North Wales Weekly News - Seagulls Online with Tim Channon

Frank's new squad takes shape

2013-05-20T14:59:30Z

MANAGER Frank Sinclair has now pencilled in 14 of his 17 or 18 man squad for next season, with three new faces so far and 11 of last season's squad agreeing to sign on again.
They are Chris Sanna, Danny Taylor, Danny Meadowcroft, Tom Smyth, Mike Lea, Gaz Evans, John McKenna, Jamie Crowther, Rob Hopley, Paul Ennis and James Ellison.
The notable absentee is Shelton Payne who won the Conference North Player of the Month award for April after playing a big part in Colwyn Bay's great end of season run, but has decided to move on.
"I offered Shelts a new contract, but I am not surprised that a number of clubs are showing interest in him and he has decided the time is right to move on," said Frank.
"I am disappointed because I would have liked more time to work with him and believe I could have made him into an even better player, but he has decided against that and I wish him good luck.
"I brought him back to do a job for us over those last couple of months of the season, which he did with his goals and assists and I thank him for that.
"We will replace him with another quality player if we can, but we also have Paul Ennis who will be working hard in pre-season after his injury and will be like a new signing for us."
Frank has also agreed terms with three new players so far, who include Rhyl-based striker Luke Wandless and goalkeeper Josh Ollerenshaw, both of whom have just been released by Oldham Athletic.
The 22-year-old Ollerenshaw, who had a spell on loan at Altrincham, progressed through Oldham Athletic's centre of excellence and youth set-up. He appeared for the Latics' reserves and has been on the first-team bench on a number of occasions.
Wandless, 18, is a former Wales youth international and was a member of Oldham's youth team last season.
He was also a promising athlete when he was at Rhyl High school and won a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2010 Welsh Schools Athletic championships at Brecon.
"Josh is a young keeper who I believe will provide strong competition for Chris Sanna, while Luke Wandless is an ambitious young player who I have seen play a couple of times and has a lot of ability. He will provide good back up for Rob Hopley and Jamie Ellison," said the manager.
Frank has also reached agreement to sign 24-year-old Conwy Borough winger/striker Steve Connor, who started his career at Everton, where he won four Under-17 international caps for England and had a spell on loan to Partick Thistle. Since being released by the Goodison Park club he has had spells in the Welsh Premier with The New Saints, Bangor City and Airbus, and was a key player for Conwy last season, helping them win the Cymru Alliance League Cup.
Promising defender Anthony Miley, however, is going to stay with the Conwy club for another season to gain experience.
"He needs to develop a bit more and it is going to be more beneficial for him to get regular football with Conwy next season rather than come here and only be third or fourth choice," said Sinclair.
The manager is now looking to add three quality signings to the squad if he can before pre-season training starts at the end of June.
Frank says he will also register himself as a player again as defensive cover but adds: "My hope is that I will not be needed and the team will be strong enough without me."

FA's 2013/14 League allocation

2013-05-18T17:17:25Z

GOOD news that the FA have agreed to Bishop's Stortford's request to be swtitched to the Conference South next season, which gets rid of Colwyn Bay's longest trip of the season. This is subject to expected agreement at the Conference AGM.
Coming into the Conference North next season are Stockport County, Telford (Shropshire), Barrow (Cumbria), North Ferriby (East Yorkshire), Hednesford (Staffordshire) and Leamington (Warwickshire).

Teams proposed for the Conference North are:
AFC Telford United
Altrincham
Barrow
Boston United
Brackley Town
Bradford Park Avenue
Colwyn Bay
Gainsborough Trinity
Gloucester City
Guiseley
Hednesford Town
Leamington
Harrogate Town
Histon
North Ferriby United
Oxford City
Solihull Moors
Stalybridge Celtic
Stockport County
Vauxhall Motors
Worcester City
Workington

Wrexham game agreed

2013-05-17T13:54:16Z

COLWYN BAY will play FA Trophy winners Wrexham in a pre-season friendly at Llanelian Road's Red Lion Foods Stadium on Tuesday July 23rd (7.30pm kick off).
Wrexham, who beat Grimbsy in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in the FA Trophy final at Wembley in March, have listed this as a first team game so their manager Andy Morrell is expected to bring a strong side along with some decent support.

