Colwyn Bay and Holywell Town – you’ve been ‘ridiculous’!
COLWYN BAY, WALES - 7 FEBRUARY 2023 - Kristian Platt celebrates his goal at the JD Cymru North fixture between Colwyn Bay and Gresford Athletic at Llanelian Road, Colwyn Bay (Pic by Nik Mesney/FAW)
Some words which used to be perceived as negative can now be very positive – depending on the manner of who utters them.
In modern-day street speak, if you are sick, insane or a joke, you could be regarded as possessing unbelievable talent.
Another word which in this day and age has become glass half-full as well as glass half-empty is ‘ridiculous’.
The 2022-23 Cymru North football season was today described as ‘ridiculous’.
The describer did not infer the word in its traditional dictionary context – arousing or deserving ridicule, extremely silly or unreasonable; absurd, preposterous.
No, he meant the league is ridiculous this season because of the astonishing things which have been occurring in it. Sublime, awesome, almost beyond belief – synonym has become antonym.
The modern-style ridiculous in this case related to the form of top-two clubs Colwyn Bay and Holywell Town.
Bay have won 25 league games in succession, while Holywell’s immaculate run amounts to 22-0 after Saturday’s 5-0 away caning of Penrhyncoch (March 18).
After this weekend’s matches (only the Wellmen had a league fixture): Colwyn are 9 points clear of Town, who have one game in hand.
The reason for the Bay’s points advantage is the fact that after drawing their opening match, they have won 25 on the bounce since.
Holywell actually lost two of their first three – the other game being a draw – one of those reverses a 6-1 home defeat to Colwyn.
Since recording their first league win of the campaign – a 3-1 home success over Conwy Borough – Johnny Haseldin’s men have not dropped a point. Played 22, Won 22, 66 points out of a possible 66.
No team has been good enough to stop either front-runner over 90 minutes since August, but that 100% bubble has to burst on March 25 for one – or both – of them when the Clash of the Titans sees Colwyn Bay host Holywell Town at the 4 Crosses Construction Arena.
The way the table looks, Town have to win the big showdown to maximise their chances of lifting the title. Any other result and the race is surely over. Even if the Wellmen do get the victory next Saturday, Bay will remain favourites to finish in top spot.
Here is the state of play (after matches played March 18, 2023)
Colwyn Bay: Played 26 Points 76 Goal Difference + 74
Matches remaining
March 25: Colwyn Bay v Holywell Town
April 1: Colwyn Bay v Penrhyncoch
April 7: Penrhyncoch v Colwyn Bay
April 15: Colwyn Bay v Llandudno
Four games left, three at home. Two matches versus struggling Penrhyncoch, home and away. Second-place Holywell and Llandudno in third still have to visit Llanelian Road. Seven more points will guarantee them the title.
Holywell Town: Played 25 Points 67 Goal Difference + 43
Matches remaining
March 25: Colwyn Bay v Holywell Town
March 29: Holywell Town v Chirk AAA
April 1: Prestatyn Town v Holywell Town
April 7: Holywell Town v Llandudno
April 10: Holyhead Hotspur v Holywell Town
Five games left, three of them away. Realistically, Town need to be aiming to win all five remaining fixtures and then hope Colwyn Bay lose at least one more in the run in. Even then, Bay’s superior goal difference will stand them in good stead.
The odds strongly favour championship glory for Colwyn Bay. They have not lost in the league all season and look so good all-round. The only potential pitfall surrounds the sole team that can deny them the title – Holywell.
The form they have been in, and the quality and spirit within the squad, means the Wellmen could definitely win every one of their last five games, but even then they would need the Bay to slip up somewhere else and that has not looked like happening.
Whoever wins the title, a massive round of applause is due to BOTH contenders. This has been no ordinary title battle. It has comprised two runs of excellence rarely seen before in North Wales football.
In any other season, one of them without the other in opposition would have stormed away with the championship by now. It is only the fact the leading pair are both such exceptional sides that there is a title race at all.
With the tier 1 Cymru Premier being an absolute procession again this season, the champions crowned after a so predictable 0-0 draw, the rest of North Wales football have been all but pleaded with to provide some excitement to compensate the fans.
And how these two have delivered. Two magnificent sets of supporters, what a pity this showdown is not for the championship of Wales.
