UniBond League Division One
Llanelian Road, Colwyn Bay
Saturday, 17th December 2005, 3.00pm
Shocking!
This result sent shockwaves through the club not so much from the size of the deficit but the way the Moatmen totally fell apart in the second half.
Gresley arguably shaded the first half and could quite easily be leading by a couple of goals within the first ten minutes.
Mickey Lyons played a great ball to Carl Slater on 7 minutes who then thumped a terrific shot that had Bay keeper Farai Jackson well beaten but unfortunately the ball cannoned of the bar.
Minutes later Slater was involved again this time with Chris Gray who between them forced defender Tim Bandreth into a mistake that Allan Davies seized upon. His superb curling shot again beat Jackson only to find the woodwork denying him.
The half was about to finish when Bay took the lead against the run of play. Bay were awarded a free kick just outside the box taken by John Boardman. His ball into the box was helped on its way by Carl Rogers and with Gresley's defenders failing to clear the trouble allowed Chris McGinn to slot the ball home despite getting a poor contact on the ball.
What happened in the second half is anyone's guess. Gresley fell apart and conceded five more goals that's the report in a nutshell.
On 50 minutes Bay had doubled their advantage when substitute Simon Burton put a pinpoint ball through to McGinn standing all alone and he did not need asking twice and put the ball past Gavin Saxby.
Gresley seemed to be forgetting to mark their men and four minutes later allowed Alex Kevan the luxury of being able to pick his spot with a header from Darren Wright's corner.
Unbelievably, Bay keeper Jackson was to assist in three of his sides goals aided and abetted by a woeful display of Gresley defending.
On 72 minutes McGinn claimed his hat trick when Jackson's long ball down the middle was played straight back to the striker by Matt Millns. McGinn then comfortably sidestepped Saxby before putting the ball into the net.
Could it get any worse? Yes it could as the Gresley defence continued to hand out early Christmas presents gratefully accepted.
Four minutes later the game, which had long been over as a competition, saw another goal but for the travelling Gresley supporters at the wrong end again. McGinn expertly brought Paul Robert's cross under control with his chest before turning and laying up Frank Mottram who had the easy task of firing the ball home.
The final goal came as a result of another very long kick by Jackson collected by Mottram he in turn picked out Wright and again with the Gresley defence nowhere to be seen beat Saxby easily to serve on their visitors their worse league defeat for three seasons.
Manager's View
"This is the lowest point in my two and a half years in charge and I'm totally lost for words.
"I think we were the better side in the first half and created a couple of half chances - the system we employed worked a treat. However, right at the end of the first half we gave away a needless free kick which we failed to clear and their guy scuffed the ball into the net.
"If you would have told me we would then go on and lose six nil I would have thought you were having a laugh.
"All the talk at half time was positive. We had played well and the system worked well but what happened them was indescribable. We were obliterated - I've never seen anything like it.
"If you look at the quality of football we can play and the players we have, on paper it looks like a quality side - but we can't defend. It makes you wonder whether it's worth carrying on but it's not in my nature to quit.
"I said after the Mossley game that we may have to make changes and some people are on borrowed time. I just can't explain it. The midfield, who had done quite well in the first half, were completely overrun and their keeper has assisted in about three of their goals, they came straight from goal kicks!
"I don't know what to say. We've just got to dig deep. This is the second season in a row where we are in danger of throwing it away. We have had a couple of half-decent performances and I thought we'd turned the corner, but some of the players are starting to play for their futures.
"I feel under pressure massively - they are the sort of results that get managers the sack.
"The supporters were absolutely fantastic today, but how can we travel back and face them after that?"
