Xmas cracker for RGC – P47 PRESSURE HITS BAY AHEAD OF VITAL TUSSLES
WITH just one win in their last nine league and cup games, Colwyn Bay boss Frank Sinclair knows he is under pressure ahead of this weekend’s festive double-header against Stockport County and Hyde.
The 13th-placed Seagulls travel to Edgeley Park to take on Stockport, who lie eighth, on Boxing Day and then this Sunday are home to bottom-of-the-table Hyde. Both matches kick off at 3pm.
Sinclair described last weekend’s dismal 4-1 home defeat to Solihull Moors as possibly the worst performance in nearly two years since he has been manager.
He admitted: “We were second best all over the park and I have told the players if it doesn’t improve I will have to make changes or else the board will make changes (to the management team).”
Injuries to skipper Marc Williams (foot), who could be out for a while, and striker Rob Hopley (knee) have added to his worries and he added: “We are up against it and are working hard to try and bring some players in to help us out.
“We have a massive schedule of games coming up and we have to produce some results or we could face the possibility of being dragged into a relegation fight, which nobody wants.”
That would be a huge turnaround from the start of November when the Seagulls were in the top 10 of the Conference North and Sinclair was optimistic about launching a challenge for the play-off places.
The run of poor results since then, stemming from the shattering FA Cup defeat to Warrington Town, has become a real concern with just six points gained out of possi- ble 24 in the league.
Friday’s visit to Stockport will be another huge challenge, making Sunday’s game against a Hyde side that have picked up only one point from 12 away league games all the more important.
While the Bay have lost only one of their 10 away league games, last Saturday was their seventh home defeat of the campaign.
They have the worst home record in the division – even behind rock bottom Hyde – and Sinclair knows he has to find a solution to that ongoing problem.
Some woeful defending against Solihull saw them 3-0 down to a hat-trick inside 36 minutes from league top-scorer Omar Bogle and in the end only a series of saves by keeper Josh Ollerenshaw in the second half prevented a more embarrassing scoreline before Wes Baynes got a late consolation goal.
Sinclair said afterwards: “We went backwards two years today to when I played in a team which showed no desire or care to win a game of football.
“I’ve been brutally honest with the players that it is not good enough.
“I’m going to have to go away and reflect on it and see how I can improve us as a group.
“Obviously we’ve had a couple of big knocks with Tom Buckley going this week (to Salford City) and now the injuries to Marc Williams, who could be out for a while, and Rob Hopley which leaves us up against it, but I wanted to see more characters on the pitch today and people prepared to fight for the cause and we didn’t have it.”
At least the Bay will have Anthony Stephens, badly missed last weekend, back in defence for the Christmas games after serving a onematch suspension.