Double award for Seagulls

2013-05-13T12:08:12Z

COLWYN BAY achieved a double award for their brilliant end of season run today when Frank Sinclair was named Conference North Player of the Month for April and Shelton Payne got the Player of the Month.
The Bay won their last six games in the space of 15 days to secure their place in the league for next season and Payne, who was signed by Frank from Trafford at the end of February, scored four goals in that spell, as well as a couple of assists, to finish the season as the team's second top scorer with seven.
The manager commented: "It is great recognition for the club at what we achieved over the last month of the season and I am really chuffed, but I see this as an award for everybody connected to the club - all the players, the board and the fans all played a huge part in those last six games.
"Its great for Shelts to get his award. I brought him back to the club because of his goals and his assists and that paid off with the success we had over that last month."
Completing the Welsh success, Newport County's Justin Edinburgh won the Conference Premier Manager of the Month award after his side's promotion back into the Football League.

Season tickets on sale

2013-05-13T10:23:08Z

COLWYN BAY season tickets for next season in the Conference North are now on sale at the club office at Llanelian Road, and will include a number of benefits.
Prices are £200 for adults (£30 cheaper than last season), and £105 for concessions, while the club is offering FREE season tickets to Under 16s.
Season tickets will be valid for all pre-season friendly games as well as all home league games.
Holders will receive priority on all-ticket high profile matches and will receive 10per cent discount on club shop purchases over £10.
FA Cup and FA Trophy games are not included, but season ticket holders will have priority if tickets are issued for those games (ie: Stockport County and Telford).
Payment can be made in person at the Colwyn Bay FC office (open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm) or by post to Colwyn Bay FC, Llanelian Road, Old Colwyn, Conwy LL29 8UN (cheques payable to Colwyn Bay Football Club).
The club have also reduced the match day entrance fee for adults next season by £1 to £10. Concessions will be £6 and children Under 16 £3.

Chelsea game confirmed

2013-05-02T09:46:43Z

CHELSEA have confirmed Saturday July 27th as the date for their pre-season game at Colwyn Bay (3pm kick off).
Seagulls player-boss Frank Sinclair, who has agreed to a new one year contract with the Seagulls, said his former club will be bringing a team mainly of Under-21 players who are on the fringe of the first team squad, and some who have already had first team experience.
"Chelsea have some very good young players coming through and this will be a good test for us and for them as a lot of them usually only play against lads of their own age," he said.
The manager has a number of other pre-season friendlies lined-up but has nothing else confirmed as yet.
He expects to start pre-season training around five weeks before the Chelsea game and added: "We are going to have a lot of new faces and I will need a few weeks to get over my ideas on how I want to us play.
"I have already been speaking to players, including members of the current squad, and will have a better idea of how the new squad will shape up after I've had a meeting with the board next week."

THE club are looking for volunteers to man a stall at the Colwyn Bay Prom Xtra (May 18 and 19) and help with a children's penalty shoot out competition. Anyone willing to give up a couple of hours can email Matt Sampson at the club on matt@colwynbayfc.co.uk or ring him on 01492 514680.

