Missed chance costs second place

COLWYN BAY extended their unbeaten away league record to nine games with a 0-0 draw at Burscough, but lost the chance to go second in the table with an amazing miss by substitute Ian Sheridan seven minutes from the end.
He somehow spooned the ball over a gaping goal from only a couple of yards out after the ball fell perfectly for him following a good run and low cross by Gareth Evans.
No wonder he sank to his knees with his head in his hands!
In the end a draw was probably a fair result, but player-boss Dave Challinor, who played despite a heavy cold, was disappointed not to have won.
"When you come to places like this you know it is going to be tough, so you need to take your chances when you get them and obviously the one Shedz (Sheridan) had at the end should have won us the game," he said.
"But in all honesty the pitch was shocking and the worst we have played on this season. It just wasn't conducive to good football at all and played a big part in the scoreline.
"From now until the end of February, however, the pitches are not going to be at their best and you have to be prepared to dig in, stay in games and then take your chances when you get them - and unfortunately we didn't take ours tonight and were again just lacking that little bit in the final third.
"It would have been nice to have won and gone second in the table, but ultimately we've kept another clean sheet, looked good defensively again and hopefully we can take that into Saturday's game against Buxton."
Neither side could get an effort on target in the first half at Burscough, although the home side squandered the two best chances.
Jack Mackreth was put clear down the right by Kevin Leadbetter after Karl Noon gave the ball away on the half-way line, but he shot across the goal and wide of the far post, and then Leadbetter broke clear, but his chip over the advancing Andy Metcalf dropped wide of the goal.
For Colwyn Bay, Mick McGraa (twice), Noon, Lee Davey and Danny Grannon were all well off target.
Burscough then started the second half very strongly and Colwyn Bay had to defend with some determination, throwing bodies in the way of numerous shots.
When a shot from Darren Brookfield did get through, Metcalf spilled the ball, but managed to grab it at the second attempt as two Burscough attackers moved in.
Having weathered the storm, Colwyn Bay then finished strongly and apart from Sheridan's amazing miss, Jon Newby got the ball in the net in added time but was ruled offside - he wasn't going to get away with that two games running!
Mike Lea fired a chance into the sidenetting, Fraser McLachlan clipped another one over the bar and Damien Allen then broke clear on the right, but put in a dreadful cross that cleared everyone in the middle and ran out for a throw in on the other side of the field - rather summing up Bay's night in front of goal.
Colwyn Bay: Metcalf, Denson, Lea, Challinor, Grannon, McLachlan, Davey (Evans 71 mins), Allen, Noon (Sheridan 55 mins), Newby, McGraa, Subs not used: McMahon, Sheehan and Bailey.