BAY  WIN AGAINST CHAMPIONS

COLWYN BAY 31  CAERNARFON 16

The Seahorses virtually clinched runners-up spot in the Division 4 North League with an impressive three tries (two converted) drop goal and three penalties victory against League Champions Caernarfon who scored one try which was converted and three penalties.       

On a damp Tuesday night at Brookfield Drive in front of a good crowd, the visitors came on to the pitch through a Seahorse guard of honour in recognition of their championship success but came up against a Bay side who matched their well known toughness and organisation for most of the game with the home sides’ backs eventually proving to be the deciding factor.

The Seahorses had the best of the possession and territory for the first fifteen minutes but the Cofis stood firm and were able to break out on the left through a couple of missed tackles and open the scoring with a penalty from prolific No10 Kelvin Morris after a ruck infringement 35 metres out after 18 minutes.

The Bay came back ten minutes later with a penalty of their own from returning wing Gareth Wynne which was quickly followed by a Bay try from full back Sean McDonagh who had a fairly comfortable run in after sparkling handling by the backs moved the ball to him swiftly with a couple of long passes.

The home side went further ahead after 38 minutes when Wynne slotted an easy penalty kick in front of the posts as the opposing scrum half strayed offside but with the Bay lads going off the boil Morris was able to kick the Cofis back into the game to leave the Bay 11-6 up at half time.                       

The Bays lack of concentration seemed to persist into the second period as the determined Cofi front five gained some superiority up front and a strong piece of mauling by Cofi No 4 Alan Mack was rewarded when he forced his way over wide out after 45 minutes.  Morris converted for the visitors to retake the lead.  They went further ahead with Morris’ third penalty five minutes later.  The crisis deepened as flanker Aled Zachary was substituted after an ankle injury.

The tide turned however when loose head prop Chris Browne came on to add some fresh sinew up front for the Bay.  They seemed to get a second wind and after a period of sustained pressure No8 Mark Earl squeezed over in the corner in the 65^th minute.  Wynne converted excellently.

A matter of minutes later Wynne delivered the killer blow with an immaculately placed up and under which ricocheted wildly under the Cofi posts before Wynne himself was able to pick up and pop down the Bay’s third try.  Wynne again converted.

The Seahorses were now nine points clear with 15 minutes to go, in control of the game – denying the champions possession and putting in some ferocious tackling where substitute flanker Tom Lewis Jones was prominent and the Bay’s best forward No 5 Chris Hughes was omnipresent and the prime reason why the visitors could hardly get any ball.  They needed one more try for the bonus point which would have secured that cherished runners- up spot.  The players must have wondered why fly-half Ashley Jones’ drop goal and Wynne’s third penalty did not get the usual tumultuous applause from an ecstatic home crowd when that elusive fourth try was what was really required.

But nothing should detract from a fine team performance against the League Champions who also contributed to a very watchable game.  The Bay need just the point at Dolgellau this Saturday for second spot to be theirs.