Frank praises six of the best

2013-04-27T21:18:14Z

FRANK SINCLAIR said it all as he reflected on Colwyn Bay's sixth win in six games today to secure Conference North survival - "We have achieved the unachievable."
John McKenna's glancing header on 32 minutes from Shelton Payne's corner, saw the Seagulls bring down the curtain on a roller coaster season with a 1-0 win over Gloucester City and complete an extraordinary run-in with six wins in 15 days.
Payne went close to adding a second goal and the visitors were lucky when a Sinclair free kick deflected onto a post and out for a corner off a defender.
Gloucester finished the game strongly and Danny Andrew saw a free kick rebound off the crossbar, but with Sinclair again outstanding at the back, the Bay held on for the victory.
In the end they finish five points clear of the relegation positions, with Corby Town the unlucky side to finish in the bottom three along side Droylsden and Hinckley.
The team were short of their best on a nervy last day, but they got the job done and deserved all the plaudits and celebrations afterwards.
"I am really proud of what we've achieved," said Sinclair. "I took on a monster job but I knew we had enough ability in the dressing room to get ourselves out of trouble and the players have been unbelievable.
"I have had fantastic help from Gus (assistant manager Gus Williams) and Dan Nolan (physio) and I have to give great credit to the board of directors who have bent over backwards to help me. We couldn't have done it without the effort they and everybody else involved has put in."
Today was probably Sinclair's last game as a player, after a career which has seen him collect Wembley winners medals with Chelsea and Leicester City, and he added: "I couldn't have ended on a happier day.
"It is an emotional day for me, I've had a great career but the feeling of pride I have inside over what we've done here in the last few weeks is up there with all the achievements I had with Chelsea.
"Now we are looking to build on this next season - and I certainly hope I don't have to put my boots on again. I am 42 this year and management is now the next stage for me.
"I am having to start from scratch again, but football is in my veins and it is what I live for ever since I was a 16-year-old starting out at Chelsea.
"I want to manage in the Premiership one day, but I am going nowhere yet. I want to learn my trade here and hopefully help bring some money into the football club so we can improve the team and the stadium and get more people wanting to come and watch and follow Colwyn Bay.
"I've got some hard work to do in the summer, but I have already started making calls and seeing whose available and have an idea of who I want to bring in.
"By keeping the backbone of the current squad and introducing some new players I want to be challenging for the play-offs and a place in Conference Premier if we can next season. That may sound ambitious, but I am an ambitious person."
Sinclair, of course, has ben hugely influential on the field in the last six games and he knows that is something he has to try and replace.
"I've got a couple of ideas about players who I think can come in and do the job that I've been doing and be leaders on the field, but we've got to have quality as well. That won't be easy to do, but I'll be doing by damnedest to try."
He has already had agreement from Chelsea to send an under-21 team up for a pre-season friendly and said: "I'm working on trying to get other good football clubs here so we can have some attractive games that will bring in the crowds."
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Smyth, Lea, Meadowcroft, Sinclair, McKenna, Evans (Lampkin 90 mins), Payne, Crowther, Ellison (Ennis 81mins), Joyce. Subs: Taylor, McLachlan, Moore.
Attendance: 633.
In the end of season presentations, Rob Hopley won both the Manager's Player of the Season award and top goalscoring trophy, while Chris Sanna was the Supporters' Player of the Season and Tom Smyth. who came back from mid-season knee surgery to pla a huge part in the fnal run-in, took the Directors' Special award.
Sanna had another exceptionally consistent season and was brilliant in the last six games despite suffering with a groin injury.
Every member of the squad also received a bottle of champagne.
Chairman Bob Paton praised Frank Sinclair's efforts and backed him to make progress with the side next season.
"I always believed we would get out of trouble, even after the Droylsden game when others had given up the ghost. Frank always believed as well - and he is going nowehere. We will finish the season debt free and my only hope is that the gate we had today (633) can be repeated a lot more often next season so we can really progress as a club."

