HEROES TURN THE TABLES

RHYL 4 (Strong 18, M Williams 35, Owens 87, Kirk 90)
NEWTOWN 2 (Cadwallader 20, Breeze 30)
WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE - FEB 14, 2010
SO many of their key players may have departed but one thing has certainly not left Rhyl FC - their team spirit.
Despite having five regulars missing at Belle Vue today, the Lilywhites showed tremendous determination to come from behind to see off a lively Newtown outfit and move back up to third in the Welsh Premier.
Top scorer Mark Connolly, pacy wideman Chris Williams and wing-back Phil Doran were all suspended, while in-form striker Rob Turner and midfield general Gareth Owen were both injured.
This meant a very unfamiliar Rhyl line-up taking the field with full-backs Andrew Pearson and Andy Owens, plus midfielder Phil Ojapah making their home debuts, while New Zealander Sam Heenan also featured in his first full league start for the club.
Pearson and Owens were simply outstanding.
Owens had played in the 3-1 defeat at Bangor seven days earlier, but Rhyl fans had their first look at Pearson and they can only have been highly impressed. Indeed, this had to be the best debut in a Rhyl shirt since Luke Holden weaved his magic.
Young Heenan, still only 18, played in a wide attacking role and did really well, playing a big part in the Lilies' second goal. Ojapah found the going tough in midfield, but improved when he reverted to a central-defensive position late on.
Otherwise, it was a tremendous team performance with everyone playing their part.
Rhyl started sharply and so nearly took the lead on three minutes when Tyrone Kirk drilled a tantalising ball across the face of goal which Heenan almost converted.
Paul Roberts went very close with a dipping 20-yarder for Newtown, but the home side took an 18th minute lead when Martyn Naylor's corner was cleared as far as Kirk whose cross fell to player-boss Strong and he found the net with the aid of two deflections.
The Robins were level within two minutes when a brilliant whipped cross from the right by Neil Mitchell was headed in by centre-half Gavin Cadwallader.
A minute later Newtown's Paul Roberts saw his back post effort deflected over before Pearson's delightful ball released Heenan whose shot was smothered by away keeper Dave Roberts.
Darren Ryan's side edged ahead on the half hour when Jamie Breeze looked offside as he received Dylan Blain's pass but was allowed to drill into the far corner.
Rhyl were on terms five minutes later when a delightful exchange between Heenan and outstanding debutant Pearson allowed Matthew Williams to put away his 15th goal of the campaign.
After the break Newtown's Paul Roberts and Breeze were both denied by keeper Jack Cudworth in one-on-one situations when they should have done better.
As the game wore on Rhyl steadily got on top and on 87 minutes they went 3-2 up when Phil Ojapah's header from a Naylor corner was brilliantly saved, but the excellent Andy Owens was on hand to convert the rebound.
Two minutes into injury time the Lilies made the points safe when the overlapping Pearson's low cross from the right eluded everyone and Kirk steadied himself at the back stick before firing past Roberts.

RHYL: Cudworth, Pearson, Owens, Dowling, Strong, Leah, Naylor, Ojapah, Heenan, M Williams, Kirk. Subs: Courtney, Dixon, Pritchard, Ruane, New.

MATCH FACTS
GOALS - Rhyl 4 Newtown 2
ATTEMPTS - Rhyl 10 Newtown 13
ON TARGET - Rhyl 5 Newtown 5
CORNERS - Rhyl 6 Newtown 4
YELLOW CARDS - Rhyl 2 Newtown 2
RED CARDS - Rhyl 0 Newtown 0
ATTENDANCE - 384
LO MAN OF THE MATCH
Andrew Pearson (Rhyl)
Attacking and defensive wise, simply 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)
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)
Dec 16 - Colwyn Bay (a-NWCC) 1-0 (Stones)
Dec 26 - Prestatyn Town (a-WPL) 0-0
Jan 2 - Prestatyn Town (h-WPL) 1-1 (Leah)
Jan 16 - Port Talbot (a-WPL) 1-2 (Turner)
Jan 23 - Gap Connah's Quay (h-WPL) 4-1 (Connolly, Horan, M Williams 2)
Jan 26 - Airbus UK Broughton (h-WPL) 2-1 (M Williams pen, Turner)
Jan 30 - Pontardawe Town (h-WCR4) 7-0 (Leah 3, Connolly 2, Turner, Kirk)
Feb 7 - Bangor City (a-WPL) 1-3 (M Williams pen)
Feb 14 - Newtown (h-WPL) 4-2 (Strong, M Williams, Owens, Kirk)

GOALS (84): 21 - Mark Connolly; 15 - Matthew Williams; 13 - Lee Hunt; 6 - John Leah; 5 - Greg Strong; 4 - Tyrone Kirk, Paul Smith, Chris Williams; 3 - Rob Turner; 2 - George Horan, Phil Doran, Gareth Owen; 1 - Martyn Naylor, Greg Stones, Andy Owens.