Veteran Debutant Exacts Bay Revenge

 

   Altrincham 3-4 Colwyn Bay

    Saturday, 7 January 2012

    Moss Lane, Altrincham

 

Despite a wonderful team performance from Colwyn Bay, it  was veteran debutant Frank Sinclair who grabbed all the headlines at Moss Lane on Saturday afternoon after netting an injury time winner that brought to an end a run of three successive league defeats and ensured that Bay remained in a comfortable mid table position. 

The former Chelsea, Leicester and Burnley man, who turned 40 last month, might even prove to be one of the best acquisitions Jon Newby makes all season, given that Sinclair was still playing on a regular basis in a Wrexham side that reached the Conference Premier play offs last season.  With only 13 goals in a career spanning 20 years and nearly 550 appearances, Newby hardly signed the defender for his goal scoring prowess though.  However, with the manager opting for a 4-4-2 formation that was indicative of a more attacking mindset, despite the absences of Lee McEvilly  through suspension and Danny Lloyd, who has signed a full time contract with Lincoln City, Sinclair was given the opportunity to venture forward at corners and it was from one of these that he grabbed the 91st minute winner.  Mike Lea put the ball into the danger area and, in the goalmouth melee that ensued after the Altrincham keeper had fumbled the ball, Sinclair was on hand to coolly rifle home the winner.

The three points were sweet revenge for Colwyn Bay, who had suffered the ignominy of a 6-1 home reverse to Altrincham back in September that was at least partially to blame for the downturn of form since then.  In the opening 9 games of the season prior to that 6-1 defeat, Bay had kept 4 clean sheets and only conceded 7 goals, whereas in the 13 games since then they have conceded 26 goals and only kept 2 clean sheets as a loss of confidence clearly seeped into the team.  In terms of the defence, there is still a lot of work for Newby to do, though it is always easier to address issues after a victory.  Despite the win, however, Newby will have noted that his side conceded three goals in an away game for the fourth time in eight matches and they have now failed to keep a clean sheet away from Llanelian Road since the 1-0 victory at Gloucester on 17 September. 

With Sinclair suspended for the away trip to Eastwood Town next Saturday, further changes will have to be made to a defensive line up that is already missing Danny Meadowcroft. The captain, who was unavailable for the Altrincham game due to the illness of his newly born daughter, is unlikely to be available for either the Eastwood or Vauxhall Motors games, given that his daughter must still undergo further surgery.  It may well therefore be that the player with ‘Conference experience’ that Jon Newby is hoping to bring into the club later this week will be a defender.

The three points came at a critical time for Colwyn Bay, given the recent form of the teams in and around the bottom three.  Bishop Stortford’s victory over promotion hopefuls Guiseley, coupled with a 4-0 victory for Hinckley United over Eastwood meant that a Bay defeat would have left the club only three points off the relegation zone.  However with the six point buffer still in place, an installation of confidence throughout the team and games against Eastwood and Vauxhall Motors coming up, Colwyn Bay now have the opportunity to more or less secure their Conference North status for another season – at least from a playing perspective.

	Conference North	Pl	D	Pts
1	Hyde	26	33	59
2	Stalybridge	24	22	48
3	Guiseley	22	22	44
4	Nuneaton	24	15	42
5	FC Halifax	23	13	42
6	Gainsborough	23	7	41
7	Worcester	24	3	38
8	Corby Town	23	11	35
9	Droylesden	23	0	34
10	Boston United	24	-3	33
11	Altrincham	22	12	32
12	Gloucester	24	3	32
13	Colwyn Bay	23	-7	31
13	Histon	24	-5	28
14	Solihull Moors	24	-6	27
16	Workington Town	24	-7	27
17	Harrogate Town	24	-15	26
18	Vauxhall Motors	23	-8	25
19	Bishop's Stortford	23	-11	25
20	Hinckley United	22	-13	25
21	Eastwood Town	24	-37	14
22	Blyth Spartans	23	-29	13

Survival in the Conference North would be a fantastic achievement for a side that has won back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons.  However, this is still not guaranteed, even if Colwyn Bay gain the 16 or so points required to ensure that they do not finish in the bottom 3.  This is because the Llanelian Road ground requires four rows of seating in order to comply with Conference standards, rather than the three that it currently has.  Whilst plans have been drawn up to comply with the requirements, the cost of the project will be approximate £71,000 with building work needing to be started by March 31st. 

