Colwyn Bay book trip to FC United of Manchester

 Source: North Wales Weekly News

 Oct 21 2010

 COLWYN Bay booked a trip to FC United of Manchester in the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy following Saturday’s excellent 2-0 win over Bradford Park Avenue.

Goals from Jon Newby and Damien Allen secured Bay a welcome £2,200 windfall at the expense of opponents currently higher placed than the Seagulls in the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

Next up in the prestigious competition is a visit to Gigg Lane on October 30 to take on a side currently languishing in 16th in the Premier.
But before that Bay have a league double header – away to basement boys Retford United this Saturday and then home to a Marine outfit Dave

Challinor’s men have already beaten twice this season next Tuesday (7.45pm).

With Colwyn currently seventh in the table, a couple of good results could take them higher before their big Trophy date.

Boss Challinor saluted his players after Saturday’s success over Bradford.

“After taking a 6-0 beating from Northwich just a week earlier this was a very solid performance and the boys deserve great credit for it,” he said.

“It’s really important for the club’s finances that we do well in these big competitions, so that come January we are in a position to look at improving the squad still further and push on from there.

“We were so much on top that we could have won it five or six-nil, which is great to be able to say.”

The Seagulls certainly had the measure of a Bradford side looking for a fourth straight win, dominating from start to finish.

Ian Sheridan almost scored in the second minute in a one-on-one with keeper Michael Hale, who produced the first of many fine stops.
Ironically, an under-hit clearance by Hale led to the Bay’s opening goal on 16 minutes as alert Newby smartly exploited the half-chance to slip the ball past the keeper.

Bradford’s prospects of recovering nose-dived when defender David Briggs was sent off for a second yellow card on 52 minutes, and they were completely dashed when Karl Noon laid on the cross for skipper Allen to crack a second off the inside of a post from 20 yards on 67 minutes.

The Seagulls should have made it three on 90 minutes when a handling offence by Darrell Reardon brought a penalty opportunity for Noon.

However, his spot kick was superbly saved as Hale tipped the ball onto a post before it was hoofed clear.