TOWN HAUNTED BY AWAY MISERY

YET another trip to North Wales for Carmarthen Town led to a disappointing performance.

Town’s away form is worrying, with four straight defeats and 15 goals conceded.

Three of those matches have been against strong sides who have held top-four league places for several seasons, but the other was a heavy loss to a side currently residing in the relegation zone.

And their performances away from Richmond Park are the chief reason they are back in 10th in the Welsh Premier League, with only Cefn Druids and Llanelli Town below them.

From the start the Nomads took the initiative with a series of attacks that kept the Town defence fully occupied. But crosses were frequently over-hit or comfortably cleared, while the visitors’ back four worked well under pressure.

And directly ahead of them the now familiar midfield trio of Ceri Morgan, Greg Walters and Mael Davies provided a further valuable layer of defensive support.

The hosts fashioned their first chance after 14 minutes when Andrew Owens fired a lofted pass to Ryan Wignall. The striker tried to chip Old Gold keeper Lee Idzi, but the effort was poor and allowed Idzi to claim possession.

During this early spell Town’s attacking opportunities were confined to a few counter-attacks spearheaded by Liam Thomas and Luke Bowen. Their best chance arose when Thomas rifled a 15-yard drive that Nomads keeper Jon Rushton forced away.

After 27 minutes the hosts were again denied by some smart defending. Wignall sprinted down the left, holding off Tyrrell Webbe, and he fired the ball across the goalmouth where Dave Vincent, facing his own goal, skilfully managed to head it beyond the far post, denying Michael Wilde a simple tap-in.

The visitors soon went close again, only to be denied by the woodwork; Webbe’s free-kick into the area found Thomas, who headed it to Bowen, whose angled drive defeated Rushton but crashed against the post and rebounded safely away.

Connah’s Quay made the most of their let-off when they went in front just before the break. John Disney fired a long pass into the penalty area, but Idzi’s weak attempt to punch the ball clear provided James Owen with the easy task of rifling it back into the empty net.

The hosts went close to extending their lead shortly after the break when Rob Hughes found Andrew Owens with a crossfield ball, but his volley was kept out by Idzi’s flying save. Moments later Jonny Spittle put his header just wide of the post.

But while the Nomads had dominated the opening stages of the second half, out of nowhere Carmarthen equalised. Bowen embarked on a determined run along the left before holding off his marker and reaching the corner of the area, then dispatching a fierce strike that Rushton turned away. But Davies fired the ball back into the goalmouth where Thomas stabbed it home into the roof of the net.

Stung by that setback, the hosts resumed their dominance and they went close to retaking the lead when Danny Harrison’s header was cleared off the line by Walters’s intervention.

But eight minutes from time the home side got their reward after Carmarthen failed to clear the danger from a corner and Owens confidently planted his header into the back of net.

Hughes nearly made it three, only to see Idzi turn his volley over the bar.

And Carmarthen went close to snatching a late equaliser when Walters found Vincent with a glancing header, but his close-range effort was cleared off the line by a defender.

But deep into added time the Nomads put the result beyond doubt with a third goal. From deep inside his own half Hughes surged upfield, before playing the ball across to Wignall who dispatched a crisp drive that Idzi was powerless to stop.

The Old Gold face a stern test at Richmond Park on Saturday when they entertain The New Saints (2.30pm).

TEAM: L Idzi; T Webbe; L Baldwin; D Vincent; J Knott (sub S Hanbury 89); M Davies; C Morgan; G Walters; J Vickers (sub L Cummings 61); L Bowen; L Thomas.