ABERYSTWYTH Town manager Neville Powell said that his side will be looking to carry their superb performance against Connah’s Quay into the second phase of their campaign.

A well-taken hat-trick from Joe Phillips capped an excellent 4-2 win over the second-placed Nomads at a packed Park Avenue on Saturday evening, and the Seasiders can go into the league split in confident mood.

Aberystwyth now have two weeks to prepare for their next game, away against Cardiff Met in their JD Welsh Cup fourth round tie on 27 January, and they are brimming with confidence after their latest performance.

“That’s our biggest win of the season, without a shadow of a doubt,” said the Aber boss after the game.“In the first half we were exceptional going forward, and we scored three goals. We always knew that Connah’s Quay were going to change things in the second half, and they really did their best to get back into the game.

“I can’t give enough praise to our back four and the keeper. The amount of high balls they withstood in the second half was absolutely superb.

“Not many teams would be able to deal with that many balls into the box.

“It was a fantastic three points for us, and fully deserved by the team.”

In front of a bumper crowd of 874 at Park Avenue, with a large contingent of juniors taking part in the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Aberystwyth Junior League, it proved a memorable occasion for the Seasiders.

A superb treble from Phillips and an Ashley Young strike took the spoils against the tightest defence in the league, although they were made to work hard by Andy Morrison’s side.

“We wanted to start at a high tempo, and it was important we kept the ball on the floor,” commented Powell.

“We took the lead, but they got back into it, with a poor goal for our side.

“But we never let it trouble us and the lads kept driving forward. Joe Phillips went on to score his hat-trick, and he always excites the home fans.

“We knew there would be a reaction from Connah’s Quay, but we defended superbly and we managed to get a really important fourth goal, which more or less killed the game off.”

He added: “You couldn’t feel comfortable at any time because they are second in the league for a reason.

“They are a good professional side, and it was a long 90 minutes, although the win was thoroughly deserved.

“We must now kick on and take it into the second phase, and work as hard as we have been doing. The last two performances have been outstanding, and stand us in good stead.

“It was a fantastic atmosphere, and that’s why I’m here. It’s a great club, and the supporters here are brilliant, and we all want to do well for them.

“It was a beautiful night for a game and they were well entertained. The game had everything, and thankfully we have come away with the points.”

Hat-trick scorer Joe Phillips, who joined Aber at the start of the season from Stourport Swifts, said the whole team deserved credit for their win.

“The most important thing was that we got the three points, especially after we had a couple of poor results over Christmas,” said the 23 year-old.

“We knew what Connah’s Quay are about, having not had the best of evenings at their place, but in terms of our play, you couldn’t really fault it.

“It’s been a fantastic night, we’ve scored four goals against a side you wouldn’t expect us to, and it’s a nice feeling too to have scored a hat-trick.”

Aberystwyth Town boss Neville Powell has boosted his squad this week by signing Damien Allen from Welsh Premier rivals Bangor City and striker Kurt Sherlock from Radcliffe FC.

The Seasiders, however, have also confirmed the departures of central defensive duo John McKenna and captain Jonny Spittle last weekend.

Clink on link below for full report on Aber’s latest transfer news