Col-win in Wales before Widnes spring a Leek
COLWYN BAY ............................................. 2 WIDNES FC ................................................ 4
JOINT-MANAGER Kev Towey scored twice as Widnes came from behind to beat Colwyn Bay 4-2 in a thrilling encounter in North Wales last Saturday afternoon.
The hosts briefly led after 30 minutes as a Josh Brizell strike and a Phil Doran own goal had cancelled out Chris Lomax’s sixth-minute opener for Widnes.
The visitors quickly responded as Towey converted a penalty before the Whites produced a dominant secondhalf performance to secure the points, with George Webster finishing off a delightful team move before Towey added his second on the hour.
Towey and co-boss Steve Akrigg made five changes to the side beaten at Witton Albion in The Integro Cup in midweek. Skipper Kev Pollard returned from a ban to partner the fit-again Mike Burke in central defence while Towey and Doran also returned to the starting line-up.
Elsewhere, there was a place for youngster Elliott Jones, who was rewarded for his fine form on a dual registration deal at Rylands with a start at right-back.
Widnes had a glorious chance to take a second minute lead as Jamie Rainford evaded the offside trap to latch on to Pollard’s long clearance but his low shot was saved by the legs of Colwyn Bay keeper Patrick Rutter.
Four minutes later, however, Widnes’s bright start was rewarded with the breakthrough. Webster won possession back to quickly feed Sean Myler who drove forward. With the Seagulls’ backline retreating, Myler spotted the run of Lomax, who hit an angled shot into the far corner of the net.
Rainford again went close against his former club moments later, glancing wide from a Lomax cross with his blushes spared by the assistant on the near-side flagging for offside.
Colwyn Bay grew into the contest with skipper Tom McCready ghosting in unmarked from a corner to power a tow- ● ering header towards goal that was helped over by Myler on the line.
The hosts equalised on the 25th-minute mark. Craig Pritchard made a run offside as Ethan Devine played a ball over the top. Widnes switched off, allowing Brizell to arrive late, pick up the loose ball and slot beyond Richie Mottram.
Five minutes later, the Seagulls took the lead as Doran inadvertently put through his own net in attempt to block McCready’s powerful effort from the edge of the area.
It was an action-packed first half that showed no signs of slowing down as Widnes were awarded a penalty two minutes later as Lomax went down under the sliding challenge of Lassana Mendes in the area.
Towey stepped up, and confidently sent Rutter the wrong way to equalise.
Rutter had to be called into action moments later to deny Rainford after a lovely cushioned header from Towey, before Mottram was tested from distance to push a Devine effort away to safety.
After the first period ended on an even-keel, Widnes started the second half positively, taking a 3-2 lead within the opening 90 seconds.
Jones, Lomax and Rainford were all involved in a delightful exchange, combining with a few neat flicks before Towey played a killer ball to Webster who brilliantly swept home into the top corner.
Widnes never relinquished control and should have been a couple more goals to the good had Rainford not fired straight at Rutter and Sheen not skewed a close-range effort off target.
However, Towey then added his second goal of the afternoon with a display of undoubted class. The Colwyn Bay defence made a mess of a long ball from Mottram, allowing Towey to ghost in, get the better of Olly Marx and tidily find the far corner with a well-taken effort.
Towey again went close but Rutter produced a good save with Doran unable to capitalise on the follow-up as his effort sailed over the bar.
Widnes had all-but clinched victory when both sides rattled the woodwork in second half stoppage-time.
Seagulls skipper McCready saw a freekick crash back against the crossbar after taking a slight deflection, before Rainford was denied a goal on his return to Llanelian Road, striking the foot of the post with a set-piece of his own. WIDNES FC had a night to forget in Staffordshire on Tuesday going down 4-1 to Leek Town at Harrison Park.
Remarkably, all five goals came in the opening 35 minutes as Widnes fell victim to a first half blitz from a ruthless Leek side. A third minute opener from Robert Stevenson and an Aaron Bott hat-trick had Leek cruising at the break, with Kev Pollard’s eighth minute equaliser the only positive for Widnes.
The Whites travelled to Staffordshire with a depleted squad, with eight firstteam players unavailable for selection.
The opener arrived when the visitors failed to deal with a direct ball over the top allowing Stevenson to ghost in and net beyond Richie Mottram.
Widnes responded well and equalised just five minutes later. From a Chris Lomax corner, Mike Burke had a header cleared off the line and Leek failed to heed the warning signs, with Pollard rising highest to guide Lomax’s resulting set-piece into the far corner.
The scoreline was level for barely 90 seconds, as Mottram was unable to deal with a Sam Hall cross allowing Bott to hammer home his first of the evening.
The hosts hit a third on the 13-minute mark, with Bott holding off Pollard to finish emphatically at Mottram’s near-post.
Leek added a fourth 10 minutes before half-time. Jordan Johnson was allowed acres of space to bring down and aerial ball to quickly release Bott who did the rest to complete his hat-trick.
With the game all-but won, Leek dropped down the gears in the second half and remained relatively untroubled by a Widnes side devoid of ideas.