Sinclair targets day of celebration

2013-04-25T10:34:16Z

COLWYN BAY player-boss Frank Sinclair says he wants Saturday to be a day of celebration as the Seagulls' survival battle goes down to the last game of the season at home to Gloucester City (3pm kick).
They need only a point to be sure of safety after their amazing run of five wins in 10 days - but it is going to be a tense afternoon as they look to finally get over the line.
In many ways Saturday is every bit as big as the play-off victory against FC United of Manchester two years ago, as staying in the Conference North could be worth as much as £40,000 in additional funding.
Histon's 1-1 draw at Solihull Moors on Tuesday night means the Cambridge side have moved out of the bottom three above Corby Town on goal difference and both sides are three points behind Colwyn Bay going into the final day.
If either Histon (away to Bradford Park Avenue) or Corby (at home to Gainsborough) fail to win on Saturday then Colwyn Bay are safe whatever happens against Gloucester - but after five wins in 10 days to set up the Great Escape, the players will be eager to finish the season on a high with a sixth straight win.
Top scorer Rob Hopley is missing through suspension but Sinclair reports everybody else should be available for selection.
"We had a very light recovery training session on Thursday night and everyone is okay, but I am going to have another night to think about how we set up before I decide on the team," said Sinclair.
"But all the lads are up for it. We have worked so hard to get ourselves in the position we are in and it is so important now we finish the job off against Gloucester and secure our place in the league next season."
The players have done the club and the town proud in the last couple of weeks and deserve as many people as possible to come and join the party, with a lot of the fans of both sides coming in fancy dress, and help cheer the team to victory.
But this also a big game for Gloucester City manager Dave Mehew as it will be his 250th in charge of the Tigers - becoming only the fifth manager in the club's history to reach that milestone.
He is very keen to celebrate the occasion with a victory that should secure a top 10 finish for his side, who have already reached their highest points total in the Conference North.
Their injury ravaged squad, however, go into the game on the back of four straight defeats and of the 10 first team squad players currently out through injury, only defensive midfielder Jack Harris is reported to have a fighting chance of playing.
That means 45-year-old Mehew will again have to call on youth team graduates like midfielders Sam Turl and Keiran Tracey, as well as himself, to make up the numbers.
"Its been a difficult end of season with all the injuries," he said this week. "At the moment we're in relegation form and Colwyn Bay is our last chance to improve that. Our aim is to finish in the top 10 and if we win at Colwyn Bay we will do that."
Sinclair and his players will surely have the bit between their teeth to make sure that doesn't happen!
The game will be followed by Colwyn Bay's end of season presentations in the clubhouse at 5.30pm.
Colwyn Bay: (from) Sanna, Smyth, Lea, Sinclair, Meadowcroft, Crowther, McKenna, Payne, Ellison, Evans, Joyce, Byrne, Ennis, Taylor, Davey. Lampkin, Moore.

Seagulls pull out of Coast Cup

2013-04-23T09:50:15Z

COLWYN BAY have today withdrawn from the North Wales Coast FA Challenge Cup and will NOT now play Prestatyn in the semi-final scheduled for tomorrow night.
The club felt playing a sixth game in 12 days was asking too much of their small squad and with a number of players carrying knocks, they need time to recover before Saturday's very important final league game at home to Gloucester City.
A club statement released today read: "A decision was taken last night after the game at Bradford Park Avenue that in the interest of the team management and players, that playing 6 games in 12 days was asking too much from our small squad of players, therefore we should withdraw from the NWCFA Challenge Cup competition with immediate effect.
"This gives the Management and Team a few extra days to rest and prepare for Saturday's very important final Blue Square Conference North game."

Histon's 1-1 draw at Solihull tonight showed the club made the sensible decision to pull out of the Coast Cup. It is crucial now for Colwyn Bay to get at least a point against Goucester to secure their Conference North status.

