Football: Colwyn Bay FC have 'nine days to save season'

Mar 18 2010

MANAGER Neil Young says he has nine days to rescue Colwyn Bay’s season after admitting he was "shell-shocked" by a 3-2 home defeat against Warrington Town on Tuesday.

That was the Bay’s sixth defeat in the last eight games as their promotion challenge threatens to come apart at the seams.

The manager says too many players are struggling mentally with a loss of confidence and he is going all out to try to bring in three or four new players with Conference or Football League backgrounds before the signing deadline.

The club were able to rush through the return of Adriano Rigoglioso from FC United just hours before the kick-off against Warrington, but although helping produce an improved attacking performance in the first half, he could not prevent the side suffering a fourth successive home defeat.

Ian Sheridan went round Warrington keeper Ben Connett to put the Seagulls 1-0 up in added time at the end of the first half, after the Bay had earlier squandered several scoring opportunities.

It had needed two fine saves by Chris Sanna, however, to deny Richard Chetcuti a goal, and Warrington turned the game round with two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half with two excellent strikes from Tony Evans and Chris Gahgan.

The visitors were a real threat on the break after that and both sides saw shots hit a post – Sheridan unlucky for the Bay – before two controversial penalties in the last six minutes produced a dramatic finale.

Sheridan looked as though he had rescued a point when he scored from the spot on 84 minutes.

He had been tripped outside the area, scrambled to his feet and was brought down again inside, and the referee gave the penalty, even though he had actually blown up for the initial foul.

Warrington were furious with the decision, but three minutes later they were awarded a penalty themselves on a linesman’s intervention when Sanna and Wire striker Evans collided going for a 50-50 ball.

Cahgan scored from the spot to win the game.

"Warrington didn’t appeal for a penalty and the referee looked as though he was giving us a free-kick until the linesman put his flag across his chest," reflected Young afterwards.

"It was ridiculous, but we can’t let that take away from our poor performance in the second half when we got ragged and too open and looked lost at times.

"We had enough chances to have had the game won by half-time, but fair play to Warrington, they’ve scored probably two of the best goals they have hit all season and have taken advantage of our lack of confidence.

"I’ve now got a very busy nine days ahead of me to try and rescue our season."

He reported: "I have agreed a loan deal with a Conference club for a striker and am now waiting for the player to decide if he will come, and I am very close to agreeing a deal with another player who only three months ago was playing in the Football League."

Bay were beaten 3-0 at FC Halifax Town on Saturday.