Football: Colwyn Bay FC boss searching for new players

Dec 16 2010

COLWYN Bay boss Dave Challinor has promised immediate action to try to bring in new players before this Saturday’s huge home game against top-five rivals North Ferriby after his team’s stunning 4-0 weekend thumping at Mickleover Sports, writes Tim Channon.

The squad was down to the bare bones through suspension, injuries and illness and Challinor knows he needs extra bodies as Mick McGraa is facing a medium to long- term lay-off with a knee injury and Gareth Evans is also struggling with an injury he fears could be a stress fracture in his foot.

But the side has suffered a dip in form in the last three or four games and Challinor believes the time is right to freshen up with new faces ahead of some massive games over Christmas and New Year.

The Seagulls had the chance at Mickleover to open an eight-point gap in second place between themselves and the chasing pack – but never looked like achieving it.

Sports started the game second-bottom and with only one win in their previous seven games, but they ripped Bay apart in the first half and had the game wrapped, stamped and sealed by the interval.

Although the likes of Michael Lea (flu) and Joe McMahon (suspension) were badly missed and Jon Newby played despite feeling ill with flu, Challinor admitted bluntly: "No excuses. That performance simply wasn’t good enough and it won’t be tolerated.

"I am frustrated and very disappointed. It was a massive opportunity for us with other teams not playing, but whether it was attitude or the players not looking after themselves during two weeks without a game, we just weren’t at the races.

"We knew the way we had to play to win the football match today – but we were sloppy and too many players didn’t do the things we asked them to do.

"Mickleover got in the faces of our midfield three and worked their socks off to put us under pressure and we didn’t deal with it.

"We have some massive games coming up over Christmas and New Year and we have been thinking for some weeks about bringing in a few new faces to freshen things up.

"The performance today shows it is time to do that – and by next weekend if we can."

Mickleover led 3-0 at half time through George Everett-Elliott, Alex Steadman and Martin Smythe and Kieran O’Connell added a fourth on 75 minutes.