Connah’s Quay Nomads battle to impressive Ballkani draw in Europe
Connah's Quay defended well and had chances to score against Ballkani. (Pic by Nik Mesney/FAW)
Connah’s Quay Nomads have everything to play for next week after securing a commendable draw against Ballkani in the UEFA Conference League.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock, with the Kosovar outfit creating the better of the chances, including a gilt-edged opportunity late on. However, Chris Renshaw’s goal remained unbeaten as the Nomads held firm.
John Disney’s side had chances of their own and will take great pride from holding a team with a significantly higher squad value to a goalless draw. The result also earns valuable coefficient points for the Cymru Premier as the Nomads earn a draw upon their return to the European stage.
Ballkani may have felt disappointed by the key incidents from the first half, having enjoyed a strong spell of possession and pressure.
In the 25th minute, James Jones appeared to bring down the Ballkani striker Valentin Serebe inside the penalty area, with the referee waving away the appeals. Replays suggested there may have been contact with the player rather than the ball.
Quickly up the other end, the Nomads broke on the counter-attack and came within inches of taking the lead. A cross from the far side found Michael Stone, who pulled the ball back for a header, only for the effort to be blocked by a defender stationed on the goal line.
Serebe was at the heart of another key decision, as he caught a Nomads defender in the face while challenging for a long ball. With no VAR available, the Ballkani forward received only a yellow card, a decision that will likely remain open to debate.
Connah’s Quay more than held their own in the first half, producing some impressive spells of possession and creating several half chances. The Nomads surprised many with their performance and arguably had the best opportunity to take the lead.
The second half started at a rapid pace for the Nomads, with Franklin going close to opening the scoring and putting the Welsh side ahead. However, a fine save from the Ballkani goalkeeper kept the hosts at bay. A few minutes later, West was again involved in a dangerous moment after receiving the ball from Stone, with Gentrit Halili almost turning the chance into an own goal.
From the resulting corner, Captain Jones had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock but was unable to generate enough power behind his effort. The ball was floated into the box before being headed back across the goal, leaving Jones with a close-range chance. However, he could only apply the faintest of touches, allowing Ballkani goalkeeper Adnan Golubović to gather comfortably.
Ballkani’s Giovanni had a half-chance after a deep cross found him inside the box, but his header drifted just over the bar. The opportunity came after a sustained spell of possession from the visitors as they looked to gain a foothold in the match.
Serebe arguably could have been awarded another penalty after appearing to be pushed by Nomads captain Jones, who was booked for his reaction to the decision. However, the Ballkani players did not strongly appeal for a spot-kick following the challenge.
In the dying moments of the match, Ballkani came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock and the Nomads’ hearts, but Anel Šabanadžović dragged his effort just wide of the post. A flick-on from the influential Serebe fell perfectly into Šabanadžović’s path, but with Nomads defenders closing in, he was denied the time and space needed to test Chris Renshaw, allowing the hosts to escape with a valuable clean sheet.
Nomads manager John Disney will be delighted with his side’s performance this evening, and the home supporters will share that pride. Despite entering the match as underdogs, the Nomads battled bravely and arguably created the better chances, only missing out on victory due to a lack of clinical finishing in the final third.
Connah’s Quay Nomads manager John Disney said to Cymru Football TV:
“I’m delighted with them, and we’ve got to move forward.
“It’s a massive opportunity at their place next week.
“We’ll go out there, see what we can do. We’ll do the match preparation as best as we possibly can. There will be loads of things for us to look back on from today’s game, but that’s what it is all about.
“We’re going over there to try and get a result. Hopefully we’ve done the nation proud tonight in keeping a clean sheet.”
