COLWYN Bay manager Craig Hogg demand a response from his squad and undoubtedly got one during their goalless draw at Trafford.

The novice boss commands huge respect throughout the North Wales footballing region and beyond thanks to a glittering playing career and the work he has done at Llandudno and the Seagulls under Alan Morgan.

An assistant almost always emerges from the shadows to take up a managerial position somewhere down the line, and the Bay board are to be commended for showing faith in Hogg’s ability to give him the job on a permanent basis.

It has certainly been a baptism of fire given the constraints at the club following the resignation of Dave Titchiner due to health reason, which has seen a number of significant squad player depart for pastures new and left Hogg with a huge task of galvanising the set-up from top to bottom.

This has resulted in a winless run of eight games in all competitions, with five of those resulting in defeats, but there is a genuine sense within the group that a prolonged run of positive results is not far around the corner after strengthening the squad considerably over the past fortnight.

There is plenty of talent at their disposal to ensure this happens, and in Hogg and assistant Neil Coverley they have two people who are enormously passionate about the club and will strive to ensure their respective tenors are a success.

Coverley himself has even had to take the field in recent weeks, with the former Seagulls’ skipper rolling back the years to produce some virtuoso displays that can now be called upon on a more consistent basis if needed.

The run up to the busy festive season is going to tell us a lot about Bay’s overall targets for the remainder of the campaign, and it is imperative they are looking up rather than down in the new year to avoided further complications down the line.

With games against Chasetown, Droylsden, Ramsbottom United, Colne, Glossop North End and Leek Town all in their immediate future, it represents an ideal chance for Hogg’s side to finally start realising their potential and get their season back on track.

Their performance at Trafford suggests there is now some light at the end of the tunnel, and this momentum is something they must build on for success going forward.