Fifth win in a row makes Bay almost safe

2013-04-23T00:00:09Z

TWO second half goals made it five wins in 10 days for Colwyn Bay as they won 2-1 at Bradford Park Avenue to make Conference North safety almost certain.
If Histon lose at Solihull on Tuesday, then the Seagulls can definitely celebrate what has been the most amazing great escape, but even if they avoid defeat, it would need a couple of freak results next Saturday to deny Colwyn Bay their place in the division next season.
Two weeks ago after the Droylsden defeat they looked dead and buried, but the situation has been rescued by a fantastic run of results.
Neither keeper was extended in a goalless first half at Bradford, although it needed two headed clearances off the line by John McKenna to prevent the home side taking the lead from a corner.
Shelton Payne tried two or three runs down the left, but got little joy against Bradford right back Michael Duckworth, although he did bring home keeper John Lamb to his knees with driven free kick into the goalmouth.
The only other half chance for Colwyn Bay came from their only corner of the half, but Rob Hopley's header was a long way off target.
The deadlock, however, was broken eight minutes into the second as Colwyn Bay took the lead.
Mike Lea's long ball beat the Bradford defence and Rob Hopley ran onto it to cleverly clip it over keeper John Lamb into the far corner of the net.
A storming run by Payne then opened up another great chance, but he fired over the bar with Hopley free to his right.
From the goalkick Bradford were unlucky not to equalise when Paul Walker's shot hit the inside of Chris Sanna's right hand post and bounced across the face of the goal before being cleared.
But Colwyn Bay made the most of that escape by scoring a second goal on 67 minutes.
Bradford failed to deal with a long throw and when the ball fell to Payne, he drove a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Bradford pulled a goal back on 78 minutes through Ross Dally when the visitors failed to clear a cross from the left, but Colwyn Bay defended solidly in the closing minutes to secure the points.
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Smyth (Taylor 68mins), Lea, Sinclair, Meadowcroft, Crowther, McKenna, Payne (Evcans 70mins), Hopley, Ellison, Joyce (Ennis 72mins),. Subs not used: McLachlan and Moore.
Player-boss Frank Sinclair again praised the team for capping what has been an unbelievable run-in to the season.
"To a man the boys have superb," he said. "The workrate they have put over the last five games has been different class. We have deserved the wins by our workrate and the goals we have scored."
Sinclair, himself, has made an enormous difference to the defence since his return from suspension.
"We've been organised at the back," he agreed "The performance of the back four and the four in front of us have been really important, and it has allowed the likes of Shelton Payne, Rob Hopley and Jay Ellison to express themselves at the other end of the pitch and they have done that.
"Now I want Saturday (against Gloucester in the final game) to be a big celebration.
"Its been a hard job considering we were seven points adrift of safety when I took over, but we have worked hard to change the mentality of the players and turn them into winners again by pumping confidence and determination into them - and they have responded magnificently."
Can I just make it clear that reports that Jamie Crowther was sent off after 28 minutes for dissent are totally wrong. I don't know where that came from and Jamie is naturally fuming about it. He was booked for a foul tackle, but most certainly was NOT sent off.

