BAY 2NDS PERFORM WELL AGAINST LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Colwyn Bay 2nds    8               Mold 2nds      24

The Bay 2nds welcomed the North East Counties League 1 Champions to Brookfield Drive on Saturday and acquitted themselves very well despite going down 4 tries to one against a well-organised champion side.

On a claggy pitch 3, the visitors had the better of the opening exchanges and eased themselves into a two try lead (one converted) within 15 minutes of the start with the Bay’s only reply a solitary penalty from centre Phil Dickson.  The Bay’s team was weakened due to the absence of five or six key players but despite this the lads came back strongly at this point and they really had the better of the game up until half time and for the first twenty-five minutes of the second half.

During this period and to no small extent because of a number of handling errors by the Mold backs, the Bay forwards regrouped and instead of being pushed all over the place in the set, began to win some ball at scrum and line out.  After a period of sustained pressure in the loose near the Mold line with skipper for the day Mark Bratt especially prominent, burly Prop Chris Dentith took three or four Mold forwards over the line to score the Bay’s only (unconverted ) try.

With newcomer scrum-half Gus Gawn making the best of a difficult time at the base of the scrum and outside centre Adam Vallor putting in a number of telling tackles, the Bay pressed hard for a further score but were undone by an intercept try from the Mold’s outside centre who ran in from 60 yards to touch down under the posts after 65 minutes.

This revived Mold who found a second wind and moved further ahead with a try from close in after a period of forward pressure to leave the Bay losers 24 points to 8- a score which did not reflect the possession and territory enjoyed by the Bay for so much of the game.  Nor did it reflect the great spirit with which the Bay played: a spirit shared by the sportsmanlike Mold side.

The game demonstrated a growing and pleasing strength in depth at the  Bay at senior level rugby at last.  A strength that the Bay team will have to turn to their advantage as the second half of the North East Counties League season starts with the Bay as a good bet for honours in the Premiership League

Bay Man of the Match was flanker Nick Trow whose work rate, speed to the breakdown and muscular work in ruck and maul was the main reason why the Bay enjoyed superiority for so much of the match.

Training at 7pm at the Club on Wednesday with the first game in the new campaign against Abergele 2nds away next Saturday 3^rd February. Kick off 230pm. Meet at the Club at 115pm..