OLD GOLD STUN TITLE HOPEFULS

CARMARTHEN TOWN.........3 CONNAH’S QUAY.................2

CARMARTHEN Town turned the form book upside down with a sensational victory over a strong Connah’s Quay side that went into this match at the top of the Welsh Premier League.

The North Walians had won five of their last six matches and scored 22 goals in the process.

But the Old Gold’s victory means they drop to third place at the midseason split, while Carmarthen go into the break in ninth.

Carmarthen achieved this success the hard way, twice coming back from a goal down and then scoring the winning goal in the fourth minute of added time.

In the opening stages the Nomads looked like a team who had spent all season at or close to the top of the table as they monopolised possession and probed the Town defence with a series of well-crafted attacks.

However, Town manager Neil Smothers had clearly planned for this by setting up a formidable fiveman defence, with frequent support from industrious midfielders Greg Walters and Ceri Morgan.

The Nomads’ first chance came when Callum Morris fired a shot from the edge of the area that Town keeper Lee Idzi watched fly wide of the near post.

Town’s defence was coming under increasing pressure and the visitors took the lead in the 19th minute. Michael Bakare, from wide on the right, fired a free-kick into the goalmouth where Idzi and several defenders seemed slow to react to the danger and allowed the ball to slip into the goal at the near post.

The Nomads went close to increasing their lead when Rob Hughes sent an inviting cross into the area, only for George Horan to direct his closerange header narrowly over the bar.

But shortly afterwards Carmarthen at last managed a meaningful attack when a slick series of passes along the left finished with Aidan O’Kelly sprinting into the opposition area, and while that move eventually broke down, it heralded a spell of more positive attacking play from the hosts.

Luke Cummings delivered a freekick into the goalmouth and although the ball was cleared by a defender, it went straight to Walters, whose 20-yard volley was kept out by keeper John Danby.

Then Cummings himself went close to scoring a remarkable goal. From deep inside his own half he burst beyond the halfway line then, noticing that Danby was standing well out of his area, Town’s adventurous defender launched an audacious 40-yard shot that sailed over the keeper as he anxiously raced back towards his goal, only for the ball to land on the roof of the net.

Carmarthen were rewarded for their endeavour early in the second half when a delightful sweeping counter-attack ended with an equaliser. Morgan threaded a sublime pass to Walters, who sprinted forward from halfway to reach the edge of the area before finishing in clinical fashion with a rasping drive that flew past Danby.

But Nomads regrouped and went back in front when Bakare, who had been a constant threat with his strong running and smart footwork, raced powerfully along the left, and his cross found Callum Morris, who stabbed the ball beyond Idzi’s reach.

But Carmarthen reacted positively to this setback and once again counter-attacked with urgency and a refreshing freedom as they sought to get back on level terms.

And for the first time in the match, the visiting defence came under noticeable pressure as Town intensified their efforts.

And in the 83rd minute they deservedly got on level terms again.

Having won a free-kick just outside the area, Cummings demonstrated impressive accuracy in firing the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the net to leave Danby well beaten.

Connah’s Quay immediately swarmed upfield in search of the goal that would preserve their place at the top of the table. Now the Town defence was again under considerable pressure and their chances were seriously weakened on 87 minutes when central defender Lewis Baldwin was sent off after being shown two yellow cards in the space of just two minutes.

Shortly after that incident the fourth official indicated that five minutes of added time would be played. But Town’s players saw it as an opportunity.

And in the fourth minute of injury time they pounced. Having been forced to defend deep inside their own area, tireless midfielder Ceri Morgan initiated a break upfield which ended with Dwayne Coultress sliding a delightful pass across the edge of the area to find Liam Thomas, who was brought down in the area by defender George Horan.

Thomas, Town’s all-time top scorer and one of the few calm people at Richmond Park at that particular moment, stepped up and with his usual accuracy drove the spot-kick past Danby to secure a stunning win.

The second-phase fixtures start on the first weekend of February, but in the meantime Carmarthen’s next fixture is a Welsh Cup tie at Richmond Park on January 26 (2.30pm) when Connah’s Quay are once again the visitors.