COLWYN BAY VS TNS
COLWYN BAY manager Neil Young described another second half defensive collapse as "very worrying" after seeing his pre-season preparations hit for six in a 6-2 defeat to Welsh Premier full-timers The New Saints.

The Bay were a little unlucky to be 2-1 down at half-time after taking a 17th minute lead with a Rob Hopley penalty after Anthony Sheehan had been brought down in the area.

They played the ball around quite nicely at times without creating very much in the way of chances, but TNS benefited from two rebounds in the area for Steve Abbott and Jamie Wood to put them ahead at the break.

A wayward shot hit Tim Brandreth and fell perfectly for Abbott to score and then when keeper Kieran Bennett could only parry a shot from Chris Seargant, Wood hooked the loose ball into the net.

The Welsh Premier side's pace and movement up front then tore Colwyn Bay apart in the opening 10 minutes of the second half with three quick goals from Alex Darlington (2) and Craig Williams.

Williams later added a sixth, while TNS also had a goal disallowed, hit the bar and were denied a seventh by a fine diving save from Benett, before Tom McGill got a late second goal for the Bay (his fifth in pre-season games) from a Lee Davey cross.

Hopley also had a shot well saved by the TNS keeper.
Ian Sheridan looked the pick of the Bay side when he came on in the second half, but both fullbacks struggled as TNS attacked with pace and strength down the flanks and the way the side crumbled in the second half was disturbing.

"It was like Altrincham all over again," said Neil Young. "We did OK in the first half apart from conceding a couple of soft goals, but the second half was awful. We just seemed to lose the desire to defend and that is very worrying."
The game was a testimonial for former club physio Colin Edwards, who came on to play the last five minutes, and was watched by a crowd of 238.

Report courtesy of Tim Channon

Pictures courtesy of Martin Lyons Photography