This represents a substantial cost for a club playing at this level of football and supporters have recognised that they will need to contribute if the club are to raise the required amount.  With this in mind, various events such as the recent Christmas party are being organised to try and raise around £30,000, with the club hopeful that they can secure an interest free loan to cover the remaining amount.  All associated with the club will hope that the success that has been achieved on the pitch can be matched by the same success of it.

Prediction: Eastwood Town 0 Colwyn Bay 2

Agree with the prediction? Why not vote yourself in the poll to the left.  Which Welsh teams do you think will win this week?  Will Colwyn Bay be amongst them?

Opportunity Knocks For Merthyr

 

  Toolstation Premier League

            7th January 2012

    Penydarren Park, Merthyr

 

 

Merthyr Town made the perfect start to what will be a critical month as the club bid to muscle their way into the Toolstation Premier Division title race and secure promotion back to the Southern League 1st Division.  Facing a sequence of five consecutive home games, the first two of which are against teams from the upper echelons of the table, Merthyr came out with such intent and purpose that victory over Bristol Manor Farm was all but secure within 10 minutes.

Lee Hartshorn, a central defender who has recently been converted into a midfielder with great success, netted his fourth in just eight games this season after only three minutes to give the Martyrs a significant breakthrough.  Just two minutes later Ryan Newman, one of two players in the Merthyr team that have been loaned from Newport County, added a second with a shot that went in off the post and Ian Traylor added a third with still only 10 minutes on the clock.  Ryan Prosser made it four shortly after the half time interval, which was enough to secure a comprehensive win, despite a Fitzpatrick consolation for Bristol Manor Farm.

Pre season action against Newport County (courtesy of Sam Shingler), from whom Merthyr brought in Ryan Newman and Troy Greening on loan.

There were two further pieces of good news for the Martyrs to complete what was a very happy New Year.  The first was the return of Matthew Harris to competitive action for the first time since August when he replaced the other Newport loanee Troy Greening in the 75th minute, and the second was the shock news that Larkhall Athletic had fallen to a 2-1 defeat at relegation threatened Corsham Town.

Given the positive news from November concerning the stadium , when it was confirmed that a £130,000 grant had been awarded to the club, it is clear that the Martyrs are beginning to prepare for life at a higher level.  The £130,000 grant was divided into two portions, with £50,000 being directed towards ground improvements and £80,000 towards securing the futures of current staff and employing a new Business Development Manager, whose purpose is to expand and develop the business of the club.  At a special meeting of the supporters on 1 December, it was decided that the £50,000 being invested in ground improvements should be directed, amongst other things, towards the installation of new showers, new fencing, improved lighting in the family stand, renovation of the turnstiles and roof improvements in the grandstand.  Put simply, the grant enables the club to upgrade the grade in a significant way and is due in no small way to the commitment and efforts of trust secretary John Strand.

With such good news coming from off the field, which has been further supplemented by excellent attendances at Penydarren Park, and with form once again picking up on the pitch after some poor results which saw the club fail to win in November, Merthyr Town are in the perfect frame of mind for the arrival of fellow title rivals Bishop Sutton.

The Somerset based club were reformed in 1977 after just under £200 of funds were raised at a disco (the original club having been disbanded during the war), and gained promotion to the Western Premier Division in 1997/8 after winning the 1st Division Championship, a level that they have been playing at ever since.  However, a measure of the club’s progress can be gained by the fact that their highest ever finish of 4th was accomplished as recently as the 2009-10 season.

Bishop Sutton currently sit in 4th place in the table, having one more point than the Martyrs having played a game more and are one of the form teams in the division, having picked up an impressive 21 points away from home this season.  The most recent contributions to this haul of points were a 4-0 victory at Longwell Green Sports, who Merthyr failed to beat in either encounter this season, and a 5-0 drubbing of Barnstaple Town.  Given that Bishop Sutton also managed to pick up a draw in their home encounter with the Martyrs after a late equaliser, Gary Sheppard knows just how tough it will be to gain the victory that Merthyr Town so desperately need on Saturday afternoon.  However, with home advantage and a record of six wins and two draws from eight home games and the returning Matthew Harris, along with the added incentive that leaders Willand Rovers have to travel to Larkhall Athletic this afternoon, the Martyrs will hope that they have enough to gain a crucial victory.  However, with three home games coming up against teams from the lower end of the table, a draw may not be a bad result.

