Challinor upbeat for final push

THE last time that Dave Challinor played in a final, he led Tranmere Rovers out at Wembley for the 2000 League Cup encounter with Leicester City.
That was one of the biggest days of his career, and as he prepares to lead out Colwyn Bay (whose last final was also 10 years ago in the North Wales Coast Challenge Cup) for Saturday's Unibond play-off final at Lancaster City, the skipper knows it is just as big a day for the Seagulls as they bid to return to the Premier Division for the first time in seven years.
"It is a massive game for the club," he agrees. "For some of the younger players it will also be the biggest game they have ever been involved in, but hopefully we'll have the same great support that we had in the semi-final on Tuesday and we can do the fans, the club and ourselves proud - and really finish the season on a high.
"The chance of promotion doesn't come that often and it was disappointing to lose in the semi-final last year - and particularly so for me as I missed the game through injury. We've managed to take it it one step further this season and we'll be doing everything we can to take it all the way."
He is very optimistic that the side can do that, even though Lancaster finished 21 points ahead of Colwyn Bay in the final table and only missed out on automatic promotion by four points to Halifax.
"That is absolutely irrelevant on Saturday," says the skipper. "Play-off football is completely different from league football; there are a lot of nerves and it is all about putting yourself in there and waiting for a break.
"It was like that on Tuesday. When we got the break with the penalty it gave us a massive boost in confidence, and we're going into the Lancaster game with no sort of fears.
"Lancaster have obviously done very well this season, but in the two league games against us their three goals have come from two free kicks and a penalty - and at their place three weeks ago we should have put the game to bed with the chances we had. We gained a lot from that."
The Giant Axe pitch that day was very hard and bumpy (something Skelmersdale also complained about after their semi-final defeat there on Tuesday), but although rain this week should have helped, Challinor doesn't believe that the pitch will play that big a part.
"In a play-off, because of the nerves, there is not a lot of football played. It is more 'up and at 'em' and trying to win individual battles and I don't think the pitch will have that much affect," he said.
Dave has a strong personal motivation to win as, at 34, he knows his playing career is nearing an end - even though he has been virtually an ever-present for Colwyn Bay this season.
"The only thing in my mind at the moment is to finish this season, try and achieve the promotion that we set our sights on at the start, and then we'll assess things in the summer," he said. "But I would love to play one more season, especially in the higher division.
"The Division One North is a really tough division to get out off and, if we can beat Lancaster, I think we would do ourselves justice in the division above. Certainly for the younger lads the incentive is that it would be a chance to test themselves in bigger company and be a stepping stone in their football careers."
Young forwards like Lee Davey and Tom McGill will certainly be hoping they can make the same impact on Saturday as they did when they came on in last Tuesday's semi-final, and manager Neil Young looks likely to have the same squad on duty again.
Adriano Rigoglioso (hamstring and groin injuries) is definitely ruled out and Jimmy Kelly (thigh) is again a doubt, but everybody else is ready to go.
Neil Young and players had a good team meeting on Thursday night in which the manager emphasised again just how important the game is to the club.
"You have the chance to have your names talked about at the club for years to come, because they will never forget you if you win promotion," he told them.
The manager pinpoints wide men Paul Jarvis and Roger Sharrock as Lancaster's big danger men, but says: "If we can show the commitment and desire for the whole 90 minutes that we showed in the second half at Curzon Ashton on Tuesday, I have no doubts that we can win."
Colwyn Bay: (from) Sanna, Denson, King, Grannon, Challinor, Sheehan, Sheridan, Rule, Black, Stones, Graves, Davey, McGill, Kelly, Brandreth, Williams, Hopley, Jackson.