LILYWHITES BACK ON TOP

RHYL 3 (Connolly 47; Hunt 49, 55)
CAERSWS 1 (Lewis pen 66)
WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE - NOV 14, 2009
RHYL returned to the top of the Welsh Premier this afternoon after three goals in 10 minutes at the start of the second half put paid to Caersws.
The Lilywhites were well below par in the first half and almost conceded in the sixth minute when Scott Williams drilled a dangerous ball across the face of goal.
Caersws keeper Dave Jones did well to smother a Matthew Williams effort from an acute angle, then produced an excellent save from a 12-yard Lee Hunt strike following a neat pass from Gareth Owen.
Mark Griffiths fired just wide for the visitors before two minutes prior to the break Rhyl's Williams skilfully created space in the box but was thwarted by Jones at his near post.
This was certainly not good enough from the Lilies whose passing lacked sharpness and the chances which flowed so regularly against Llanelli seven days earlier had virtually dried up.
With player-boss Greg Strong's interval blast still ringing in their ears, the Lilies emerged a different proposition for the second period and on 47 minutes Mark Connolly nipped in ahead of advancing keeper Jones to head in John Leah's free-kick and record his 17th goal of the season.
How often this season has Conno been Rhyl's saviour, or the man to end a deadlock when others failed.
Two minutes later Martyn Naylor sent over a deep cross from the right and Hunt's well-placed header made it 2-0.
Tyrone Kirk then lit up Belle Vue when he left two defenders standing with a dynamic run and only the foot of custodian Jones denied him a wonder goal.
The champions added a third in the 55th minute when Connolly rose determinedly on the right to head on a long kick from keeper James Coates and Hunt controlled outside the area before beating Jones with a superb left foot shot.
It could so easily have been four when Kirk delivered a lovely low ball across the six-yard box, but a skidding in Connolly blasted high over the bar.
Totally against the run of play Caersws replied on 66 minutes when the otherwise outstanding young defender Shaun Dowling, in for the suspended George Horan, brought down Griffiths in the area and Geraint Lewis converted the resultant penalty.
Hunt hammered wide for the hosts following a great run by Kirk and slick lay-off from substitute Phil Doran, while Caersws threatened occasionally on the counter but had no end product.
Late on Naylor hit a 30-yard cracker just over, then in injury time Connolly shot wide from a Hunt pass.

RHYL: Coates, Naylor, Stones, Dowling, Strong, Leah, Connolly, Owen (Smith 58), Hunt, M Williams (Doran 64), Kirk. Unused subs: Heenan, Ruane, Pritchard.

MATCH FACTS
GOALS - Rhyl 3 Caersws 1
ATTEMPTS - Rhyl 21 Caersws 5
ON TARGET - Rhyl 9 Caersws 1
CORNERS - Rhyl 5 Caersws 1
YELLOW CARDS - Rhyl 1 Caersws 1
RED CARDS - Rhyl 0 Caersws 0
ATTENDANCE - 401
LO MAN OF THE MATCH
Shaun Dowling (Rhyl)
Had pretty big boots to fill but did an outstanding job.

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)
Oct 3 - Llanfairpwll (WC-a) 3-1 (Connolly 2, Smith)
Oct 6 - Prestatyn Town (LC-a) 3-0 (Connolly, Hunt, C Williams)
Oct 9 - Bala Town (WPL-a) 4-0 (Smith, Doran, Horan, Hunt)
Oct 17 - Neath (WPL-a) 0-2
Oct 23 - Elements Cefn Druids (WPL-a) 1-1 (M Williams)
Oct 27 - Porthmadog (LCQF-a) 4-1 (Connolly 2, M Williams 2)
Oct 31 - Bridgend Town (WC-h) 4-2 (Connolly, M Williams, Strong, C Williams)
Nov 7 - Llanelli (WPL-h) 0-0
Nov 10 - Gap Connah's Quay (a-LCSF 1st leg) 1-2 (Connolly)
Nov 14 - Caersws (WPL-h) 3-1 (Connolly, Hunt 2)

GOALS: 17 - Mark Connolly; 10 - Matthew Williams, Lee Hunt; 3 - Greg Strong, Chris Williams; 2 - Tyrone Kirk, Paul Smith, Phil Doran; 1 - Gareth Owen, Martyn Naylor, George Horan.