Prediction: Merthyr Town 1 Bishop Sutton 1

Whilst Merthyr Town are playing in the Toolstation Premier Division on Saturday, three Welsh teams will be involved in the FA Cup. Why not predict which teams will get through in the poll on the left of this page.

FA Cup Tie Brings Back Thomas Memories

 

            FA Cup

      3rd Round

   7 January 2012

 

 

Over the last few seasons a lot of attention has been given in the media to the diminishing importance of the FA Cup.  Attendances at the bigger clubs in the earlier stages of the competition are generally considerably lower than average league gates and many sides, including those from the lower reaches of the Premiership and the summit of the Championship, have succumbed to the temptation to rest key players on what was traditionally the most exciting day of the footballing calendar.

However, speak to anyone from Wrexham about their FA Cup 3rd Round tie at Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion and the main reaction is one of excitement and anticipation.  Indeed for older supporters, the tie has brought back memories of the famous 1992 3rd Round cup tie between Wrexham and Arsenal at the Racecourse, when Mickey Thomas smashed a last minute free kick from the edge of the penalty box into the top left corner of the Arsenal goal to prepare the way for one of the great cup upsets.

Despite the importance of retaining their focus on promotion to the football league, which is still anything but guaranteed despite Wrexham enjoying one of their finest ever seasons.  A comprehensive 4-0 victory over AFC Telford on New Year’s Day was their fifth successive win in the league, a feat they have accomplished no less than three times this season, and yet the Dragons have still only got a two point cushion over nearest rivals Fleetwood Town.  Fleetwood produced a sensational performance to demolish Southport 6-0 despite playing the entire second half with 10 men after striker Richard Brodie was sent off in the 32nd minute.

There are two main reasons why Wrexham want to focus their attention on the FA Cup as well as the league.  The first, as manager Andy Morrell acknowledges, is that it helps to raise the profile of the club, and with that potentially its income, particularly with the Brighton tie marking the 20th anniversary of the Arsenal win.  This has been exemplified by the arrival of the BBC cameras and the recreation of the Mickey Thomas goal on the Colliers Park training ground, along with the traditional media captivation with 3rd Round Goliath and David ties. 

The second reason, though, is that there is a genuine feeling in Wrexham that they can cause an upset.  Whilst Brighton were on a relatively poor run of form prior to their victory over Championship leaders Southampton on Monday, Wrexham are becoming renowned for an almost invincible defence.  The last 14 league matches have seen the Dragons keep 11 clean sheets and concede a miserly 3 goals.  Only Darlington and Gateshead (twice) have managed to breach the Wrexham defence during this period, which stretches back to the start of October, and on all three occasions that Wrexham did actually concede, they still won.  In addition to this, they also knocked decent York and Cambridge sides out of the FA Cup before producing one of the biggest upsets of this year’s competition with a 1-0 victory at League 1 Brentford.

Whilst Wrexham may currently be plying their trade in the Conference Premier Division, the club have the potential to be playing at a much higher level.  The club took almost 2,000 fans to AFC Telford on Boxing Day and then produced a bumper home crowd of almost 6,000 for the return fixture on New Year’s Day.  That level of support makes them the second best supported club in the Conference after Luton Town and the magic of the FA Cup means that Wrexham will be taking even more to Brighton than they did to Telford with confirmation on the Wrexham fans website RedPassion that over 2,000 tickets had been sold.

Whilst Brighton should have enough to get through this tie, Wrexham will put up a strong challenge and, if refereeing decisions and luck go their way, the Dragons might just have a chance of reliving the Arsenal upset of 20 years ago.

Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Wrexham 1

Do you agree with the prediction? Why not answer the poll on the left hand side of this page and give your view on which Welsh sides will make the 4th Round.

From Amber To Amber As Charles Arrives

               Danny Potter                                     Tom Miller

Newport County have acted swiftly to quell the growing concerns about relegation following the 3-2 defeat to Bath City on Tuesday evening by announcing the transfer listing of three players and the signing of two others.  In an e-news statement that was released to the club’s fans prior to the official media announcement this morning, goalkeeper Danny Potter (above left) and Tom Miller, a former Norwich City Young Players’ Player of the Year (above right) were transfer listed, in addition to misfiring County target man Craig McAllister.

 

Craig McAllister in action during home defeat to Ebbsfleet United earlier in the season.

