The Nomads succumbed to their second loss of the season in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League against Newtown on Saturday afternoon.  Two first half goals from Neil Mitchell were enough to defeat The Nomads despite a second half penalty from John Disney.

The game saw The Nomads come off the back of an abandoned Nathaniel MG Cup semi final against The New Saints, during which they had more than matched the champions only for the game to be called off due to fog at a 2-2 scoreline.  Newtown were meanwhile looking for only their third win of the season, with three points enough to send them out of the relegation zone.

The Nomads started a side including Jay Owen, and ex-Robins Matty Owen and Nick Rushton.  New signing Declan Poole also travelled with the squad, his transfer to the club having been confirmed earlier in the week.

The game began and both teams competed well, with Newtown having an early chance when Neil Mitchell headed just over from a deep throw in.  In the seventh minute, Wes Baynes whipped a great cross into the area for Matty Williams to send a diving header just wide.

It was in the 14th minute that Newtown took the lead, when a from a deft Craig Williams corner Mitchell managed to bundle the ball in as The Nomads fumbled in their attempts to clear the ball.

Boosted by their lead, Newtown put The Nomads under pressure for a 10 minute period after their goal, forcing Danby to make saves and the likes of Les Davies to come back and help clear the ball.

The Nomads did enjoy good spells in the first half, but without the goal they needed.  Nathan Woolfe sent numerous crosses into the Newtown area, with Davies unable to send one goalwards in the 26th minute.

Towards the end of the first half The Nomads were looking dangerous upfront, forcing a number of corners, but it was Newtown who scored against the run of play.  In the 43rd minute, Ryan Kershaw sent a 25 yard effort towards goal which Danby pushed out, only for Mitchell to step up and send his side 2-0 up at the interval.

The Nomads were left disappointed having had good chances to equalise in the first half, and unfortunately for them missed opportunities were a  main feature of their game after the break.

After Chris Rimmer replaced Matty Williams at the start of the second half, Nathan Woolfe crossed into the Newtown area where Jay Owen flicked the ball towards goal only to see it travel across the goal and go wide.

Nick Rushton was then apparently pushed in the Newtown area, but referee Lee Evans waved penalty appeals away.  The second half was a tight affair, with The Nomads’ search for a goal becoming more frantic with Woolfe and Matty Owen having shots go wide.

Newtown were ever-present in the game and dangerous on the break, seen in the 62nd minute when John Disney made a vital interception to stop a Newtown attack.

The Nomads eventually got one foot back in the game, after a handball from Shane Sutton prompted Lee Evans to award The Nomads a penalty. John Disney stepped up to score in the 74th minute, meaning The Nomads had limited time to get something from the game.  Almost immediately after the goal, Les Davies connected with a Wes Baynes cross, only to see his header loop agonisingly over the goal.

The Nomads then made a substitution of Jay Owen for Tom Field as they entered the last ten minutes of the game still trailing 2-1.  In the 85th minute, The Nomads won a corner, and despite Woolfe’s cross bouncing in the Newtown area it could not be converted with the home side clearing as they looked to hold on for a win.

Four minutes of additional time were given, but Newtown did well to hold onto possession during this time to seal the victory.  The result is a frustrating one for The Nomads who will rue missed chances which could have seen them come away from the fixture with a result.

Their loss was one of a number of surprise results in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League on the day, with Cardiff Met’s 4-0 defeat of Bangor meaning The Nomads stay second with a three point advantage over The Citizens and Bala Town, who are now joint third on points.

The Nomads now face their semi final replay against The New Saints, to be played at Deeside Stadium on 22 November for a 7:45pm kick off.

Match report by Will Catterall