LLANRHAEADR YM 2

BALA TOWN 4

SATURDAY saw the beginning of the 2019/20 season for Bala Town, with a trip over the Berwyn to take on Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant.

Lakesiders' boss Colin Caton named two line-ups, with eight trialists featuring during the game that welcomed Llanrhaeadr back to their home ground after a year's groundshare at Llansanffraid.

The game started brightly enough in the Tanat Valley sunshine and after eight minutes of play, the home side took the lead.

Tom Evans headed in from close range when Bala failed to clear a corner.

This kick-started the Lakesiders, who started to relax and find their feet after the opening goal.

Town had a sustained spell of pressure for a quarter-of-an-hour, with Trialist C heading wide at the near post from Evan Horwood’s corner and the same player went close again minutes later, but he scuffed his effort from around six yards out.

Chris Venables and Mike Hayes were involved in a scramble in the six-yard box, but neither could capitalise, prior to Trialist C heading wide once again from a Horwood corner.

Trialist E fired narrowly over the crossbar from 25 yards, before Venables and Hayes linked up in the area, but the latter's strike was pushed away for a corner.

Bala levelled after 20 minutes.

The ball was squared into the area and Venables' close range effort found the net.

Llanrhaeadr hit back to make it 2-1, though, when a lob from the edge of the area hit the post and bounced over the line after 25 minutes.

Goals kept coming and Bala equalised once more just two minutes later.

Trialist C scored with a fantastic effort into the top corner from 16 yards.

The Lakesiders took the lead after half-an-hour.

Trialist E delivered a ball into the area straight into the path of Venables, who tapped home.

Both Hayes and Venables had opportunities to add a fourth, but Llanrhaeadr hacked the ball off the line.

A new Bala XI started the second half and they couldn’t have asked for a better start when they added a fourth only minutes into the second period.

Henry Jones danced into the box, outran three players and composed himself to cooly slot the ball into the net to make it 4-2.