Connah’s Quay Nomads forward Harry Franklin has claimed his side are “beginning to find their rhythm” after his remarkable nine minute hat-trick against Briton Ferry Llansawel on Saturday.
Franklin, who rejoined the club from Crusaders this summer, came on as a second half substitute in south Wales and made a phenomenal impact with his quickfire treble earning the Nomads a 3-0 win and a third straight victory in the JD Cymru Premier.
John Disney’s side are up to fourth in the table – level on points with third-placed Caernarfon Town, with Franklin praising the whole squad’s recent performances and energy.
“These are the kind of games that will test you,” said Franklin. “I don’t think many teams are really going to come down here and get a result like we have, especially when you take all of the travelling and preparation into account.”
Harry Franklin celebrates his first goal for Connah’s Quay Nomads against Briton Ferry Llansawel at The Renewable Centre Stadium. (Photo credit: Kara Thomas/FAW).
Franklin’s first goal of the afternoon saw him race onto Ben Nash’s long ball and squeeze an effort beyond Will Fuller at the near post. He then applied simple finishes to square balls from Marco Fregapane and Rhys Hughes to complete his nine minute hat-trick.
It is now the second time in Franklin’s Nomads career that he has scored a hat-trick in under nine minutes, following on from his treble against Caernarfon in October 2023.
“When I’ve come on, the message from the gaffer was to just try and affect the game as much as possible and cause a threat,” said the 25-year-old.
“We knew we had to stretch them after a tight first half and I’m glad to have contributed to that team performance as every single one of us has chipped in for those goals there.
“We’re definitely starting to find our rhythm after a few results that didn’t go our way and now all our focus is just on trying to strengthen our place in the top six.”
The Nomads will aim to continue their bright form with a trip to Bala Town in the JD Welsh Cup second round in one of three all-JD Cymru Premier ties.
Having reached the final of the competition in the last two seasons, the club will once again be hoping to book another date with destiny down in Newport.
“Bala are always a tough opponent for us, so we’ve got to make sure we’re ready for the test,” said Franklin. “It was only two weeks ago when we last beat them and if we replicate what we did then, we should be able to put in another positive performance.”
“The Welsh Cup is a competition we take enormous pride in. Winning the trophy in 2024 and scoring in that match was a special moment for me personally, so I’m hoping to create more memories this time around too.”
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