoW Carmarthen Town A 2-1 Urqhuart, A.Jones 05.12 LoW Aberystwyth Town H 1-0 Clench 08.12 FAWgpA Merthyr Tydfil H 1-1 Hayder 12.12 LoW Afan Lido A 1-2 Pickthall 15.12 FAWgpA Merthyr Tydfil A 1-2 Currier 19.12 LoW Inter Cabletel H 1-2 Millington 05.01 FAWgpA Cardiff City H 0-4 08.01 LoW Caernarfon Town A 0-3 16.01 LoW Caersws H 1-1 A Jones 23.01 LoW Rhayader Town A 2-1 Curtiss, Sumner 27.01 LoW Conwy United A 1-2 Prior 30.01 LoW Total Network Sol H 0-3 06.02 LoW Newtown A 1-2 Hayder 10.02 FAWgpA Cardiff City H 2-3 Patterson, Hayder 20.02 LoW Bangor City H 1-2 Hayder 26.02 LoW Holywell Town A 3-0 Curtiss, Pickthall, Urqhuart 06.03 LoW Haverfordwest Co H 1-2 Millington 10.03 LoW Cwmbran Town A 1-6 Curtiss
It was the same outcome a week later, when entertaining Caernarfon at Belle Vue, with their fellow North Walians winning 1-0.
Rhyl finally took their first points of the season a week later, when Rhayader visited North Wales. Rhyl won 3-1 with goals coming from Tim Steel, Kevin Langley and Scott Millington.
Unfortunately, that run didn't continue, with a 2-1 away defeat at Caernarfon Town in the Gilbert League Cup first round being followed by a 6-0 hammering away at Total Network Solutions, managed by former Rhyl boss, Dr.Andy Cale. Leighton Sumner scored the Lilywhite's consolation in the Gilbert Cup game.
However, that was followed by a heavy 4-1 defeat away to local rivals Bangor City. Abercrombie was again on target for Rhyl.
Rhyl entertained Cymru Alliance side, Denbigh Town, in the third round, and the game turned out to be far tighter than expected, with Rhyl scoring twice late on to win 5-4. Tim Steel scored a hat-trick for the Lilywhites, while Adie Jones and Stuart Pickthall also helped to earn the win. Despite that, Rhyl manager, Dean Martin, who had been in charge for 8 months, decided to resign his post.
Ironically, that was followed by the club's best win for some time - a 5-1 hammering of nearby Holywell Town. Adie Jones scored twice in the win, as did Simon Abercrombie, with Tim Steel finding the net for the fifth goal.
It didn't continue, though, and the Lilywhites slumped to a 5-2 defeat to Haverfordwest County a week later. Meehan and Abercrombie scored the two consolation goals.
Following that game, Adie Jones was installed as the new manager of Rhyl, but it was a baptism of fire for Jones, with his opening game in charge being the home defeat against Barry. The champions won 6-0, and Rhyl sunk to the bottom of the table on goal difference.
More hope was taken from the following midweek win over Bangor in the Premier Cup, though. Despite going a goal behind, Lee Murphy's two goals earnt Rhyl victory.
After that, though, Rhyl found themselves as the only League of Wales side to be defeated by a feeder league club in the Welsh Cup. Drawing at home 2-2 with Flint, and goals from Tim Steel and Mark Simms, the replay ended in a further draw, with Abercrombie scoring to make it 1-1. Rhyl went on to lose 5-4 on penalties.
Again, though, Rhyl came back strongly and took all three points at Carmarthen, with Urqhuart and Jones scoring the goals.
That was followed by a 1-1 draw with Merthyr Tydfil in the Premier Cup, with Troy Hayder scoring the goal.
Disappointment followed, though, with two away defeats in South Wales. At Afan Lido, a Stuart Pickthall penalty was part of a 2-1 defeat, while it was the same scoreline at Merthyr Tydfil a few days later, with Damien Currier finding the net.
Another 2-1 defeat rounded off 1998 for the Lilywhites. That was a home defeat to Inter Cabletel, with Scott Millington scoring Rhyl's goal.
A point was earnt against Caersws, though, in a 1-1 draw. Adie Jones found the net for that point. That was followed by all three against Rhayader, with Rhyl doing their first double of the season. Gary Curtiss scored the first goal in the 2-1 win, with Sumner's 90th minute goal securing the points.
However, that game was followed by a series of defeats. The first of those was the rearranged Boxing Day clash against Conwy United, with Rhyl losing 2-1 at the Morfa, despite Lee Prior's goal.
They also faced defeat at home to Total Network Solutions, losing 3-0 to the Llansantffraid based side.
Rhyl were very unlucky against Cardiff in the Premier Cup, losing 3-2. Phil Patterson put the Lilywhites ahead after just 3 minutes, while Troy Hayder equalised midway through the second half.
That was followed by a further defeat at the hands of Bangor City. Rhyl took the lead through Hayder at Belle Vue, but the Blues won 2-1.
Victory finally came though with a double over Holywell. On a Friday night at Halkyn Road, Rhyl scored through Curtiss, Pickthall and Gary Urqhuart in a 3-0 victory.
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This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first published in the Barry Town Matchday Magazine, v Rhyl, League of Wales, 27.03.1999.
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