New attacking format sinks Altrincham

WHAT better way for new signing Frank Sinclair to celebrate his Seagulls debut than hit an injury time winner in today's fantastic 4-3 victory at Altrincham!
It earned three unexpected points against a side with one of the best home records in the division, and capped a tremendous display of attacking football to end Colwyn Bay's goal drought and four match winless run.
Jon Newby played himself in a much more attack-minded 4-4-2 formation and the transformation in the side was extraordinary.
They looked really good going forward, could have had at least three more goals with better finishing, and although they looked vulnerable at the back at times, their exciting and adventurous attacking play, with Newby playing up alongside Hopley with great affect and Lee Davey and Karl Noon raiding down the flanks, was outstanding.
Is this the way forward now for Colwyn Bay?
"Possibly," said a delighted Newby. "After three games without a goal we decided we had to give Hoppo (Hopley) more support and although 4-4-2 left us a little bit open at the back at times, I thought this formation showed what a good attacking force we can be.
"Going forward we were outstanding. We asked everybody to put in a huge shift today and they did that; it was a massive performance and a massive win."
Newby added that everybody had played their part, but singled out John McKenna, who had initially been left out, but came off the bench after only nine minutes to play alongside Sinclair in the centre of defence when Matty Hughes suffered double vision after a bang to the head at a free kick.
"It was a very tough decision to leave John out, but I can't praise him enough for the way he took that disappointment and then come on and put in a performance like he did in the back four. It was exceptional."
Newby also dedicated the win to skipper Danny Meadowcroft, who missed the game in order to stay at his new twin daughter Evie's bedside in hospital where she is very poorly.
I understand she has been stabilised but will need another operation, which at two weeks old is a pretty terrifying ordeal for everyone involved
"It has been very hard this week because our two families are very close," said Newby. "We socialise together and our kids play with each other and to see Danny so upset, when he is normally such a bubbly character, has been very, very tough.
"He wanted to come to the game today, which says so much about him, but we wanted him to stay with his daughter. Football pales into insignificance against something like this. All our thoughts are with Danny and his family and this win today is very much for him, Becky and Evie."
In a tremendous see-saw match Colwyn Back were twice in front, then found themselves 3-2 down, but fought back to snatch that dramatic late winner.
Four goals in an extraordinary 11 minute spell saw the sides level at 2-2 at half-time.
Rob Hopley scrambled in the first on 17 minutes after Altrincham keeper Stuart Coburn could only parry Lee Davey's flying header from Newby's cross.
Three minutes later Jack Redshaw equalised for the home side with a highly controversial goal.
There was a handball in the build-up which the officials missed, the ball then looked to go out of play before it was crossed from the left and when Redshaw's first close range effort was blocked by Jack Cudworth, the ball hit the Altrincham striker on the arm before rebounding into the net.
The goal, however, was allowed to stand and although Cudworth raced after the referee to protest, all he got for his trouble was a booking.
Disappointment, however, turned to celebration two minutes later when Gareth Evans, who got the man of the match award for his tremendous play in midfield, broke clear to fire the Seagulls back in front - only for Damien Reeves to head Altrincham level again from Redshaw's cross on 28 minutes.
Altrincham then took the lead four minutes into the second half when Redshaw latched onto a long ball over the top from Adam Flynn to shoot past Cudworth.
But within seven minutes Colwyn Bay were level as Hopley scrambled the ball in for his second goal of the game after the keeper failed to hold onto Lee Davey's stinging shot from Newby's pass.
It was end to end play after that with chances at both ends, but Jack Cudworth's outstanding acrobatic save to turn James Lawrie's goalbound shot round a post for a corner, in his final game before returning to Macclesfield, was probably the turning point.
A goal then and I think Altrincham would have won it.
But Colwyn Bay kept coming. Hopley mismkicked badly in front of goal, Karl Noon shot straight at Coburn after robbing fullback Matt Flynn, and then Noon put Newby clear one-on-one with the keeper only for the player-boss to shoot against the advancing keeper when normally you would put your house on him scoring in a situation like that.
But two minutes into added time, Coburn dropped the ball under pressure from a Mike Lea corner and when it ran loose from a goal line scramble, Sinclair was there to rifle it into the net for the winner.
"That is probably the first goal I have scored for at least two years since my Lincoln days," beamed the ex-Chelsea and Leicester City defender.
"I got an awful lot of stick from the crowd today and yet I pop up and score the winner; things happen like that sometimes!"
Sinclair was booed and jeered throughout by the home fans following an incident last season, when he was with Wrexham, and Altrincham player Tom Kearney suffered a badly broken leg.
"I suppose I can understand the crowd reacting like they did, but I honestly went for the ball in that tackle and the player himself was fine about it when we talked later," added Frank.
Despite the crowd's hostility he said he really enjoyed the game and is delighted to have joined Colwyn Bay from Ryman Isthmian League side Hendon.
"It has happened very quick. I only spoke to the gaffer on Tuesday, came down and trained with the boys on Thursday and was made to feel very welcome.
"I have to thank Hendon who have kept to their word. I said I would play for them until January and then see what my options were and they have made it as smooth a move as it possibly could be, so I am very happy about that.
"I live in Bolton so it is a lot better for me and I am playing in a lot better league - but that means suddenly I have to get my mind set back again. The Isthmian League is a couple of steps down the ladder and you get into bad habits playing with players of lesser ability.
"Now I have to up my standard again. I was determined to try and do that today and we were up against two very good front players (Redshaw and Reeves) who had great movement and pace and caused us all sorts of problems.
"But I really enjoyed it and to get the winner was a brilliant way to finish the game!"
Unfortunately Frank brings a one match ban with him, after five bookings with Hendon, which means he will miss next Saturday's game at Eastwood. But he will be free to make his home debut against Vauxhall Motors the following Tuesday.
Colwyn Bay: Cudworth, Denson, Lea, Hughes (McKenna 9mins), Sinclair, McLachlan, Davey (Parkinson 89mins), Evans. Hopley. Newby, Noon. Subs Not used: Benson, King, Metcalf.
Attendance: 816.