 

 

(All photos reproduced by kind permission of Sam Shingler)

Although there were some concerns and misgivings, the news was met with general approval by the fans. Danny Potter has not managed to find his best form this season, having been accused of failing to command the penalty box, whilst Craig McAllister, despite his work rate and contribution to the team, has simply not scored enough goals to justify his position.  Tom Miller is an undoubted talent who was only signed during the last January transfer window from Irish side Dundalk.  Whilst his ability may mean that he prospers at another club, his contribution to County during the course of the season has been sufficient cause for concern that Justin Edinburgh has felt the need to dispense with his services.

Whilst the transfer listing of three players, two of whom were regular first team players, Justin Edinburgh has sent out a stark warning to the rest of the squad that he is looking for enthusiasm from those who remain and that no player’s position in the side or with the club is safe.  These are strong words but with a daunting task ahead of Newport as they travel to Kenilworth Road to meet third placed Luton Town on Saturday, the addition of a couple of new players and an upsurge of enthusiasm are surely required.

Whilst the gap between Luton Town and the two teams above them makes automatic promotion highly unlikely, the Hatters will expect to finish in the top five and gain promotion to the football league via the play offs. They are comfortably the best supported team in the division and they will see the home game against Newport as an opportunity to close the gap on Wrexham and Fleetwood, both of whom are occupied with the FA Cup this weekend.

If Newport are to restrict the march of Luton back to the football league, they will need to sort out their shaky defence away from home and retain the ball much better than they did against Bath.  Despite the concern about a lack of goals, Newport have actually netted 10 times in the last 4 away games but defensive frailties have meant that they still only came away with four points.  They will hope that the signing of Andy Sandell from Chippenham Town will help to address this issue.  The 28 year old left back, who also has the ability to join in the attack from the left flank, has been a regular for league clubs Bristol Rovers and Aldershot in recent seasons and was a significant squad member for Wycombe Wanderers last season before moving to Chippenham Town.  With 33 career goals at an average of around 6 a season, he has a proven ability to find the net, meaning Justin Edinburgh will have some different attacking options in addition to a player that Newport County will be desperately hoping can fill the troubled left back position.

In addition to Andy Sandell, Newport have also signed Ryan Charles, who is moving from one amber army (Cambridge United) to another, on loan until the end of the season.  Like McAllister, Charles is a player who has been struggling to find the net this season.  However the striker, who can also play as a winger, started his career at Luton Town and spent 9 seasons in the youth team at Kenilworth Road before signing professionally in 2007.  Justin Edinburgh may well be tempted to give Charles his debut against his former club, as the manager seeks to keep Newport out of the bottom four.  However, whilst the striker can be expected to create plenty of problems for Conference defences, Charles is not being brought into the club in the expectation that he will provide the 15-20 goals a season that County so desperately need.  with a career average of a goal in only every 6.5 games, Charles will be expected to create opportunities for the likes of Jarvis whilst hopefully contributing around 10 goals a season himself.

With fresh faces on show and more changes to the squad to come, Newport go into this game with little to lose.  After the defeat at Bath, few are expecting them to get a result and, with the rearranged home game against Bath y now being confirmed for 17 January, County know that the real test of their survival credentials with come with that home game and the subsequent game with Forest Green Rovers at Spytty four days later.

Although County were knocked out of the FA Cup by Shrewsbury Town at the 1st Round stage, why not add your vote to the poll asking which Welsh teams will make the FA Cup 4th Round on the left hand side of this article.

Feel Good Factor Evaporates At Twerton

It took just 90 minutes at Twerton Park on Tuesday evening for the feel good factor that had been established over the New Year to evaporate, as County lost their crucial relegation battle against Bath City 3-2.  The defeat was a stark reminder that, in relegation battles, points on the board are often more valuable than games in hand and undid all the good work Chris Blight and his fellow directors had done in establishing hope, unity and expectation for the remainder of the season.

The evening started well enough for Newport, as Nat Jarvis marked his return to the club with a poachers goal, knocking home the rebound after Andrew Hughes’ cross had hit the post.  However, County’s inability to hold an away lead, already demonstrated in recent times at both Grimsby Town and Alfreton Town, was once again exposed as Bath scored twice in seven minutes through Connelly and Canham to earn a deserved 2-1 lead at the interval, as Bath played the neater football and created the better chances.  Any words of wisdom offered by Justin Edinburgh at half time were then quickly quashed as Bath extended their lead through the impressive Scott Murray, who produced an exquisite dummy to create sufficient space to strike his shot past Danny Potter, the County keeper.  Despite pulling a goal back through a Gary Warren header, Newport were unable to find the equaliser they so desperately needed, meaning that only a superior goal difference is keeping them above the relegation zone.