Colwyn Bay and Holywell Town…we salute you.
May the best team win and the runners-up feel nothing but pride in what they have contributed to a ‘ridiculous’ season.
One could say North Wales has produced its own version of the epic 2021-22 Manchester City v Liverpool Premier League title race this term. Or would that be a ridiculous comparison? The more common version of ridiculous that is.
COLWYN BAY’S PHENOMENAL 25
11 March 2023
Porthmadog 0 Colwyn Bay 2
4 March 2023
Colwyn Bay 2 Chirk AAA 0
25 February 2023
Colwyn Bay 5 Conwy Borough 0
18 February 2023
Mold Alexandra 0 Colwyn Bay 3
11 February 2023
Colwyn Bay 4 Cefn Druids 1
7 February 2023
Colwyn Bay 2 Gresford Athletic 0
4 February 2023
Colwyn Bay 4 Llanidloes Town 2
28 January 2023
Chirk AAA 1 Colwyn Bay 2
20 January 2023
Colwyn Bay 5 Buckley Town 2
6 January 2023
Prestatyn Town 2 Colwyn Bay 3
2 January 2023
Colwyn Bay 6 Guilsfield 0
27 December 2022
Ruthin Town 1 Colwyn Bay 6
11 December 2022
Holyhead Hotspur 0 Colwyn Bay 4
26 November 2022
Gresford Athletic 0 Colwyn Bay 2
18 November 2022
Colwyn Bay 4 Holyhead Hotspur 0
5 November 2022
Llanidloes Town 2 Colwyn Bay 3
29 October 2022
Colwyn Bay 4 Ruthin Town 1
22 October 2022
Guilsfield 2 Colwyn Bay 3
1 October 2022
Colwyn Bay 2 Prestatyn Town 1
23 September 2022
Buckley Town 1 Colwyn Bay 4
6 September 2022
Cefn Druids 1 Colwyn Bay 7
29 August 2022
Colwyn Bay 4 Mold Alexandra 0
26 August 2022
Conwy Borough 0 Colwyn Bay 3
20 August 2022
Colwyn Bay 2 Porthmadog 0
12 August 2022
Holywell Town 1 Colwyn Bay 6
PLAYED 25 WON 25 GOALS FOR 92 GOALS AGAINST 18 POINTS 75
Other league game
29 July 2022
Llandudno 2 Colwyn Bay 2
HOLYWELL TOWN’S MAGICAL 22
18 March 2023
Penrhyncoch 0 Holywell Town 5
10 March 2023
Conwy Borough 1 Holywell Town 4
25 February 2023
Holywell Town 4 Cefn Druids 0
22 February 2023
Holywell Town 1 Prestatyn Town 0
17 February 2023
Buckley Town 0 Holywell Town 2
11 February 2023
Holywell Town 4 Guilsfield 0
8 February 2023
Mold Alexandra 0 Holywell Town 2
28 January 2023
Llanidloes Town 0 Holywell Town 3
21 January 2023
Holywell Town 2 Gresford Athletic 0
2 January 2023
Holywell Town 4 Porthmadog 0
7 December 2022
Holywell Town 2 Ruthin Town 0
25 November 2022
Ruthin Town 1 Holywell Town 4
6 November 2022
Chirk AAA 0 Holywell Town 2
29 October 2022
Holywell Town 2 Mold Alexandra 0
22 October 2022
Porthmadog 2 Holywell Town 3
15 October 2022
Holywell Town 2 Llanidloes Town 1
1 October 2022
Holywell Town 2 Penrhyncoch 0
24 September 2022
Gresford Athletic 1 Holywell Town 2
6 September 2022
Guilsfield 1 Holywell Town 2
29 August 2022
Holywell Town 2 Buckley Town 1
26 August 2022
Cefn Druids 0 Holywell Town 3
20 August 2022
Holywell Town 3 Conwy Borough 1
PLAYED 22 WON 22 GOALS FOR 60 GOALS AGAINST 9 POINTS 66
Other league matches
12 August 2022
Holywell Town 1 Colwyn Bay 6
2 August 2022
Llandudno 3 Holywell Town 0
30 July 2022
Holywell Town 0 Holyhead Hotspur 0