LEAH WONDER STRIKE TURNS THE TIDE

RHYL 4 (Leah 15, C Williams 22, Hunt 31, Owen 70)
TECHNOGROUP WELSHPOOL 1 (Edwards 1)
WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE - DECEMBER 12, 2009
JOHN LEAH'S 15th minute wonder goal kickstarted the victory charge for a Rhyl side which had fallen behind in disastrous fashion after just 33 seconds.
Greg Strong's men could not have made a worse start, Shaun Dowling's calamitous attempt at a stooping header back to keeper James Coates allowing Steffan Edwards in to give the visitors the lead.
And it could have got a lot worse for the North Wales Lilywhites inside a rocky opening 10 minutes, Richard Harris blasting inches over before Coates had to make a couple of smart saves from Harris and the rampant Peter Doran.
Rhyl finally woke from their slumber and their 15th minute equaliser was an absolute stunner.
Greg Stones fed the ball into the path of Leah whose 30-yard thunderbolt positively flew into the top corner beyond the diving Jack Cudworth.
Long-range crackers are becoming Leah's speciality as he also scored a belter from distance at Aberystwyth the previous weekend.
The Welshpool keeper had to be sharp to punch a driven Chris Williams corner from underneath the bar and George Horan's follow-up header did not miss by much.
On 22 minutes the Welsh Premier champions took the lead when Stones crossed low from the left and picked out Chris Williams who applied a lovely finish.
Lee Hunt should have made it 3-1 when a neat one-two between Gareth Owen and Matthew Williams put him in on goal, but the normally deadly striker miskicked.
It was not long before the third home goal arrived, however, Horan's long ball and Owen's deft headed flick releasing Hunt, who dodged the advancing keeper and found the gaping net.
Rhyl began the second half on the front foot, Matthew Williams testing Cudworth straight from the kick-off.
To their credit Welshpool kept trying and midfielder Gareth Williams went close with a couple of long range efforts, one hitting the post.
The hosts almost scored a memorable goal, though, when Phil Doran beat a succession of opponents in a mazy run, but his final shot was brilliantly kept out by Cudworth.
A piece of opportunism by Owen delivered Rhyl's fourth goal in the 70th minute, the ex-Wrexham schemer catching 'Pool totally unawares with a quickly taken free-kick to make it 4-1.
Hunt was only denied a second by a great block from defender Max Peate, while the visitors went near twice late on through substitutes Adam Jenkins and Mike Cronshaw.

RHYL: Coates, Dowling, Stones, Horan (c), Strong, Leah, C Williams (Kirk 60), Owen, Hunt (Heenan 88), M Williams (Connolly 79), Doran.

MATCH FACTS
GOALS - Rhyl 4 Welshpool 1
ATTEMPTS - Rhyl 22 Welshpool 14
ON TARGET - Rhyl 8 Welshpool 5
CORNERS - Rhyl 6 Welshpool 2
YELLOW CARDS - Rhyl 0 Welshpool 2
RED CARDS - Rhyl 0 Welshpool 0
ATTENDANCE - 453
LO MAN OF THE MATCH
John Leah (Rhyl)
Wonder goal and a fantastic all-round display

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)
Nov 17 - Gap Connah's Quay (h-LCSF 2nd leg) 4-0 (Connolly, Hunt, Smith 2)
Nov 22 - The New Saints (a-WPL) 0-4
Nov 29 - Haverfordwest County (a-WPL) 1-2 (Strong)
Dec 5 - Aberystwyth Town (a-WPL) 2-2 (Leah, Hunt)
Dec 12 - Technogroup Welshpool (h-WPL) 4-1 (Leah, C Williams, Hunt, Owen)

GOALS (63): 18 - Mark Connolly; 13 - Lee Hunt; 10 - Matthew Williams; 4 - Paul Smith, Greg Strong, Chris Williams; 2 - Tyrone Kirk, Phil Doran, John Leah; Gareth Owen; 1 - Martyn Naylor, George Horan.