Fourth win in eight days

2013-04-20T16:01:53Z

COLWYN BAY made it four wins in eight days with a 2-1 victory at Workington today.
Corby also won, but Colwyn Bay stay above them on goal difference and now also go ahead of Histon, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Boston and drop into the bottom three.
The Seagulls led after eight minutes when Shelton Payne broke down the left and from his pull-back Jamie Ellison had a shot blocked in the goalmouth before Rob Hopley forced the ball in from the rebound.
Payne, who proved a real handful again down the left, looked to have a strong shout for a penalty when he went down as he took the past the keeper in a one-on-one, but the referee booked him for diving - harshly in opinion as I felt contact was made.
Just before that Jamie Ellison got the ball in the net with a clever chip over the keeper, only to be flagged offside and he later missed a great chance by putting a free header over the bar fom six yards when Danny Meadowcroft headed on Tom Smyth's long throw into the area.
Workington equalised on 31 minutes with a Dan Wordsworth header from Mark Boyd's free kick, but 10 minutes later Payne broke down the left again, from a wuick free kick, and cut into the area before running across three defenders and sliding a shot inside the far post to make it 2-1 at the break.
The second half saw a lot of Workington pressure but they never really tested Chris Sanna and Payne came closest to scoring when he rounded the keeper but saw his shot
cleared off the line.
Player-boss Frank Sinclair: "We have been stretched as a squad over the past eight days and to come through with maximum points from the four games is incredible.
"I've had to chop things around a bit with people carrying knocks and stuff, but everybody who has played has done really well."
A couple of weeks ago Frank said his side may need to win four on the bounce to give themselves any chance of escaping relegation and Frank commented: "That is proving to be correct and I honestly believed we could do it.
"Everybody who has been involved, the staff, the players, the boardrom and the fans have mucked in to help me out as much as they can and I'm over the moon with that."
On today's game the player-boss added; "I though we were going to have a tougher game than we did. I was bit worried at half-time because we had so many chances in the first half and I though if they (Workington) got chances in the second half with the wind against us, we could be in trouble.
"But we defended well as a unit. Everybody got behind the ball and our two banks of four made it difficult for them to get through us."
Although everybody contributed to this latest triumph I made Shelton Payne my man of the match.
He was handful all afternoon down the left, making one goal, scoring the other to take his tally to five in the last eight games, and was unlucky not score again,
"I keep getting on at Shelton because I know how good he can be," said Frank.
"He has been unbelievable recently, scoring goals for fun, and that is what I brought here for.
"He's got the ability to play at what ever level he wants with his pace. He could play Conference Premier or even League Two football at a push if he really wanted to work on his game.
"But I'm here to try and improve everybody as players and as professionals and to try and get a winning mentality throughout the squad."
So now it is on to Bradford Park Avenue on Monday.
Gaz Evans, who missed today's game with a foot injury, is also a doubt for that, but the manager said: "We will monitor him over the next couple of days and see how is, bit I'm not going to push him if he's not right.
"Everybody came through the game today fine and we took the opportunity to rest Danny Taylor who is struggling a bit with a thigh strain. But we've go plenty of bodies for Monday and will just play it by ear."
A fifth win in a row for the Seagulls at Bradford and defeat for Histon away to in-form Solihull Moors on Tuesday would secure Conference North survival - otherwise it all goes down to the last day of the season next Saturday.
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Smyth, Lea, Sinclair, Meadowcroft, Crowther, McKenna, Payne, Hopley, Ellison (Ennis 79mins), Joyce. Subs not used: McLachlan, Lampkin, Taylor, Moore.
Attendance: 412

Payne double aids Bay triumph

2013-04-18T20:52:25Z

TWO goals by Shelton Payne helped Colwyn Bay to a 3-1 home victory over Oxford City tonight which has take them out of the bottom three relegation places.
Rob Hopley got the other goal as the Bay climb above Corby Town on goal difference, with a game in hand, and they are only a point behind Histon and two behind Bishop's Stortford with three games to play.
The Bay had to defend solidly for much of the game, but although Oxford got a goal back late on, the Seagulls held out for a tremendous win.
They got the perfect start with goal after five minutes when Shelton Payne skinned his full back down the left, before cutting inside to rifle a shot past Oxford keeper Juanin Martin.
Colwyn Bay were on the defensive for most of the rest of the half with Chris Sanna making a couple of good saves, although Jamie Ellison had a lob over the keeper headed off the line and volleyed another shot narrowly over the bar.
Oxford again came out strongly at the start of the second half but their defence failed to deal with a long ball down the middle and Payne sprinted clear and drew the keeper before slotting the ball past him for his second goal of the game on 53 minutes.
Six minutes later another long ball released Rob Hopley down the right and he cut into the area before drilling a shot past Martin into the far corner of the net to make it 3-0.
It was an unbelievable six minutes.
Oxford pressure saw them pull a goal back through Mark Bell to make it a tense last 15 minutes - but the Bay held out with Sinclair again conducting operations superbly at the back.
Not many fans can have had any nails left at the end , yet Sinclair, it seems, was the coolest man in the ground.
"To be honest I thought it was one of our easiest games defensively and I felt quite comfortable," he surprisingly reflected afterwards.
"Scoring the early goal gave us something to hold on to and I thought we coped with them (Oxford) really well.
"To win three games on the spin at this time is vital, especially coming so close together. It has taken a lot out of the boys, but the whole squad have given me 100 per cent and I can't ask for any more.
"Its a great feeling to be out of the bottom three for the first time since January and it gives us something to protect and hang on to.
"Now we have to go again on Saturday. Obviously there is fatigue, but we've got some momentum going now, everybody wants to play, and we'll keep going right to the end.
"Survival is so important. For me it is a great opportunity to manage and take it one step further next season - but it is important we stay at this level if we can.
"I know I can attract good players to the football club and it so much easier to do that when you playing in a better league."
The game was covered by Chelsea TV as a tribute to Frank in what is likely to be his last season as a player and included shots in the dressing room as well as the match.
"It was great to have them here and the support they have given me as a former Chelsea player has been superb," said the player-boss.
"It was all their idea to come and I was a bit nervous, to be honest, with them coming when it was such an important game, but I told the boys to ignore the cameras and just get on with doing their jobs.
"To be fair the boys done that and really performed well - I think a few of them must have been looking for a move to Chelsea next season!"
Part of the game and shots of the ground were also filmed by Budweiser as part of an FA Cup piece on grass root clubs who play in the early rounds of the competition. That is planned to be shown on ITV at half-time in the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Wigan as well as on the big screens in the stadium.
On the down side tonight, Gaz Evans picked up an ankle injury and Tom Roberts twisted his knee in the pre-match warm-up and both look likely to miss Saturday's trip to Workington.
But the Great escape is most definitely on - and what a difference a week has made when you think of the gloom around the club just over a week ago after the dreadful home defeat to Droylsden.
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Smyth, Lea, Meadowcroft, Sinclair, Crowther, Evans (Ennis 60mins), Payne (Lampkin 60mins), Hopley, Ellison, Joyce (McLachlan 71mins). Subs not used: Roberts, Moore.
Attendance: 303.

