Connah's Quay Nomads v Aberystwyth Town: Match Preview

JD Welsh Premier League
Friday 8th December (7:45p.m Kick Off)
Connah’s Quay Nomads v Aberystwyth Town
 
Aberystwyth Town will look to extend their recent winning streak as they travel north to face Connah’s Quay Nomads at the Deeside Stadium on Friday evening.  Town enter Friday’s game having scored seven goals in their last two games, keeping two clean sheets in the process. Nev Powell’s men most recently swept away Bala Town last weekend in the JD Welsh Cup thanks to goals from Declan Walker, John Owen, Joe Phillips and Luke Borrelli. Aber will now look to carry that form into the JD Welsh Premier League as they maintain their hopes of making the league’s top six at the split in January.
 
Manager Powell was delighted with his side’s performance against the Welsh Cup holders last weekend and called for more of the same as his side enter a crucial run of fixtures through December. After last weekend’s 4-0 victory, Powell stated “The way the lads applied themselves, winning every 50-50 challenge and playing some great football, they’re full of confidence and enjoying their football now”. His players will look to build on those confidence levels yet again this weekend as they face another tough fixture against a current top six side, before facing Prestatyn Town, The New Saints and Carmarthen Town twice over the festive period. One factor Aber’s manager will be satisfied with is the current state of fitness within his squad, with John Owen and Luke Borrelli notching a goal each on their returns last week, and Geoff Kellaway continuing to build on his sharpness as he returns from a lengthy lay-off.
 
Another player brimming with confidence in recent weeks is winger Joe Phillips, who appears to be hitting top form for Town after earning a place in the starting line-up. Along with two superb assists in the last two games, Phillips grabbed his first competitive goal for the seasiders last weekend and spoke of his relief to get off the mark in an interview with Aber’s Youtube channel after the game. Phillips commented; “It’s a fantastic feeling to score my first goal and it’s been a long time coming. At the start of the season it took a while for us to gel as a squad but now you can see that it’s all starting to come together and the last few performances have been brilliant”. Town’s supporters will hope to see those levels of brilliance continue in the coming weeks.
 
Friday’s hosts enter the game having failed to win any of their previous three JD Welsh Premier League matches, picking up two draws away at Bala and Cardiff Met, and losing at home to Bangor City. The Nomads currently lie in 4th place in the league table, and will be missing two notable figures on and off the pitch this weekend in George Horan who’s serving a four game suspension, as well as manager Andy Morrison who serves a two game suspension. In addition, Aber’s assistant manager Wayne Jones will start a two game suspension on Friday evening.
 
Kick off at the Deeside Stadium is at 7:45 p.m, and Connah’s Quay Nomads’ address is listed as Deeside Stadium, Kelserton Road, Connah’s Quay, Deeside, CH5 4BR. On what promises to be a chilly night off the field, it’s sure to heat up on the field as Aber look to build on their momentum.