Seagulls lose 2-0 lead in home defeat

THREE goals conceded in 18 second half minutes against Stocksbridge Park Steels today shattered Colwyn Bay's hopes of the win that would have guaranteed their place in the play-offs.
The Seagulls were 2-0 up after only 10 minutes, but threw it all away with an error-strewn second-half performance to lose 4-3 and leave everything still in the balance.
Fortunately FC United and Buxton also lost, but player-boss Dave Challinor was furious that an opportunity to take a huge step towards securing a second place finish wasn't taken.
"The players were well prepared and knew what was required from them, but apart from the first 15 minutes they didn't deliver," said a clearly disappointed Challinor afterwards.
"We stressed we had to play at a high tempo throughout the game to get the result.
" We did that at the start and had the game in our pockets at 2-0 up - then we've just switched off. We've ended up being outworked by a side that had nothing to play for - and that is just unacceptable.
"The players have deserved the plaudits they've received for getting us where we are, but today some seemed to think they are better than they are.
"If you don't work or do the basics at this level, and you give away the sort of goals we've conceded in the second half, then you won't win anything.
"The goals we conceded were a joke. They've just pumped long balls down the field which we haven't dealt with and made crucial individual errors.
"What disappointed me most was that there are only 14 or 15 places up for grabs for the play-off games because we will almost certainly put Andy Metcalf on the bench as goalkeeping cover. That means there are some players who are not going to be involved at all and you would think everybody would be doing their damnedest to try and book themselves one of those places - but it didn't seem like that today!
"We had a good chat in the dressing room afterwards and cleared a few things up. Hopefully the players will have taken on board what has been said and will go out and put in a performance at Hucknall next Saturday."
Everything had started so well with Colwyn Bay 2-0 up after only 10 minutes and flying.
Damien Allen scored with a header from a Jimmy McCarthy cross after five minutes and then full-back Luke Denson ran onto a loose ball 25 yards out from goal and rifled a right foot shot into the far bottom corner of the net for the second.
But it all went horribly wrong after that and the Seagulls, without stomach bug victim Danny Meadowcroft in defence, were clinically punished for individual errors and giving the ball away to easily in their own half of the field.
Stocksbridge had been unlucky early on when Brett Lovell's header hit a post from a free kick with Chris Sanna beaten, and they got a goal back on 25 minutes when Mark Ward spotted Sanna too far off his line and chipped the keeper from 30 yards for a soft goal to make it 2-1.
The Yorkshire side then finished the first half the stronger and Colwyn Bay were fortunate to survive a goalmouth scramble from a corner just before half-time.
Stocksbridge keeper Ben Scott made a tremendous flying save to turn a McCarthy shot round the post for a corner early in the second half - and that was undoubtedly a key moment in the game.
A third goal for Colwyn Bay then and it was probably game over.
Instead Stocksbridge took the game by the scruff of the neck and turned it decisively their way with those three quick goals - all helped by Bay's own poor play in their own half.
They failed to clear the ball on the left edge of their own area and Kevin Davies crossed for substitute Richard Stirrup to equalise from close range on 64 minutes.
Eleven minutes later Jack Muldoon muscled his way past Danny Grannon to reach a long ball down the middle and volley past Sanna, and on 82 minutes Muldoon ran through a huge gap in the Bay back line to score his second and his side's fourth after the Bay had again given the ball away in midfield.
Damien Allen pulled a goal back direct from a free kick on 85 minutes after Rob Hopley had been brought down on the edge of the area, but late pressure failed to force an equaliser and Stocksbridge held on for their seventh win in the last eight games.
That means the Bay still need a point from their last two games to secure a play-off place, but they may well need to win both to have any chance of a top three finish.
FC United, despite losing today and having two more players red carded (that's four in the last three games), will go ahead of Colwyn Bay on goal difference if they beat Marine at home next Wednesday, while Buxton will be only a point behind and Bradford Park Avenue (who won again today) only two points behind if they both win their games in hand on Monday.
That would leave four teams separated by just two points going into the final two games over the Easter weekend, with sixth-placed North Ferriby (whose last two games are against bottom four sides Ossett and Frickley) still hoping to sneak into the top five ahead of one of those four.
Colwyn Bay: Sanna, Denson, Lea (Evans 87mins), McMahon, Grannon, McLachlan, Sheehan (Newby 76mins), Allen, Hopley, Noon (Titchiner 63mins), McCarthy. Subs not used: Challinor and Davey.
Attendance: 496.