Ground: Essity Stadium (capacity 1,000)
Location: Flint, Wales
Ticket price: £8 - Pay at the ground, cash only
Connah's Quay Nomads have emerged as one of Wales' top teams in recent years. Starting with a Welsh Cup win in the 2017/18 season, the Nomads proceeded to reach the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup, becoming the first non-Scottish side to do so. The following season saw them obtain their finest result in Europe, dispatching Kilmarnock 3-2 in a two-legged tie before going out to Partizan Belgrade in the following round. This season would see Connah's Quay win their first ever league title, a feat they accomplished the following season. Whilst TNS have since regained their foothold on the Cymru Premier Division, they will be living in fear that any mishap and the Nomads will be breathing down their necks. Connah's Quay currently play at the Essity Stadium, home of Flint Town, due to disputes over tenancy with the owners of the Deeside Stadium, their previous home.
The temperature in Flint was 0°c so I was relieved to discover that the walk to the Essity is a mere 6 minutes away. The Flint Town clubhouse can be found just outside, opposite Flint Castle, the town's main attraction. The castle was closed due to repairs but just behind it was a little pathway through greenery where wading birds could be found parading along the coastline. Large toadstools provided shelter for the insects that made Flintshire their home and plenty of dogs were on the loose, bounding along the boggy mire with an aire of bilthe and nonchalance.
Despite the cold and frosty conditions causing games up and down the country to be postponed, the volunteers at Flint Town worked assiduously to ensure that the game was on and credit has to go to their volunteers for that. I had planned to go watch Cymru North side Denbigh Town the night before, a ground of which fell victim to these foul conditions, so it was a relief to see that this fixure was still going ahead. The Nomads were facing Barry Town who currently sit in 9th place.
Christmas cheer filled the air as all the classics were played over the tanoy. Feed The World, Mistletoe and Wine, Proper Crimbo all licked the frosty airwaves as the two sides walked onto the pitch. Barry Town had also dressed for the occassion, wearing a limited edition Christmas themed kit, a kit I decided to purchase for myself...
And the gifts just kept raining down over the Essity Stadium as Connah's Quay ran out 7-0 winners over Barry Town, the biggest win in the Cymru Premier Division this season. The floodgates opened in the 14th minute as Callum Sainty diverted a low cross from Jordan Davies into his own net. Declan Poole's cross then found the head of the lanky Jack Kenny. guiding the ball past Luc Rees and into the far corner of the net. The half ended 2-0 to the Nomads and Barry Town didn't appear to have the answers to claw their way back into the game, such was the Nomads' miserly defending.
As one lone fan over in the far corner banged his drum and shouted, "Nomads", the two sides kicked off for the second half. Jack Kenny got the game's third goal in the 52nd minute, sliding the ball past Luc Rees from a tight angle and into the bottom corner. Manager Neil Gibson was rightfully furious with 'John', the 4th official, "He's fucking got away with one there!" he yelled. And he was right, the referee missed a stonewall penalty just before Kenny struck. Nomads 4th came after Harry Franklin bundled the ball home from close range after Luc Rees spilled the initial cross.
Nomads would get their 5th minutes later, Ryan Harrington walloping the ball from just outside the box into the bottom corner. Rees was poor for the previous two goals, but there was little he could do with that one. Jordan Davies got the game's 6th, another header after some brilliant work by Declan Poole, dribbling past two men before delivering a pinpoint cross. The 7th goal was an overhead kick scored by substitute Michael Wilde. Not quite Garnacho or Rooney, but enough to knock it past Luc Rees.
And that was the game. Connah's Quay were very clinical in front of goal but Steve Jenkins, the Barry Town manager will be disappointed with the manner of goals his side conceded. It's clear to me that one of Connah's Quay Nomads' main strengths is their wingplay and Barry Town's defence did a poor job in preventing balls from going into the box. The manner of the defeat will also have disappointed Jenkins, but he shouldn't take it to heart as I don't remember Luc Rees making a save, such was the quality of chance Connah's Quay created. Aside from the 3rd and 4th goal there was little the Barry Town keeper could have done.
Connah's Quay Nomads 7-0 Barry Town 02/12/23
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