CONNO SETS A NEW RECORD

RHYL 4 (Connolly 47, 70, 72 pen; Kirk 90)
PORTHMADOG 0
WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE - SEP 26, 2009
MARK Connolly set a new record for Rhyl FC today he is unlikely to know about.
Connolly's hat-trick against Porthmadog meant he has scored in six consecutive games for Rhyl - and no-one else has done that since the club returned to Welsh football in 1992/93.
Four Lilywhites players had previously found the net in five games in succession - Stuart Manders (8 goals in 5 matches 1993/94), Steve Jones (6 in 5 1997/98), Danny Barton (6 in 5 1999/2000) and Andy Moran (5 in 5 2000/01).
So today Conno became a record-breaker and the most remarkable thing about it is he not a striker - he has only been tried in that role in the last two matches and has produced five goals!
For the record, today was his third hat-trick for the club since signing for John Hulse in 2005.
After being frustrated by a resolute Porthmadog in a goal-less first half at Belle Vue, Connolly's hat-trick after the break sealed Rhyl the win which puts them three points clear at the Welsh Premier League summit.
Bottom of the table Port made the better start at Belle Vue, ex-Rhyl man Mike Thompson robbing player manager Greg Strong on the right and having a penalty claim for handball turned down after his shot was charged down by George Horan.
Lilywhites winger Chris Williams forced a decent save from Richard Morgan and Tyrone Kirk's shot deflected behind off by Mike Foster before Port's Aden Shannon headed just over from Thompson's centre.
Rhyl were second to everything, their passing was off-key and Porthmadog were making them look decidedly average in these early exchanges.
The hosts did turn the screw in the last 20 minutes or so of the half, but good Port defending kept them at bay.
Three times veteran Mike Foster made heroic blocks from Kirk (twice) and Matthew Williams, while Connolly and Williams missed clear openings.
All Porthmadog's good work was undone two minutes into the second stanza when Kirk's cross from the right was volleyed home by an unmarked Connolly. It was Connolly who had started the move by picking out Kirk with a lovely lofted ball across the box.
The visitors looked disheartened, yet only an excellent last-ditch challenge from Shaun Dowling denied Paul Roberts a clear chance of an equaliser.
Kirk should have done better when carving out an opportunity in the box but he went for placement rather than power, allowing Morgan to save relatively comfortably.
For all their dominance now Rhyl still needed a second goal and it came on 70 minutes when Williams and Greg Stones combined to find substitute Phil Doran whose sublime left-footed cross was converted with a glancing header from Connolly.
A minute later a long ball from the back looked to have put Connolly in the clear but he was pulled down by John Keegan in the box. Referee Dean John pointed to the penalty spot, red carded Keegan and Connolly completed his hat-trick by sending Morgan the wrong way.
Ten-man Port were now a well beaten side and Rhyl coasted through the closing stages although they did manage to serve up one more treat for their fans.
Dowling played the ball into substitute Dave Cameron who managed to off-load to Connolly.
Rhyl's three-goal hero slipped a neat pass to Kirk, who beat a defender and rounded the keeper before netting from a tight angle to put the icing on the Lilywhites' seventh successive home league win over Porthmadog.

RHYL: Coates, Dowling, Stones, Horan (c), Strong, Leah, C Williams (Cameron 81), Owen (Doran 66), Connolly, M Williams (Smith 58), Kirk.

MATCH FACTS
GOALS: Rhyl 4 Porthmadog 0
ATTEMPTS: Rhyl 18 Porthmadog 5
ON TARGET: Rhyl 10 Porthmadog 0
CORNERS: Rhyl 12 Porthmadog 2
YELLOW CARDS: Rhyl 0 Porthmadog 1
RED CARDS: Rhyl 0 Porthmadog 1
ATTENDANCE: 418
L O MAN OF THE MATCH
Mark Connolly (Rhyl)
Great hat-trick, in the form of his life, but John Leah and Shaun Dowling were also outstanding.

RHYL FC RESULTS 2009/10
Aug 15 - Carmarthen Town (WPL - home) 2-1 (Strong, M Williams)
Aug 21 - Airbus UK Broughton (WPL - away) 2-2 (Hunt 2)
Aug 25 - Airbus UK Broughton (LC - a) 2-1 (Hunt, Owen)
Aug 29 - Port Talbot (WPL - h) 2-0 (M Williams, Hunt)
Sep 1 - Prestatyn Town (LC - h) 2-1 (Naylor, Connolly)
Sep 5 - Gap Connah's Quay (WPL - a) 2-0 (M Williams, Connolly)
Sep 11 - Bangor City (WPL - h) 5-1 (Hunt 2, M Williams pen, C Williams, Connolly)
Sep 19 - Newtown (WPL - a) 4-2 (M Williams 2, Strong, Connolly)
Sep 22 - Airbus (LC - h) 4-0 (Connolly 2, Kirk, Doran)
Sep 26 - Porthmadog (WPL - h) 4-0 (Connolly 3, Kirk)

GOALS: 9 - Mark Connolly; 6 - Lee Hunt, Matthew Williams; 2 - Tyrone Kirk, Greg Strong; 1 - Gareth Owen; Martyn Naylor, Chris Williams, Phil Doran.

* THE fact about Mark Connolly's new goalscoring record was unearthed by Rhyl FC's public announcer Ian Johnson. Many thanks to Ian for this fascinating gem.