Huge game against Oxford

2013-04-18T11:19:09Z

COLWYN BAY will lift themselves out of the bottom three relegation places if they can make it three wins in six days at home to Oxford City tonight (Thursday, 7.45pm).
They will go above Corby Town on goal difference with a game still in hand and only a point behind fifth-bottom Histon with three games left.
Player-boss Frank Sinclair is calling for "more of the same" from his side after Tuesday's great win at Brackley and says: "This game is probably even more important than Tuesday but because if we can pull another win out of the hat it will take us out of the relegation places and put real pressure on the other sides for the weekend."
Fraser McLachlan should be available again after missing Tuesday's game through work commitments, but the manager will need a late check on the availability of John McKenna (illness) and Danny Meadowcroft (whose baby daughter is back in hospital).
Oxford, who drew 2-2 with Halifax on Tuesday night, are unbeaten in their last five games which includes excellent away wins at Bradford and Gainsborough, so tonight will be another tough game.
The match is being filmed by Chelsea TV, who are also doing some dressing room shots as part of a feature on Frank Sinclair.
Colwyn Bay: (from) Sanna, Taylor, Lea, Sinclair, Smyth, Crowther, Evans, Payne, Hopley, Ellison, Joyce, McLachlan, McKenna, Davey, Ennis, Roberts, Lampkin, Byrne, Meadowcroft, Moore.

