COLWYN Bay manager Craig Hogg praised the club’s loyal fan-base following their 3-2 JD Welsh Cup first round victory at Corwen.

The Seagulls’ picked up their second triumph in a week t their JD Cymru North rivals to progress to the next stage, and they go into Saturday’s crunch clash at Rhyl having lost just twice in their last 12 contests.

Hogg, said: “It was another tough game and the lads must take huge credit for the sensible team performance they delivered.

“To play in that environment twice in seven days and win both games tells me a great deal about the players we have at this club.

“I’m lucky to have a group of very hard-working lads who have bags of quality and that’s a dangerous mix.

“They fully deserve to be in the hat for the next round after such a mature performance in challenging conditions.

“The lads have been exceptional in the last eight games or so and they must take so much credit for that.

“I’m pleased we have come through the tie relatively unscathed, but more than anything the dressing room are made up for our fans who were there today.

“We’ve taken the best part of 60 or so down there and they sung their hearts out for the players and club throughout the 90 minutes.

“That’s what football is about, and we’re made up that we could give them all that result today.”

The away side opened the scoring on four minutes thanks to a stunning free kick from skipper Tom McCready, and they doubled their tally on the quarter hour mark when Jordan Carrington headed in a Damian Ketley cross.

Ketley went from provider to scorer soon after when he turned in a McCready set-piece to treble their advantage, but the hosts kept things interesting with two goals in quick succession to close out the half through Iorwerth Jones and Rob Davies.

After the break saw rh hosts pile on the pressure in search of a leveller, but the Bay rear-guard held firm in difficult conditions to book their place in the hat.