Football: Colwyn Bay FC hopeful match will beat the freeze

Dec 2 2010

COLWYN Bay will aim to cement second place in the Evo Stick League when they take on lowly Frickley Athletic at Llanelian Road (3pm).

However, there is some doubt as to whether the game will go ahead because of the big freeze which caused Tuesday’s night’s NWCFA Challenge Cup tie against Porthmadog to be postponed.

If the match does take place, the Bay will have a new signing in goal as 18- year-old Andy Metcalf is unavailable due to scholarship exams.

Player-manager Dave Challinor is waiting for international clearance on one keeper, Dan Roberts, who was with Vodkat North West Counties Premier Division club Stone Dominoes and has put in seven days on another just in case. He has been unable to secure a stand-in keeper on loan.

Bay will make a late check on left- back Michael Lea who missed last Saturday’s win against Ossett Town with a hamstring strain.

Challinor is sure to want a better performance against Frickley than that which the Seagulls produced in a below-par 3-1 victory over struggling Ossett.

It needed a late goal by Fraser McLachlan five minutes from the end of this Premier Division tussle to clinch the points after Bay’s bottom five opponents had threatened to salvage a draw with a battling second half display.

"We were fortunate that we were up against one of the not so good sides, because we weren’t at the races," said Challinor.

"Even at half-time we said our 2-0 lead should not paper over the cracks, because we had been poor.

"Throughout the game we made wrong decisions, tried things we shouldn’t and very nearly came unstuck.

"The players have to realise that whether we are playing the worst or the best team in the league we have to have good habits and do the right things.

"Whether it is in training, friendlies, league games or cup finals, you have to do the right things consistently – and we didn’t today.

"The only positive thing you can say is we got the three points which were massive and we’ve got a chance of another three against another struggling side (Frickley) when hopefully we will have learnt from today."

Colwyn certainly struggled to capitalise after getting a great start with a penalty in the opening minute of Saturday’s game.

With just 13 seconds on the clock, Karl Noon’s attempted lay-off from a long early ball into the area was blocked by the arm of Ossett defender Caldon Henson.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Jon Newby stepped up to fire the penalty past Albion keeper Neil Bennett.

Noon could have added a second shortly afterwards but failed to connect with an attempted side-foot from eight yards out from Newby’s low cross.

However, Noon made amends on 36 minutes when he volleyed an excellent second goal via a fine cross by Luke Denson.

After that Bay became complacent and the introduction of Ossett substitute Mark Bett early in the second half changed the game.

He broke clear and chipped Andy Metcalf to score with virtually his first touch after 58 minutes to pull it back to 2-1, and then he and Tom Penford both went close to equalisers.

Colwyn created virtually nothing in reply and the management team were forced to change things with Alex Titchiner and Ian Sheridan coming off the bench as the team switched to four at the back.

Even then, Bay were forced to defend nervously as Ossett continued to press for an equaliser, and it looked like being a nail-biting finale – until man of the match winner McLachlan picked a perfect time to hit his first goal of the season.

Titchiner’s attempt to breach Ossett’s back-line was blocked, but the ball rebounded to McLachlan who struck a cracking left foot drive into the roof of the net from 20 yards to secure the three points.