Connah’s Quay Nomads won a lively encounter over Cardiff Met at the Cyncoed Campus to move back top of the Welsh Premier League.
Two first-half goals from Callum Morris and Declan Poole and one in the second half from Andy Owens helped set the Nomads on their way, after Rhys Thomas had scored for the Archers which proved to be only a consolation as Met remain in seventh place.
The Nomads, fresh from beating Airbus UK 5-1 in midweek made 4 changes to their starting line up with Michael Wilde, Ryan Wignall, Danny Holmes and Andrews Owens coming into the side.
While Christian Edwards’s men made just the one change from last Sunday’s 4-1 victory over TNS with Alex Lang returning from injury in goal for the Met in place of Max Manson.
Lang found himself in action straight away as he had to pick the ball from the back of the net as captain Callum Morris scored for the Nomads.
Rob Hughes crossed the ball from the edge of the area and the 18-year-old dropped the ball allowing Morris with an easy tap-in. The Cardiff Met goalkeeper felt he was impeded as he jumped up to catch the ball but the goal stood and the Nomads made it 1-0 after seven minutes.
Less than 20 minutes later and Ryan Wignall, who had returned to the starting line after coming on as a substitute in midweek passed a delightful through ball which split the defence and found Declan Poole whose shot went across the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net to double the lead.
Christian Edwards felt his team lacked attacking threat and bought on Dan Spencer in place of Rhydian Morgan and straight away Rhys Thomas scored to half the depict. Thomas, who scored in last week’s game with TNS, finished from a well taken set piece.
On 38 minutes both sides had chances to score with Andy Morrison’s men looking to score their third and Lang denied Declan Poole his 2nd of the game. A wonderful ball from Andy Owens found Wignall whose backheel set Poole away but his shot was straight at Lang.
From the resulting chance, Met ran straight up the other end and goal scorer Thomas was bought down in the penalty area but was told no by the referee Iwan Griffiths, with the ball finding Spencer seeing his shot at the near post pushed away by Jon Rushton for a corner.
Sam Snaith had a great chance to equalise after his strike partner Thomas does well to take the ball down and saw his cross find Snaith whose header cleared the bar.
That miss was to prove costly as the away side reclaimed their two-goal advantage on the hour mark. Wignall, who scored in midweek, put in a delightful cross and found Owens at the back post to head past Alex Lang to make it 3-1 and seal the game for the Nomads.
Cardiff Met remain winless against the Connah’s Quay Nomads in the Welsh Premier League.
(Featured Image: Abigail Davies of Cardiff Metropolitan FC)
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