The inquest into what went wrong was already in full swing by half time, as supporters tried to come to terms with the fact that Newport were being outplayed by a team who were bottom of the league with only two league wins all season.  However, Bath City are a better side than their position currently indicates and this win was another indicator of improved confidence and form after a recent victory over Telford United and draws with Mansfield, Kettering and Cambridge.  The defeat may therefore not be the impending message of doom that many currently think it is.

There are a number of factors that will potentially determine Newport’s fate over the coming months.  The first of these is the pitch at Spytty Park, which is widely acknowledged to be in poor condition.  The picture below, taken by Sam Shingler during the home match with Fleetwood in December, gives a clear indication of the mudbath in the goal mouth.  Given that the pitch is also cutting up in other areas and is in poor condition around the centre circle as well, it is perhaps not surprising that Newport’s home record is so poor.

Photo reproduced with kind permission of Sam Shingler

Captain Gary Warren recently argued that the pitch should be an advantage to Newport because County are used to playing on it, whereas visiting sides are concerned about the conditions and the impact the pitch will have on their passing games.  There is a sense in which there should perhaps be truth in this statement, but County’s home record suggests that the opposite is actually the reality as the club have lost five of their last seven games at Spytty.  Whilst three of those games were against promotion seeking Southport, Luton and Fleetwood, the other two defeats were to Tamworth and Ebbsfleet, teams which, with respect, County need to beat if they want to be playing in the Conference Premier next season.  In contrast, whilst the two recent away defeats against Alfreton and Bath have been a disaster, a record of two wins and three draws from the last eight away games represents excellent form for a team in the lower reaches of the division and suggests that County are actually capable of competing at this level when they play on a decent surface.

The sale of Danny Rose has undoubtedly left a hole in midfield and his absence at Twerton Park, along with that of Sam Foley, contributed to the lacklustre performance.  This leaves Justin Edinburgh with some tough decisions to make during the January transfer window.  The manager has been extremely open in acknowledging that some of the players are not demonstrating the work ethic and commitment required to lift the club out of trouble, but the limited resources at Spytty means that it is not really a financially viable option to release players from their contracts.  The excellent reputation of the manager, who spent much of his playing career at Tottenham Hotpsur, should help to attract players to the club but the decision has to be made as to whether to recruit seasoned professionals who have proven ability at conference level or young hopefuls who have shown promise in the lower leagues.  Purchasing talented youngsters is always a risk in that time may prove them to be insufficiently equipped to cope with football at Conference level, but signing seasoned professionals is just as risky given that they may not have the same level of passion in playing for Newport as a younger player who is trying to progress in the game.  The decision to bring back Nat Jarvis from Cardiff for the remainder of the season looks like a shrewd move, with the player netting in his first game since returning at Twerton Park.  However, it is the midfield that requires the most attention.

The third factor is the supporters themselves.  County are renowned for their vocal and passionate supporters and the very fact that 430 made their way across to Bath for a Tuesday night fixture, given County’s perilous league position, speaks volumes for their commitment and enthusiasm for the club.  With the players facing, to use the old cliché, 20 cup finals between now and the end of the season, it is critically important that the fans remain fully committed to the cause, both in terms of the number of supporters attending matches and in terms of providing positive support.  Attitude is such an important factor in professional sport and having the encouragement and belief of a vocal support that truly believe the club can survive could potentially make all the difference.

Back in 1990-1 Sheffield United, who were newly promoted to the top flight, had gained just 4 points from their opening 17 encounters before Christmas.  The club were marooned at the foot of the table and everybody outside the club had already written the Blades off as relegated.  However, the acquisition of Vinny Jones, a footballer of only average ability but immense leadership quality, helped turn the clubs fortunes around to such an extent that they went on a winning streak of 7 matches and finished 13th in the table.  The incredible thing about that situation was that the fans of the club still believed they could stay up, even when the performances and the statistics clearly stated otherwise.  With that kind of belief and camaraderie at Spytty Park, Newport County too will survive, allowing Justin Edinburgh to build a side in his own mould that will fair much better next season.

Kaitlyn Corner – The Views of a 5 Year Old

 

“I felt sad when Bath won 3-2 because I love Newport so much.  I wish Newport were number 1, at the top.”

I guess that mirrors the thoughts of every Newport County fan.  Let’s hope they stay up this season and then follow Wrexham (hopefully) into the football league next season.