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Colwyn Bay 3 FC Halifax Town 1: Shaymen well short of the mark
WITH the Unibond One North title becoming a distant hope with each week that passes, Town's main focus must now be to claim a play-off place - and even that could be in jeopardy should they produce too many more performances like this one.
Unsure at the back and ineffective in attack, they were never going to trouble a Colwyn Bay side brimming with confidence after winning each of its previous five games in 2009.
Boss Jim Vince revealed before kick off that, as far as he was concerned, the Welshmen were the best team he had seen in the league this season.
In reality they were not that special, but Halifax were unable to raise their game to a sufficient level to combat them.
It is one of the more infuriating traits of the Town side that as individuals they are a match for anyone in the division - and possibly the next two above - and yet they have a tendency to a level less than the sum of the parts.
There were promising signs early on with new signing Mark Peers prominent, causing Bay problems down the Town right, his early cross enabling David Brown to get in a shot that was blocked by Dave Challinor.
Tom Baker's free kick was only parried by home keeper Chris Sanna, but striker Brown sent his shot from the rebound across the face of goal and wide.
And when Scott Phelan sent a curling ball over the top of the defence, Sanna had be alert to get to it before Brown.
Bay's best effort in the opening quarter came from a Steve Aspinall corner that Challinor headed down, but into the arms of Jon Kennedy.
It took a great Graham Branch challenge to deny David Brown as he latched onto Ashley Stott's flick in the 22nd minute and from the resulting Peers corner Danny Meadowcroft almost forced the keeper into an error.
Stott did well on the right in the 25th minute before pulling the ball back for Phelan, whose well struck shot was tipped over the bar by the keeper at full stretch.
There was a bizarre moment on the half hour when Meadowcroft and Kennedy had a real go at each other following a mix up that led to a corner and the pair were spoken to by the referee.
It did not appear to put Town off as Peers volleyed over and Brown appeared to be bundled over in the area going for a Peers cross.
But the home side finished the first half strongly with Lee Davey sending a half volley onto the top of the bar and over before they broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute.
An innocuous looking ball into the box was flicked on by Robert Hopley and Aspinall nipped in to head it over the advancing Kennedy and into the net.
The introduction of Michael Barnes 10 minutes after the break was a shot in the arm for Town, the winger winning a corner on the left then seeing his delivery cleared off the line at the near post.
The clearance was not the best and fell nicely for Ritchie Sutton whose first shot was blocked and second blazed over the bar.
Barnes also got on the end of a Junior Brown corner four minutes later, only for his placed shot to be blocked on the line by Tim Brandreth.
Sadly for another large travelling contingent, that was as good as it got.
Bay should have bagged a second goal in the 67th minute when Aspinall's pass was flicked on by Challinor to Ashton Taylor in the area but when he touched the ball on to Davey he fired over.
Two minutes later, the home side did double their advantage when the Town defence failed to deal with a Challinor long throw.
Brandreth took a return pass from Hopley 12 yards from goal and gave Kennedy no chance with a powerful shot.
Given the way Town were playing, that was effectively game over.
And that view was confirmed with 14 minutes remaining when Davey crossed from the left and the unfortunate Sutton turned the ball into his own net from the six yard line.
Baker fired wide and Brown sent an effort over the bar before Baker suffered the indignity of being sent off for a challenge on Mike McGraa which earned him a second caution.
And when Brown headed home Town's goal from a Stott pass in the third minute of stoppage time it was greeted with little enthusiasm on or off the pitch.
Click here to see the Unibond Division One North table on our Halifax Town fixtures and results page
MATCH FACTS
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Spearritt, Wood, Brandreth, Challinor, Branch, Canning (Williams 74), Taylor, Hopley (Jebb 81), Davey, Aspinall (McGraa 79). Subs (not used): Edwards, Garside.
Booked: Taylor (foul 32), Aspinall (foul 71)
Sent-off: None
Goals: Aspinall 43, Brandreth 69, Sutton og 76
FC Halifax Town: Kennedy, Adams, Collins, Sutton, Meadowcroft, Phelan (Allen 74), Baker, J Brown Peers (Barnes 57), Stott, D Brown (Jemson 62). Subs (not used): Coo, Evans.
Booked: Baker (foul 32)
Sent-off: Baker (second bookable offence 90)
Goals: J Brown 90
Attendance: 752
Referee: N Davies
STAR SHAYMAN
Having started the previous game against Warrington with no wingers, manager Jim Vince had two on at kick off at Colwyn Bay and used a third after the break.
And on a day when there were few really outstanding performances from the Town players, the wide men did as much as anyone to catch the eye.
Junior Brown looked dangerous whenever he had the ball at his feet, but with nothing happening infield there was precious little end product to his efforts.
Mark Peers showed glimpses of what persuaded Jim Vince to add him to the Town squad, especially in the early stages.
But, as expected, he ran out of steam at the start of the second half and had to be replaced.
The man who took his place was Michael Barnes, another man with pace and the ability to take on defenders.
He did himself justice as he troubled Colwyn Bay's defence down the left and almost bagged a goal that might have sparked the Shaymen into life with a shot that was cleared off the line.
Brown takes the three points on offer in our season-long competition. Peers gets two and Barnes one.
PLAYER POINTS
Junior Brown 32, Tom Baker 27, Ashley Stott 19, Scott Phelan 17, Jonathan Smith 16, Paul Gedman 11, Colin Daniel 10, Peter Moore 10, Jon Kennedy 9, Nigel Jemson 9, Cavell Coo 7, Damien Allen 7, Lincoln Adams 6, Adam Morning 4, Paul Collins 4, Steve Payne 3, Neil Ross 3, Ritchie Sutton 2, Paul Evans 2, Mark Peers 2, Michael Barnes 2, Craig Smith 2, Justin Walker 2, Luke Hinsley 2, Craig Ellison 2, Danny Ellis 1, Phil Senior 1.
YOU SAY
Quite simply not good enough Mr Vince. Why can't you see that we need a big target man? Play offs at best if we are lucky. Fans are starting to get restless - Town fan
What a joke. Let me know when a team with no desire, no will to win, no idea and no drive is going to turn up. Then I won't and will save some cash - Shayman
Played like individuals again. No wonder we weakly surrendered. John Emson
Time to say goodbye to Mr Vince - Angry Andy
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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