THREE goals in eight minutes at the start of the second half set Colwyn Bay on their way to a 5-2 home victory over Buckley Town which temporarily opened an 11 point lead at the top of JD Cymru North with a record-breaking 17th consecutive league win.
They toiled to find their best form in the first half and although they took the lead on the half hour when Craig Linfield scored at the second attempt, after his back-heeled first effort had been blocked on the line, Buckley equalised six minutes later through Josh Allen, as Bay failed to clear a free kick, and the match was level at 1-1 at half-time.
Manager Steve Evans made two key changes at the break, with Tom McCready and Matty Hill coming off the bench for the start of the second half, and within 15 seconds of the restart Hill had put the Bay back in front after turning inside a defender from Aled Downes pass and burying a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Five minutes later McCready set up a break through the middle and finished it with a well-placed shot inside the far post to make it 3-1, and three minutes further on McCready provided the cross for Kristian Platt to head number four.
With Bay in complete control, in front of another excellent home crowd of 704, Buckley keeper Jim McHarrie made a good save from Matty Hill, who fired another good chance over the bar, and the keeper also saved well from a Tom McCready shot from the edge of the area.
Asa Hamilton pulled a goal back for the visitors when Bay were caught on the break on 75 minutes, but two minutes later Matty Hill headed Bay’s fifth from an Alex Downes cross and in the end was unlucky not to finish with a hat-trick.
“The lads deserve great credit. I thought first half we were ok. We didn’t really get our foot on the ball, taking too many touches,” said manager Steve Evans.
“We went in at half time, changed it and brought on Matty and Macca. It was tactical, we wanted more of a threat in behind, and it worked.
“We came out second half and for 20 minutes we played fantastic. On another day we it could have been six, seven or eight.
“Credit to Buckley, they were always a threat from the deadball and we conceded two sloppy goals which is disappointing from our point of view.
“But apart from that some of the football was first class. The lads who started did the work and the lads that came on finished the job.”
Watch the full interview with Steve Evans
COLWYN BAY: Cameron Darling, Joe Williams, Stefan Edwards (Dylan Allshorn 60), Cai Owen (Matty Hill 46), Lewis Sirrell (Sam Hart 60), Sam Downey (c), Ryan Edwards, Craig Lindfield (Tom McCready 46), Kristian Platt, Alex Downes, Tom Creamer (Jamie Cumming 69). Unused subs: Mike Jones (G), Guto Williams.
Attendance: 704.
Pen y Bryn Man of the Match: Matty Hill
See the second half goals via Sgorio on