After returning to the top of the table last night, Andy Morrison’s Connah’s Quay are showing they have the hallmarks to see the job out, writes Matthew Burgess.
Sometimes in football certain performances are worth more than three points. Last night’s win over Bala Town might just be one of those occasions for Connah’s Quay as they continued their title pursuit by pulling out a late 1-0 win against a resolute Bala Town.
With the game heading towards a stablemate, Connah’s Quay found a goal from an unlikely source with an 89th-minute winner coming from an unlikely source in young Conor Harwood, who came off the bench to net his first senior goal for the club he has played at since the age of 14.
Now back two points clear with just six more games remaining, the finishing line is almost within sight for the Nomads. Not only back in pole-position, Connah’s Quay are showing that they bear the hallmarks of a championship winning side and can go on to prise the Welsh Premier League title out of The New Saints’ grip.
Young Harwood’s goal could prove to be a huge moment in the Nomads’ campaign when they look back and reflect at the end of this fascinating season at the top of the table. It’s occasions such as last night’s dramatic victory, when teams are able to dig team and somehow find a way to turn one point in three, that become reminisced as key moments in successful title challenges.
Encouragingly from a Nomads’ perspective, is the growing evidence that Andy Morrison call rely on the depth of his squad to change things to find the winning formula. Morrison introduced both Rob Hughes and Jake Owen at half-time against Bala and it was those two players that combined in the passage of play which allowed Morrison’s third substitute, Harwood, to score. It couldn’t have come off any better and the squad have shown that Morrison can have faith beyond his immediate regular starting eleven as they continue to compete for silverware on three different fronts as WPL challengers, Irn-Bru Cup finalists and a Welsh Cup quarter final date with Caernarfon Town on Friday night.
You suspect the next few weeks will become agonising for Connah’s Quay fans with their team so close, yet so far from the Welsh Premier League title. Rivals The New Saints do possess a game in hand and the two sides are still to meet twice in that final run of games, while Barry Town stubbornly refuse to go away. It would appear that it will be those two crunch fixtures against The New Saints that will determine this year’s title race, but Connah’s Quay will be feeling invincible right now and will have the mindset that they can see the job out.
If Connah’s Quay don’t go on to win the title, they have certainly put up one hell of a fight.
| 1 | Connah’s Quay Nomads | 26 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 69 | 27 | 42 | 55 |
| 2 | The New Saints | 25 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 73 | 14 | 59 | 53 |
| 3 | Barry Town United FC | 25 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 43 | 36 | 7 | 49 |
| 4 | Newtown | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 44 | 40 | 4 | 40 |
| 5 | Caernarfon Town | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 38 | 38 | 0 | 37 |
| 6 | Bala Town | 24 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 45 | 41 | 4 | 35 |
| 7 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 36 |
| 8 | Aberystwyth Town | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 34 | 49 | -15 | 34 |
| 9 | Cefn Druids | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 30 | 44 | -14 | 28 |
| 10 | Carmarthen Town AFC | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 35 | 46 | -11 | 27 |
| 11 | Llandudno FC | 26 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 25 | 52 | -27 | 18 |
| 12 | Llanelli Town AFC | 26 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 81 | -56 | 16 |
