PRESCOT CABLES VS COLWYN BAY
COLWYN BAY'S dismal cup record continued with a 3-1 first round defeat in the Unibond League Challenge Cup at Prescot Cables. And the damage was done in the opening 19 minutes when they conceded all three Prescot goals as opportunist finishing punished a series of errors.

Paul London seized on a mistake by Lee Davey to score the first with a cracking shot from 25 yards after nine minutes, and seven minutes later Prescot full-back Che Morgan spotted Chris Sanna yards off his line and beat him with a perfectly judged shot from the near half-way line which dropped over the back-pedalling keeper into the top corner of the net.

Sanna then dived to turn a Paul Cliff shot round the post, but from the resulting corner a static Bay defence allowed Rob McIntosh to run in and score with a diving header.
It could and should have been worse as Phil Green shot wide of an open goal after going round Sanna and then lifted another shot over the bar with just the keeper to beat after a wayward pass by Matty Hurdman in his own half had been easily intercepted.

Shell-shocked Colwyn Bay tried to rally and Tom McGill was unlucky to hit the bar with an overhead kick, while Carl Clampitt, who was given a surprise start in midfield, had a close range effort blocked on the line.  An over zealous linesman continually flagged for offside whenever the Bay looked like breaking through on goal, but to rescue the tie after giving their opponents a three goal start was always going to be a big ask.

Neil Young made three substitutions at half-time with Rob Hopley, Tim, Brandreth and Louis Corrigan coming off the bench, but although the Bay pressed forward and were unlucky to hit the bar again with a Clampitt header, Prescot worked hard to close them down and restricted them to few scoring chances.

In fact, home keeper Andy Paxton did not have a save to make prior to Hopley stabbing a late consolation goal past him in the last 10 minutes from what, ironically, looked an offside position.

Matty Hurdman did have a good chance when he broke free in the area, but dragged his shot well wide.  Prescot, meanwhile, were always a threat on the break and Sanna made fine saves to prevent Aaron Rey and Paul Cliff from adding further goals.  With the league very much the priority, an early exit from the League Cup is not a disaster and was always a possibility with fringe players given a run out, but Bay fans will certainly want normal service resumed by a back-to-strength team for next Saturday's game at Rossendale, where (with Halifax in the FA Cup) a win will put the Seagulls top of the table.

Report courtesy of Tim Channon

Pictures courtesy of Martin Lyons Photography