Great win at Brackley

2013-04-16T20:48:32Z

COLWYN BAY pulled off a superb 3-1 victory at promotion-chasing Brackley Town tonight to move to within three points of Corby Town with two games in hand.
They got a great start and were 2-0 up after 17 minutes.
Rob Hopley rose high to head in from Shelton Payne's run and cross from the left on 11 minutes and then Jamie Ellison scored with a tremendous free kick over the wall and into the top corner of the net.
Tom Smyth also had an excellent chance from a corner, but he totally mishit his shot from 12 yards and home keeper Billy Turley was able to save easily.
The Bay had been defending well, but two minutes before the break Tom Smyth misheaded an attempted clearance into his own net to let Brackley back in it.
The home side pressed forward strongly in the second half, but Colwyn Bay made it 3-1 on 55 minutes when Ellison collected a Gaz Evans cross and turned to fire across the keeper and just inside the far post.
The ball bounced up and hit his hand before he turned and scored, but the referee allowed the goal to stand, much to the anger of the home crowd.
Colwyn Bay might have had a fourth after Payne, who did well down the left, put in another run and a great cross to the unmarked Paul Ennis, whose shot was blocked by the keeper's body for a corner.
Chris Sanna. who had another outstanding game in goal, then made three tremendous saves to prevent Brackley getting back in it again.
He raced off his line to block a shot in a one-on-one with substitute Steve Diggin , flew to his right to tip a Jefferson Luois header over the bar and flung himself to his left to beat away a hot shot from midfielder Eddie Odhiambo.
Frank Sinclair made a huge difference at the back in his first game after completing his five match ban and agreed afterwards that his return to the side was probably a key factor behind the win.
"My voice has been missed on the pitch in those five games and I could kick myself because if I hadn't got myself sent off (against Altrincham) we might well have been safe by now.
"But I was very proud of the boys; I thought to a man they were superb.
"We've got three or four players carrying knocks but they all wanted to play and that is the spirit you want when you in our position.
"We also had to make two late changes to the planned starting line-up because John Mac (McKenna) was feeling quite ill on the way to the game (stomach bug) and Danny Meadowcroft pulled out earlier in the day for personal reasons (his baby daughter Evie has been taken back into hospital). We were already without Fraz (McLachlan) through work and I would have been pulling my hair out if I had any. But the lads who came in did brilliantly.
"We played them (Brackley) off the park in the first half. I felt sorry for Tom Smyth (own goal) because he hadn't put a foot wrong and the goal gave Brackley some hope at an important time just before half-time.
"But I told the lads they musn't let their heads drop and keep playing the way we had been, and in the end we thoroughly deserved the result."
Now victory against Oxford City on Thursday will lift the Seagulls out of the bottom three ahead of Corby on goal difference, with a game still in hand, and only a point behind HIston with three games left.
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Taylor, Lea, Sinclair, Smyth, Crowther (Ennis 60mins), Evans, Payne (Lampkin 87mins), Hopley, Ellison, Joyce. Subs not used: Davey, Roberts, Moore.

Sinclair back for Brackley game

2013-04-15T11:33:32Z

FRANK SINCLAIR is bringing himself straight back into the squad following his five-match ban for Tuesday's trip to promotion-chasing Brackley Town.
The Seagulls play four of their remaining five league games in the space of seven days in what is a make or break week for them and the player-manager said: "I feel that I need to be fully involved for these remaining games."
Sinclair will have to manage his small squad very carefully, but he believes the pressure is now on fourth-bottom Corby who have only have two games left on the back of suffering three defeats in six days and conceding 11 goals.
Colwyn Bay, however, still have to come from six points behind to overtake them and that will be tough to achieve - even with three games in hand.
Brackley, who are third in the table and need only one more point to be assured of a place in the play-offs, have won five of their last six games and have not conceded a goal in their last four and half hours of football thanks to three consecutive 1-0 wins.
But they have proved vulnerable at times at home, where they have dropped 18 points this season and were recently surprisingly beaten 4-2 by Corby.
Colwyn Bay are without midfielder Fraser McLachlan due to work commitments, but otherwise Sinclair expects to have a full strength squad available.
Colwyn Bay (from) Sanna, Taylor, Lea, Meadowcroft, Smyth, Sinclair, McKenna, Evans, Payne, Hopley, Ellison, Crowther, Joyce, Ennis, Davey, Lampkin, Roberts, Moore.
The Seagulls are then at home to Oxford City on Thursday before travelling to Workington on Saturday and Bradford Park Avenue next Monday.
Adding to their tough end-of-season schedule, the North Wales Coast FA Challenge Cup semi-final against Prestatyn Town on Wednesday April 24th (7.30pm kick off at Colwyn Bay) will be Bay's fifth game in nine days!