STRIKER Chris Pearce salvaged a point at a wind-swept Deeside Stadium where a madcap, two- minute spell of poor defending had threatened to send the relegation-threatened Crows home pointless.

They had held onto the lead for just over an hour after Pearce's co-marksman, Josh Collins, had put them in front after just 63 seconds when he glanced home a header from a Jamie Edwards corner.

Cwmbran more than held their own, and although goalkeeper Richard Lancaster had made several good stops to prevent the home side scoring, the Gwent team had also passed over a couple of fine opportunities immediately before the defensive collapse.

Home striker Phil Molyneux was allowed far too much time and space to get beyond two defenders and get in a telling cross, although Cwmbran were a shade unlucky when midfielder Stuart Cook volleyed home after he and midfielder Connall Murtagh had seen 62nd-minute shots well blocked.

Within two minutes the Nomads, who are also staring at the wrong end of the table, went in front through prolific goal-scorer Tommy Mutton, who out-muscled defender Nicky Ward before side-footing past Lancaster.

Mutton soon missed a fair chance to increase Nomads' lead, but Cwmbran were rewarded for their gallant efforts with a fine equaliser 11 minutes from time.

Substitute Zaki Misbah's right-wing cross eventually fell to skipper Simon Heal on the other side of the field, and when his pass was pumped into the six-yard box, Pearce reacted first to prod the ball home left-footed from close range.

It was no more than the Crows deserved and it would have been something of a travesty had they not got anything from this match, their display being 100 per cent better than the poor performance when losing 1-0 at home to Caernarfon Town last time out.

A win would have lifted Cwmbran over NEWI Cefn Druids and out of the relegation zone for the first time since they dropped into it following the 5-1 away defeat by Welshpool Town on February 11.

Manager Sean Wharton, though, expressed his satisfaction at the outcome: "Yes, I'd have taken a point beforehand and I'm proud of the way the lads battled back for a point," he said.

"We must take this form into our next game, and hopefully it could be the start of the run we need to climb away from the bottom."

The Crows are next in action on Saturday, when they host mid-table Porthmadog at Cwmbran Stadium.

Connahs Quay Nomads: P Smith, A Russell, B Heath, C Hutchinson, G Pinch (G O'Toole 44), D Jellicoe (c), T Mutton, C Murtagh, S Cook, P Molyneux, R Doherty. Subs not used: S Rain, R Crawford. Booked: Pinch (39), Heath (54), O'Toole (74). Goals: Cooke (62), Mutton (65).

Cwmbran Town: R Lancaster, T Green, G Wysome, N Ward, D Clare (D Davies 89), M Phillips, S Heal (c), R Carpenter (G Goodridge 85), J Collins, C Pearce, J Edwards ( Z Misbah 83). Goals: Collins (2), Pearce (79).

Referee: M Whitby (Swansea).