WITH their squad decimated by a flu virus, Colwyn Bay but up a brave fight with a makeshift side and no substitutes before losing 2-1 at fourth-placed Grantham on Easter Monday.
And in the end they were unlucky not to come home with a point.
With six of the squad unavailable due to injury and illness, manager Gary Finley had to play himself in defence and brought in John Walker as an 11th hour stand-in to make up a bare starting 11.
They defended well in the early stages, played in a snow blizzard, but conceded two goals in the space of 16 minutes as Brendan McDaid scored with a looping header and then got on the end of a driven cross to stab in a second goal at the far post.
Colwyn Bay, however, were back in the game before half-time when good inter-play set up the chance for skipper James Olsen to burst into the box and score with a crisp finish.
Colwyn Bay were the better side for much of the second half and were twice denied a deserved equaliser when home keeper Mario Ziccardi made a tremendous reflex save to keep out a close range header by Mark Quayle from a Neil Black cross, and then Joe Fowler had a goalbound shot cleared off the line.
Colwyn Bay's tale of woe was completed in the closing minutes when John Lawless was red carded as players from both sides got involved in a melee following a foul on Lewis Callaghan.
Colwyn Bay: Speare, Callaghan, Wade, Walker, Finley, R Williams, Fowler, Olsen, Black, Quayle, Lawless. No subsitutes.

In the Welsh Alliance LLANRWST UNITED won 2-1 at GLAN CONWY with two goals from Aaron Jones, while top of the table Bethesda were 8-3 winners over Nantlle Vale.

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