Evo-Stik Premier play-off final: Colwyn Bay 1 FC United of Manchester 0

Source: Daily Post

JON NEWBY is the toast of Colwyn Bay after hitting the 69th minute winner that has earned the club back to back promotions and put the Llanelian Road side into the Blue Square Conference North next season.

And the former Liverpool and Bury forward said he rated it as among the best moments in his football career.

“I’ve had a few high points, but this is right up there among the best of them,” said the 32-year-old. “It means so much to the players as a group because we were written off at the start of the season.

“It is great for the fans who follow us around the country. This success is for them more than anybody, but it is just a fantastic day for everyone connected with the club.”

It was Newby’s experience that helped him keep his cool to put away the winning goal after he beat FC United’s offside trap with a perfectly timed run.

“I was telling myself just to stay cool and hit the target and it was a fantastic feeling to see the ball go in the net,” he added.

It has also been a wonderful season for skipper Damien Allen who spent the last 18 months of his time at Bury out of action through injury before joining the Seagulls at the start of the season.

The former Manchester United junior said: “Nothing beats this. I am very proud to be captain of such a great bunch of lads. They work really hard for each other. We have defended really well since Christmas and that is what has got us where we are more than anything.”

Player-boss Dave Challinor said that to win promotion in his first season as a manager was beyond his wildest dreams.

“I am so proud and feel quite emotional really,” he said.

“At the start of the season I just wanted to consolidate and to have got promotion is just an unbelievable achievement.

“It is all down to a fantastic bunch of lads who are really close and work their socks off for each other. And I am so pleased because this is such a nice club and the people here deserve it.”

FC United came with a huge following and probably just edged the game on possession, but they couldn’t get through a Colwyn Bay defence that has kept seven clean sheets in their last eight games to take them into an exciting new chapter in their history.

After a goalless first half in which neither keeper was really tested, it needed two fine saves from Bay’s Chris Sanna in the second half to prevent the Manchester side going in front.

He dived to turn away a deflected shot from Nicky Platt that looked to be heading for the net, and then leapt to turn a goalbound header from Scott McManus over the bar.

Colwyn Bay had certainly missed the attacking threat of injured Jimmy McCarthy on the right, but as the game began to open up, Joe McMahon headed narrowly wide from an Anthony Sheehan free kick and then Rob Hopley broke clear only to blaze his chance over the bar.

But Newby sent Llanelian Road wild five minutes later when he broke clear and kept his head to slide the ball past advancing keeper Sam Ashton for the only goal of the game.

Substitute Alex Titchiner went close to adding a second when he beat two defenders on a great run on the break only for his shot to narrowly clear the bar with Ashton beaten.

FC United piled on the pressure in the closing minutes, but Colwyn Bay’s defence held firm to clinch a tremendous day for the club.

COLWYN BAY: Sanna, Denson, Lea, Meadowcroft, McMahon, McLachlan, Sheehan, Allen, Hopley (Davey 81), Newby (Grannon 85), Noon (Titchiner 59). Subs: Evans, Challinor.