Connah’s Quay Nomads achieved their highest ever finish in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League after a 0-0 draw away to Cardiff Met on Saturday evening.
      

• The Nomads finish second after 0-0 stalemate
• The result sees Nomads enter the 2017/18 Irn Bru cup
• Club history made with highest ever finish

The game saw Nomads already qualified for the UEFA Europe League after a 2-0 victory over Bala Town, but there was much to play for going into the final game of the Dafabet Welsh Premier League season.

The Nomads needed to at least match Bala Town’s result against league Champions The New Saints to finish second and subsequently enter the Irn Bru Cup.

Matty Owen retained his place in the starting lineup, with Declan Poole also making his third consecutive start. George Horan captained The Nomads as they looked for a win to ensure second place and Irn Bru cup football this season.

Although The Nomads had a lot to play for, the opening stage of the game was settled with few major chances.  Ryan Wignall made a number of runs down the right wing, but these were dealt with by a robust Cardiff Met defence.

Cardiff clinched the first incident of the game when Eliot Evans was denied twice in The Nomads' area.  From only eight yards out, he had a shot blocked before John Danby showed great reactions to make a second save.

The Nomads were then dealt a blow when John Disney was forced off with a hamstring strain on 20 minutes to be replaced by Wes Baynes.  On 30 minutes Lewis Short tested the home side with a series of long throw in’s into the Met area, but Nomads couldn’t capitalise inside the area.

Yet another injury came for Nomads when Ryan Wignall could not continue, meaning Nathan Woolfe was brought on shortly before the end of the half, which culminated with one of the moments of the game.

Matty Owen sent a half-volley towards the Cardiff Met goal from 20 yards out, and the effort rattled the crossbar to deny Owen a spectacular goal to take the lead.

The spectators at Cardiff’s Cyncoed Campus ground hoped for a more entertaining second half, but it was in fact a similar affair to the first with both sides struggling to break each other down.

Cardiff saw chances to go ahead, intercepting The Nomads only to send a tame shot towards John Danby on 52 minutes, before academy product Rhys Thomas sent a shot across the face of the Nomads goal from 12 yards.

For much of the half the two teams tried to create chances, but respective goalkeepers Will Fuller and John Danby were never really challenged by any efforts on goal.  Sean Smith replaced Declan Poole for the last 10 minutes of the game, as The Nomads kept on searching for a way past Cardiff Met.

After more stalemate play, the second half ended in a similar fashion to the first but this time it was Cardiff Met who had the chance.  From a back pass John Danby attempted to clear the ball, only for Roscrow to block the ball, sending it just over of the crossbar in the last chance of the match.

Despite this largely unremarkable game, The Nomads were celebrating at full time as the draw was enough to finish second in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League due to Bala’s 6-4 defeat at the hands of TNS.



Second place is the Club’s highest ever finish in the top flight of Welsh football, and sets up the possibility of cup ties in Scotland and Ireland next season as The Nomads qualify for the Irn Bru cup.

The Nomads’ 2016/17 season has now ended, with their next competitive fixture in the Europa League on June 29th, with the first qualifying round draw taking place on the 19th June.

After the game Andy Morrison summarised his side’s achievements, which included the best defensive record in the league despite missing all centre backs through injury for 15 games of the season.

Match report by Will Catterall