Saints Suffer Title Setback After Defeat At Home To Nomads

Match Report

Goals: Brobbel (24)
Yellow cards: Redmond (31), Spender (35)
Substitutions: Roscrow for Robles (57), Draper for Clark (60), Mullan for Spender (67)

Match report by Sam Wood

The New Saints suffered a blow in their bid to regain the JD Cymru Premier title, after a heavy 4-1 defeat against Connah’s Quay Nomads at Park Hall.

A first-half Mike Wilde hat-trick gave Anthony Limbrick’s side a mountain to climb at the break, before Jamie Insall added to their woes 13 minutes into the second half.

The result means that The Saints drop back into second position in the JD Cymru Premier, as the Nomads open up a three point gap at the top, with just five matches remaining.

It took just eight minutes for the game’s first goal to arrive, and it was former TNS man, Mike Wilde, who came back to haunt his former employers.

The Nomads striker got away from the covering Blaine Hudson on the edge of the six-yard box, and connected with Declan Poole’s well placed cross to head his side into the lead.

Down the other end, Ryan Brobbel had an effort deflected wide minutes after the opener, before Adrian Cieslewicz fired wide under pressure from defenders.

Limbrick’s side continued to push for their equaliser and the Nomads goalkeeper, Oliver Byrne, pulled off a superb one-handed save to keep out a Louis Robles header with 20 minutes gone.

Just four minutes later though, The Saints were back in the match, and it was Ryan Brobbel who produced a moment of magic to score.

After some good footwork in the crowded penalty area, the Northern Ireland Under-21 international looked up, spotted a gap to the goalkeeper’s right, and finished superbly into the bottom corner to haul his side back into the match..

However it didn’t last long, as Andy Morrison’s team regained the lead on the half hour mark. It was Wilde causing problems for the TNS defence again, and he finished first time after connecting with Insall’s header back across the box to restore his side’s lead.

The visitors continued to fashion chances and could’ve gone further ahead in first-half stoppage time, were it not for a superb save from Paul Harrison to deny Insall a close-range header.

But just when it looked like The Saints would go into the break trailing by just the one goal, disaster struck in the third minute of added time, when Wilde completed his hat-trick.

It was Disney this time who sent a dangerous ball into the middle, and as before, Wilde got away from the covering defenders to head home from close range once again and put his side in complete control of the match.

Knowing the importance of hitting back quickly, The Saints started the second-half on the front foot, and Blaine Hudson sent a header wide with 54 minutes played.

It didn’t take long for the game to settle back into the same pattern as before though, as with 57 minutes on the clock, The Nomads added a fourth goal. 

Jamie Insall got on the end of Chris Marriott’s headed ball back towards his own goalkeeper, leaving him with an easy finish from close range to put the result beyond doubt.

Limbrick’s side tried in vain to get themselves back into the match, but it was to no avail, and they were even denied a late consolation goal with seven minutes to play, when Byrne pulled off a good save to deny Greg Draper from the penalty spot.

The result means that it’s advantage Connah’s Quay Nomads in the title race once again, with the two sides set to square off again at the Deeside Stadium next Saturday.