Weekly Round Up 07/03/26

Firsts

Ben Coward: Last Minute Winner

1sts weren’t really at the races and whilst it was what was probably our poorest performance in a long time we still managed to come out with a 2-3 win. Good teams win when not playing well !

Ben Coward, who is playing the best football I’ve ever seen him play in his 6 years at Nomads, scored a last minute winner, and also scored an unbelievable goal with a run from the half way line, either side of a Charlie Mann tap in.

MOM Ben Coward, not many better in the league when he’s in the form he’s in. Top footballer and an even better lad

Reserves

We produced our most resilient performance of the season battling to a 2-2 draw with Vauxhall Motors Reserves - in a game where we were never behind against a side in the promotion places.

After a positive start, we took the lead after good work on the right from Aiden Sutherland, and his ball across was finished coolly by Ramon Gutierrez. The visitors equalised before the break, but Nomads played with belief throughout the second half that we could get something, and as we turned over into second half injury time captain Sandro Malletta put us 2-1 ahead with a great finish. It wasn’t to be though, as deep into extensive injury time played the pressure from the visitors told and they equalised following a flurry of corners.

It stayed 2-2, although the game was abandoned by the referee in the 16th minute of second half stoppage time as tensions boiled over with both sides looking likely to take a point apiece.

Thirds

Thirds pictured in their Training Tops sponsored by The Peacock

Good win for the Thirds this weekend. Tough conditions at Hoole Park meant playing football was difficult - we never got into our usual flow and found it hard to really control the game. First half wasn’t pretty but we came into half time 1-0 up after a powerful header from George Cornes from a corner.

2nd half hoole tired, and we were fortunate to bring on fresh legs and pace, getting in behind more frequently. Some great saves from the Hoole GK kept them in the game for a while before George Cornes slotted home coolly for his 2nd, followed by Osian Jones latching onto a through ball and beating the keeper.

New GK Mario Ronquillo pulled of some fantastic saves to keep a clean sheet, and newbie Nick Strecker offered us a good outlet on the wing.

Man of the Match - George Cornes for a clinical brace.

Fewest games played in the league, so still plenty of impact for us to have over the coming weeks

Vets

MOM James Andrews

The vets hosted Mersey Royal at Boughton Hall today. We thought we were going to play a quality footballing side but what we got was a different story!

Up the hill first half we battled hard and kept the score down to 1-0.

Down the slope we were much improved. We dominated a team used to winning 8-0 every week and deserved to take them to penalties. Unfortunately we just couldn't get the equaliser and it finished 1-0.

MOM was James Andrews for a number of world class saves with his broken fingers!

Masters

Masters travelled to Rockville for a cup semi final on Saturday …

Despite fielding a very strong team manager Baino was pulling out what little hair he has left when Nomads went 1-0 down inside the first 15 minutes. This coupled with a Rockville penalty miss showed exactly where we were in the game.

Nomads stated to get back into it but then a Rockville volley from 20 yards out left stand in keeper Marc with no chance. Nomads did manage to pull one back before half time with the best move of the game. Pete Fitz slipped the ball through to Sean Doolan 40 yards from goal and off he went on a slaloming run, evading defenders and rounding the keeper to make it 2-1.

The half time team talk wasn’t difficult, everyone knew how bad it had been. A change of shape to 4-4-2 made little difference and we were 3-1 down with 10 to play. Phillip Walker was sent forward to try and save the game and he managed to squeeze a goal in after a scramble in the box. Too little too late and everyone knew they only had themselves to blame.

MOTM - Mark Abbott, a low bar on the day but Abbo was a rock at the back, without him it could have been double figures.