NOMADS produced a five-star display to sweep aside 10-man Neath and go top of the Welsh Premier League this afternoon. A double from Danny Forde, after Tommy Mutton got the ball rolling, put Steve O’Shaughnessy’s side in control at the break before Aden Shannon stepped off the bench to bag a brace of his own. Led by the superb Liam Loughlin and featuring new boy Peter Doran, Nomads tore into a Neath team buzzing after their Loosemores Challenge Cup victory over defending champions Llanelli in the week. Mutton beat the offside trap and the last defender to open the floodgates in the 10th minute, his first goal since returning to Deeside for the fourth time in his well-travelled career. The influential Danny Forde then broke through the middle to double the advantage nine minutes later. The former Oldham Athletic midfielder was denied another moments after by a last-gasp clearance from Jarrod Price, following good work from Loughlin and Mutton. But Forde didn’t have to wait long for his second and the home side’s third, completing a flowing 29th-minute move instigated by Loughlin and Michael Cronshaw down the right. Neath’s fortunes seemingly took a turn for the worse 12 minutes after the restart when Jack Jenkins was sent-off for dissent, but their numerical disadvantage worked in their favour as they forced the once-again impressive Chris Maxwell into a trio of good saves. But their resistance was finally ended by Shannon, a 57st-minute substitute for the injured Cronshaw. The hitman broke his duck for Nomads five minutes from time by playing a lovely one-two with Loughlin and sweeping home, before taking a cross from Doran – the ex-Walsall midfielder signed from Caernarfon yesterday – and firing in. STAR MAN: Liam Loughlin. Nomads: Maxwell, Clarke, Dowridge, B Alston, Pinch, Quinn, Cronshaw (Shannon 57), Forde (A Alston 75), Mutton, Loughlin (Bamber 87), Doran. Sub: Kinnear. Booked: Forde, Loughlin, A Alston, Clarke. Goals: Mutton 10, Forde 19, 29, Shannon 85, 87. Neath: Thomas, Graves, Jenkins, Cronin, Pockett, Chambers (French 46), Chunuonee, Rees (Jones 46), Morgan, Hill, Price (Blackmore 73). Sub: Evans. Sent-off: Jenkins 57. Attendance: 126. ON FRIDAY – See the Flintshire Chronicle for pictures plus a preview of Nomads’ home clash with unbeaten Aberystwyth. | 
Flintshire Sport 
