Marine 4 Colwyn Bay 3

Saturday 30th September 2000, FA Cup Second Qualifying Round

A dramatic last-minute header from Mark Schofield prevented a mid week trip to North Wales for Marine. In age when the traditions of the FA cup have been called into question, this game certainly had all the attributes of a classic encounter from a bygone age.

It was a game that Marine should have comfortably won. After taking a 2-0 lead through first half goals from Rick Bainbridge and Karl Robinson. On pressure and chances alone Marine deserved their half-time advantage.

The second half was a different story. Marines early season indecision came to the fore again. Three goals in three minutes altered the complexion of the game. After 48 minutes Frank Gibbon brought Colwyn Bay back into the game. A minute later Karl Robinson restored Marine’s two-goal advantage, but this was short lived. Ex-Manchester United player Deniol Graham a minute later went down the field scored and prompted Bay’s best spell of the game.

Marine went from a position of looking comfortable, to having to resort to resolute last ditch defending. Nerves were certainly frayed amongst the home crowd and Graham’s rattling of the cross bar on 60 minutes, certainly did not did not help matters.

The inevitable equaliser came, when Marine, unable to clear their lines conceded a penalty with three minutes to go. Graham converted the penalty with ease and a replay looked likely. But the drama did not end there. Villain turned hero when Mark Schofield, who 2 minutes earlier had conceded the penalty, which gave Colwyn Bay an equaliser, rose to meet Dave Gamble’s precision last minute free kick to send Marine through to the next round.

In a game in which Marine enjoyed the sort of luck that would instigate a Premiership manager to declare that his side’s name was on the cup. Marine are grateful that theirs is in the next round, a feat, which seemed unlikely at three all.

Marine: Clarke, Baines, Formby, Bainbridge, Schofield, Gautrey, Robinson (Smith 84), Gamble, Black, Thompson, Douglas (Nulty 70).

Colwyn Bay: R Roberts, O Roberts, Jones, G Roberts, (Caton 22) (Price 84), Fenton (Gibbons 45), Woods, Limbert, Cross, Graham, Evans, Gelling.

* This report previously appeared on the now defunct website Pyramid Football