Date: Tuesday 22nd September 2009
Competition: Unibond League Challenge Cup 1R
Venue: Valerie Park, Prescot, Merseyside
Attendance: 091
A taste of the cup this evening, well the Unibond League Challenge Cup at least. Not a competition that will be tremendously high up on the priorities list of its competitors, but it’s an opportunity of silverware for a side lower down the standings. This particular clash is between Prescot Cables and Colwyn Bay, both sides being in the Unibond First Division North and having already met once this season when Colwyn Bay ran out 3-1 winners in a league match at Llanelian Road. Prescot will be keen to gain revenge for this result and also halt a string of poor results with a victory this evening.
Colwyn Bay have had a few erratic results this season themselves, their 3-1 victory over Prescot then saw them dumped out of the FA Cup in the Preliminary Round stage of the competition with a 2-4 home defeat by St Helens Town. The next match they travelled to then unbeaten Radcliffe Borough and hammered them 7-0. So the question is what sort of Colwyn Bay side will turn up this evening? This competition is often used by managers to try out players that don’t often get league games and some more youthful members of the squad, so it’s possible we may not get full strength squads for tonight’s match but hopefully we will get a good dose of cup knockout football. Prescot’s current position of 16th in the division and Colwyn Bay’s 2nd would seem to indicate that the Welshmen are the favourites tonight, but as we all know anything can happen in cup football.Kickoff time rolled around and the two teams exited the dressing room and made their way onto the pitch, Prescot Cables in their home colours of amber and black and Colwyn Bay in turquoise and claret. The team captains and match officials conclude the pre-match formalities in the centre circle and Colwyn Bay get the match underway. Both teams were quickly settled into their games and were getting forward attempting to create chances, Colwyn Bay’s early penalty appeal was turned down by the referee after a challenge saw a Colwyn Bay player hit the deck from a Dave Challinor throw in. Prescot then had an opportunity to take the lead in the 6th minute when a long downfield clearance was held up well by a forward before being played to Aaron Rey. Rey created a yard of space between himself and his defenders before turning a shot across the keeper from the edge of the penalty area that rolled just wide of the left hand post. But the 9th minute would see the home side go one better when they took the lead, a keepers clearance was brought down poorly by a Colwyn Bay defender and Paul Lundon recovered the ball. From 25 yards out on the volley Lundon turned the ball goalwards and his sweetly struck curling effort hit the inside of the net with the keeper stranded to give the home side the lead. Colwyn Bay attempted to get back into the match with a neat move in the 15th minute culminated with a good run at the Prescot defenders and a square pass that saw a shot deflect harmlessly to Andy Paxton in the Prescot Cables goal.
A moment of brilliance then saw Prescot Cables double their advantage in the 16th minute when a patient build up looked to be continuing when the ball was played to Che Morgan. From all of 45 yards and noticing the keeper off his line, the defender struck the ball with parlance and power as it sailed straight over the head of Chris Sanna in the Colwyn Bay goal and into the top corner of the net in one of the most spectacular goals I’ve seen for a while, worth the entrance money on its own! Colwyn Bay looked rocked as Prescot Cables looked to further turn the screw on their struggling beleaguered opponents. The 18th minute saw another good opportunity when another long shot was fired off and keeper Sanna made an impressive save to turn the ball behind for a corner. The resultant corner in the 19th minute saw a pinpoint delivery right into the middle of a static Colwyn Bay defence headed thunderously into the net by Prescot captain Rob McIntosh and Prescot were three goals up and not 20 minutes had been played. Colwyn Bay were now staring down the barrel and had to quickly pick up their game or face elimination of the competition, they created an opportunity for themselves when a ball over the top of the Cables defence from a midfielder saw a forward have a good chance, but his attempted volley was scuffed and the ball trickled comfortably into the arms of the keeper. Cables should then have had a fourth goal in the 27th minute when Aaron Rey picked up a throw in and evaded the advancing keeper. With an open net at his mercy but a tight angle to shoot from, Rey’s effort across goal trickle agonisingly wide of the far post and out for a Colwyn Bay goal kick. Colwyn Bay’s efforts to get themselves back into the match almost brought reward in the 28th minute, a long throw in from former Tranmere Rovers professional Dave Challinor was allowed to bounce in the penalty area and an overhead kick from a forward had everybody beaten but the effort struck the woodwork and the chance passed. Cables had the last real chance of the half in the 37th minute when they quelled a Colwyn Bay attack and broke down the field at speed. A through ball beat the Colwyn Bay defence and was picked up by a forward but his effort from the corner of the penalty area sailed over the bar when a little bit more composure might have seen him hit the target. 
The first half ended having seen nothing short of a Prescot Cables domination, Colwyn Bay look disjointed like a team that has never played together before. Prescot have scored three very good goals and it would take a comeback greater than Lazarus for Colwyn Bay to get back into this match from this position. Here’s to hoping the game doesn’t get boring from here on in, which is a distinct possibility with the score being what it is.Half Time:
Prescot Cables 3 – 0 Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay came out for the 2nd half like a team that knew they had their backs to the wall and had to seriously battle hard to retain their place in the competition. They won themselves a free kick in the 50th minute when a player was felled by a loose challenge. The delivery of the free kick was sent into the penalty area and a Prescot defender was only able to half clear the ball with a header. It then fell to a Colwyn Bay forward on the edge of the penalty area and his volleyed effort was blocked by a defender before another forward struck a powerful effort that was also blocked before the defence cleared the ball away. Prescot then had a gilt-edged opportunity to further their lead in the 55th minute, some great work down the wing saw a low square cross into the penalty area that evaded every player, an untracked Prescot forward blasted the ball goalwards from 6 yards out but a brilliant save from Chris Sanna in the Colwyn Bay goal turned the ball behind for a corner. The resultant corner was eventually dealt with by the Colwyn Bay defence by kicking it against a Prescot forward and deflecting it out of play for a goal kick. Colwyn Bay’s efforts to get themselves back into the match were being met with horrendous luck as in the 59th minute, another long throw into the penalty area saw a Colwyn Bay forward rise the highest to head the ball but his header hit the bar from close range and the ball rebounded back into play, the Prescot defence managed to deal with the rebound and clear the ball away to safety.
Another chance in the 65th minute saw Colwyn Bay work another opening when a forward forged a path through several defenders before creating a yard of space for himself to fire off a shot, however his effort was pulled across the face of goal and wide for a Prescot goal kick, but there were now many more encouraging signs coming from the visitors. A Prescot Cables cross into the penalty area in the 68th minute was headed over the bar at the back post, before a slightly nervous finish was threatened when Colwyn Bay got a goal back for themselves. A long throw in in the 81st minute was half cleared back to the wing, when a cross into the box left the Cables defence motionless and Rob Hopley drifted in to touch the ball past the keeper and into the net. Colwyn Bay continued to press for another goal but time was not on their side and the full time whistle signified the end of their participation in the competition after a 3-1 score line.Although showing some significant improvement in the 2nd half, Prescot’s goals and the lacklustre display from the visitors meant they had too much to do in the 2nd half to recover.
Prescot thoroughly deserved the victory and were far the better side on the night, they will be looking for this result to kick-start their season and get them onto winning ways in their new division, whilst it’s another first hurdle exit for Colwyn Bay. Congratulations to Prescot Cables.Full Time:
Prescot Cables 3 – 1 Colwyn Bay
