Have there been any greater escapes than CPD Y Felinheli’s this week? How about this quartet?
What’s the greatest relegation escape you’ve witnessed in North Wales football?
This week’s achievement by CPD Y Felinheli takes some beating.
Seven wins from their final 10 matches prevented a team which looked doomed just a couple of months earlier from losing their Tier 3 Ardal North West status.
However, there have been a few other magnificent instances over the years of North Wales teams saving their skins against the odds.
Here’s just four examples….
COLWYN BAY STAY IN CONFERENCE NORTH – 2012-13
Heading into their final six matches of the campaign, the struggling Seagulls, then managed by former Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair, looked all but down.
All their remaining games were against teams above them in the league, yet remarkably, the Bay won all six to beat the drop.
Playing then in what was known as the Blue Square Bet Conference North, relegation appeared a certainty after the Bay flopped 3-1 at home to already-down Droylsden on April 9 to make it eight league matches without a victory.
Sinclair’s charges seemed sure bets to finish in the dreaded bottom three, but suddenly the picture changed.
Colwyn earned themselves a glimmer of hope in their survival quest by scraping a 1-0 win over a Gainsborough Trinity side which gave Wrexham a big fight over two legs in the FA Trophy semi-finals.
That game signalled the end of player-manager Sinclair’s five-match suspension and the return of the ex-Chelsea and Leicester City defender in the next fixture was to have a considerable effect.
An unexpected 3-1 triumph at promotion-chasing Brackley Town edged Colwyn to within three points of nearest fellow strugglers Corby Town with two games in hand.
Bay were now on a roll and a 3-1 home success over Oxford City took them out of the bottom three – the route to safety had become more of a reality.
Back-to-back 2-1 away wins at Workington and Bradford Park Avenue followed, putting the Llanelian Road club on the brink of saving themselves.
Sinclair’s valiants needed a draw at home to Gloucester City in their final game to end their relegation fears.
The Bay secured survival on their own terms, beating Gloucester 1-0 with a John McKenna header to finish up fifth bottom and five points clear of the club below them.
How Colwyn Bay achieved The Great Escape in Conference North in 2012/13
13/4/2013: Colwyn Bay 1 Gainsborough Trinity 0
16/4/2013: Brackley Town 1 Colwyn Bay 3
18/4/2013: Colwyn Bay 3 Oxford City 1
20/4/2013: Workington 1 Colwyn Bay 2
22/4/2013: Bradford Park Avenue 1 Colwyn Bay 2
27/4/2013: Colwyn Bay 1 Gloucester City 0
PORTHMADOG SURVIVE IN WELSH PREMIER 2007-08
April 19, 2008, was the date Richard ‘Boskin’ Hughes wrote himself into CPD Porthmadog folklore by scoring the goal which beat Rhyl 1-0 and kept Viv Williams’ side in the Welsh Premier.
This was one of the most tense afternoons ever at the Traeth – for the board, management, players and supporters,
Just back from his honeymoon, Hughes was ‘over the moon’ in the 53rd minute when he applied the finishing touch to Aled Rowlands’ free kick from the right touchline and put the home side a vital goal ahead.
A stiff breeze was bound to influence the game so it became vitally important for Port to reach the interval without conceding a goal if they were to take advantage of the wind in the second period.
Rhyl had plenty of efforts on goal in the opening 45, but home keeper Richard Harvey was only seriously tested once from a Mark Connolly free kick.
Towards the end of the half Rhyl applied increasing pressure but the home side defended in depth. and survived to the interval.
Straight from the start of the second period Port showed their intention to shoot on sight. Paul Roberts fired from 25 yards just above the angle and Marcus Orlik also tested keeper John Gann with shots from distance.
Then came the all important Richard Hughes goal after eight minutes of the second period which gave them something to hold on to.
Rhyl attacked in numbers for the rest of the game, but Harvey produced two great saves, one from Connolly and another with his trailing leg to deny Hunt.
It was an afternoon no-one who was there will ever forget.
COLWYN BAY BEAT BARROW TO STAY IN NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TOP DIVISION 2000-01
Two goals from the magnificent James McIlvogue sealed Colwyn Bay a 2-0 victory over Barrow which preserved their NPL Premier Division status on May 5, 2001.
The Great Escape theme was sung by the fans at Llanelian Road on the day the Bay escaped relegation against all the odds on the final day of the season.
McIlvogue had been in tremendous form towards the end of a campaign which saw the Seagulls pick up 16 points out of a possible 18 from their final six matches.
It was a very special day for Bryn Jones to bow out as Colwyn Bay manager.
FINAL SIX RESULTS
16/04/01 Leek Town 2-4 Colwyn Bay
21/04/01 Colwyn Bay 2-1 Whitby Town
26/04/01 Burscough 1-2 Colwyn Bay
28/04/01 Colwyn Bay 4-1 Leek Town
01/05/01 Worksop Town 1-1 Colwyn Bay
05/05/01 Colwyn Bay 2-0 Barrow
Bay finished up 19th out of 23 teams.
PRESTATYN TOWN HOLD ONTO CYMRU NORTH STATUS 2023-24
After five league defeats in a row and no wins in their last seven outings, Prestatyn needed to better Porthmadog’s result on a tense April night to remain in Tier 2.
Town had not played in Tier 3 since 2007/08, but while they were losing at Gresford Athletic that was where they were heading.
Luke Wiltshire put Prestatyn ahead, but a Dominic Deacon double either side of the hour edged Athletic in front.
However, a 65th minute equaliser from Tom Weir secured the point which kept the Seasiders in the Cymru North. Porthmadog were relegated after losing 3-0 at home to Holywell.