Franklin at the double as Nomads sink Seagulls

Harry Franklin scored twice as Connah’s Quay Nomads moved up to second in the JD Cymru Premier table with a 2-1 victory over Colwyn Bay at the Essity Stadium on Friday.

Franklin headed home from a delightful Marco Fregapane cross to open the scoring early on before the forward calmly finished from close range to double the lead midway through the second half.

Bay substitute Aaron Williams halved the deficit for the visitors with his header at the back post, but the Nomads held on to claim another impressive victory and extended their unbeaten run in the league to nine matches.

The Nomads are also now 11 points clear inside the top six, meaning John Disney’s side could confirm their place in the Championship Conference by Christmas.

Team News

Marco Fregapane returned to make his first league start in almost two months to replace the absent Declan Poole, while Ben Nash and Abdi Sharif also made their way back into the starting lineup. There was a milestone for captain Chris Marriott as he made his 50th appearance for the club.

Colwyn Bay manager Michael Wilde, who won back-to-back JD Cymru Premier titles with the Nomads as player, made just one change from his side’s 5-4 win over Penybont last weekend as Lewis Sirrell replaced Matty Hill.

First Half

Neither side created any major opportunities in the opening 10 minutes of the contest, but a well-worked move from the Nomads resulted in the opening goal in the 12th minute as Harry Franklin got in front of his marker to meet Marco Fregapane’s pinpoint cross and head home at the front post.

Jacob Cook went close to doubling the lead in the 21st minute, but his powerful low drive from the edge of the area was saved by Alex Brown.

Bay threatened the Nomads goal from a couple of set-piece deliveries, but Kit Margetson was equal to headers from Bay’s centre-back pairing Nathan Peate and Sol Forde.

Second Half

The visitors nearly equalised immediately after the restart through former Nomad Jordan Davies, but his dipping strike from distance was denied by the crossbar.

Moments after Callum West and Zeli Ismail were introduced in place of Abdi Sharif and Dan Roberts, Fregapane made a sublime last-ditch tackle to deny Louis Robles a sight of goal from inside the area.

Despite Bay’s bright start to the second half, the Nomads needed just a few minutes to pile on the pressure again and double the lead. West, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, saw his low effort blocked, but the loose ball fell kindly for Franklin, who stayed composed and took his chance with a neat finish into the bottom corner for his seventh goal in six league games.

Franklin almost made it a hat-trick with 73 minutes on the clock as he poked the ball past Brown, but saw his attempt agonisingly roll wide of the post.

Rhys Hughes nearly added another goal to his stunning collection in a Nomads shirt, but his sweet strike towards the bottom corner swerved inches past the post.

Bay substitute Aaron Williams gave his side a lifeline just three minutes after coming onto the pitch as the striker headed home at the back post from Aron Williams’ cross.

The Seagulls pushed for an equaliser and had opportunities to test Margetson with numerous set-pieces in stoppage-time, but the Nomads dug deep and held on to earn a fourth straight league win.

What’s Next?

The Nomads now sit second in the JD Cymru Premier table and will look to continue their bright form against Briton Ferry Llansawel on Saturday, 21st December at the Essity Stadium (2:30pm KO), where victory would put Disney’s side on the brink of confirming their place in the Championship Conference.

Harry Franklin bagged a nine-minute hat-trick in the second half against Ferry in October’s reverse fixture to give the Nomads an impressive 3-0 win. 

Match Report by Nik Mesney