Connah's Quay defeated Hoilewell 3-1 in the Premier League's Regular Season round two on Friday evening. The visitors took control after a tight opening, building on their recent form to move further clear in the table. Hoilewell remain rooted to the bottom with just a single point from seven games.
And here's the thing — the match turned after the visitors took the lead. H. Mehasseb opened the scoring for Hoilewell in the 28th minute before H. Franklin and I. Hewitt struck for Connah's Quay in the 33rd and 36th minutes. Mehasseb restored parity with a second goal just before half-time, but the hosts could not follow up. By then the visitors had established enough control to see out the result.
Connah's Quay's pressure told after the break, though Hoilewell made several changes in an attempt to steady matters. O. Davies was replaced in the 46th minute, followed by J. Sconce in the 50th. I. Murray came on for Connah's Quay in the 56th minute, while C. Partridge was withdrawn in the 70th after collecting two yellow cards. F. Yonsian completed the substitutions for the visitors in the 90th minute.
The statistics tell a story of Connah's Quay's dominance. They registered 110 attacks compared to Hoilewell's 97, and their possession edge of 53 per cent reflected their control. The visitors recorded nine shots on target to Hoilewell's two, and while Hoilewell had more free kicks, Connah's Quay created more danger. To be fair, Hoilewell's two goals came from limited opportunities.
The result extends Connah's Quay's reach in third place, where they sit on 16 points from five wins, a draw and a single defeat. Hoilewell's position at the foot of the table remains unchanged, with six losses and one draw offering little comfort. The gap between the two sides — 15 points — widens further after this result.