COLWYN BAY VS FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER
NOTHING went right for Colwyn Bay on the first day of the UniBond Division One North season in front of a crowd of 854 as they lost 3-0 at home to FC Halifax Town after playing for over an hour with 10 men.

The day started badly with Carl Clampitt suffering an abdominal strain in the pre-match warm-up and having to be replaced.

Manager Neil Young had to re-jig the line-up at the last minute, bringing in Gary Scott who has only just returned from holiday, and saw much of his pre-season planning, which had involved Clampitt in midfield, go out of the window.

Then after 25 minutes the Bay had to re-jig again when fullback Louis Corrigan got a straight red card for a bad tackle which put Halifax defender Mark Hotte out of the game with a calf injury.

"No excuses, Corrigan deserved to be sent off, and that changed the game,” admitted the manager.

"We were still in it at that stage, despite conceding an early goal, but to have to play for over an hour with 10 men against one of the strongest sides in the division makes it very difficult.

"The lads worked hard to try and get a foothold in the game, and although 3-0 was probably a fair reflection of the game after the sending off, it certainly wouldn't have been had we had 11 men."

Although there were no complaints about the red card, the manager added: "How two of their players didn't get red cards as well is beyond me. Their No 10 escaped a second yellow card after Tom McGill had been booked minutes earlier for an identical challenge, and then McGill was brought down by the last man when going through on goal and the lad only gets a yellow.
"I don't like to make excuses but I thought the referee was poor and he spoilt a good game with too many bookings for nothing."

Referee Mark Duncan made six bookings, including Bay's Steve Aspinall, Tim Brandreth and Tom McGilll, as well as the sending off.

New Halifax manager Neil Aspin has brought in a number of players from Conference side Harrogate Town and to be honest they always looked too big and strong for the Bay.

Star signing James Dean was a real handful up front and scored two excellent goals to put his side 2-0 up at half-time.

He volleyed in the first from a Tom Baker corner after 10 minutes and then turned his defender superbly to rifle in a second three minutes before half-time, with Bay then down to 10 men.

Dean hit the bar with a header early in the second half before the Bay totally fluffed a chance to clear the ball in defence and Richard Marshall ran on unchallenged to beat Farai Jackson for Halifax's third goal on 53 minutes.

After that it was all a bit of a cruise for them with only Jackson denying the Yorkshire side further success with a number of fine saves including one flying effort to turn another shot from Dean round the post for a corner.

In all Halifax had 20 attempts at goal to just six by the Bay and forced 11 corners to Colwyn Bay's three which gives an indication of the control they had.

The Bay looked vulnerable at the back at set pieces, although they were better when Rob Hopley was switched into the centre of defence from attack in the second half, while the Bay rarely threatened the visitors' goal - although Hopley did have a first half header cleared off the line and Alex Hay had a great chance to pull a goal back right at the end, but saw his close range shot from Hopley's header blocked by keeper Jonathan Hedge's body.
It was certainly a very subdued Bay squad of players afterwards and Neil Young must now try and lift them all ahead of Tuesday's trip to Mossley.

Completing a bad news day for the Bay, I understand defender Lee Hammond has left the club to join Cammell Laird after failing to make the squad of 16 for the Halifax game.

Report courtesy of Tim Channon

Pictures courtesy of Martin Lyons Photography