LoW
25.01.97 Aberystwyth Town 3-3 Connahs Quay Nomads
There were 504 at Coedlan y Parc to watch this game between the hard
hitting scousers of the Nomads and the delicate, flowering youths of
the Seasiders. Oh, and ex-international and sometime Premiership player
Malcolm Allen made his debut for the Green and Blacks as well. He reminds
of the character that Ian McShane played in "Yesterday's Hero" who has
lost a yard or two (or three) of pace but who still has the eye and the
touch of a champion. In the film he turns it around, but he hasn't had
a career threatening injury. Back to the match. Unlike the screaming 636
against Carmarthen, today's crowd were largely silent and you could hear
the sound of one hand clapping when the visitors took the lead around
the half hour through Vernon Keep. An unmarked header which K could not
save. Three minutes later, Aber bounced back. Ry, player of the century
in waiting, barged through the CQN defence and past the keeper to score.
Sheer delightful fouling as Mr Wolstenholme would never have said about
that. In the second half, Aber proceded to take a 3-1 courtesy of two
goals from Malcolm Allen, the second of which was a delightful tot up,
turn and volley that nobody was expecting. Gav, his brother, was the last
to reach him to offer his congratulations. So far, so good, but then it
all went pear shaped for the Green and Blacks. K picked up a backpass and
Vernon equalised from the resultant goalmouth mess, eight minutes later,
defensive confusion and Aber headed the ball into their own net. Both
sides hit the woodwork and the game got better as it progressed. The
opening twenty minutes were uninspired but the final fifteen where either
team could have won it were pretty damn exciting. Aber are now just outside
the relegtion zone and could have done with the points, although they
do have plenty of games in hand, the Nomads are secure in the mid-table,
although they would do a lap of honour if ever 504 people turned up to
their sloping Halfway Ground.
