ELEMENTS CEFN DRUIDS 1, BALA TOWN 2
WHILE football is generally a game of skill and effort, you do need your share of luck sometimes.
Maybe Colin Caton’s Bala Town can count themselves fortunate to have claimed the three points at Cefn Druids, as they were saved by the woodwork TWICE.
But a win’s a win and the result means that the men from Maes Tegid have now won five games on the bounce - and the result temporarily moved Bala to within three points of European qualification.
Ahead of the match, both set-ups knew they were in for a tough test as they praised the opposition.
Joint-Druids boss Lee Jones admitted: “Bala have had a great first season in the league. What Colin has done is get experienced lads in and he can’t be faulted for the way he sets his teams up. They try to play in the right manner and have been winning games.”
Caton himself said: “Druids are suffering with financial restraints, but Waynne (Phillips) and Lee (Jones) have done a fantastic job there.
“They’re always going to be well organised and they’re a good footballing side.”
Bala could not have wished for a much better start as the visitors took the lead after only 40 seconds.
Danny Williams played a free kick into the Druids’ penalty area and when goalkeeper Chris Mullock was unable to hold the ball, the prolific Ricky Evans was there to fire the opening goal into the roof of the net, returning to haunt his former club.
Despite claiming such an early advantage, Bala were unable to build on this for the remainder of the half and parity was restored by a famous footballing name just before the break.
Jon Rush - the son of ex-Wales and Liverpool legend Ian - brilliantly drew the home side level.
A flowing move down the Ancients’ right found Rush, who collected the ball and fired home from 30 yards, giving Bala number one Matthew Boswell no chance.
His opposite number Mullock bounced back from his earlier mistake with a fine double-save as Bala responded at the beginning of the second period, but three minutes into the half Druids came within inches of taking the lead.
Rush and Craig Pejic both hit the crossbar after a corner from the right.
Bala knuckled down, however, and went close to regaining the lead around the hour-mark as the home side managed to scramble the ball off their own line and clear to safety.
At the other end Druids started to apply some pressure on the visitors, but they rarely troubled Bala custodian Boswell and, with seven minutes remaining, Bala supplied a sucker punch.
Ricky Evans threaded a through ball to substitute Neil Fisher on the edge of the penalty area and he calmly slotted past Mullock into the bottom corner of the net.
Druids still went close to bagging a second equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time when Rush’s header from Michael Taylor’s cross had Boswell beaten.
But the ball came back off the foot of the post.
Elements Cefn Druids: Mullock, Jones, Wright, Filson (Tebble), Barnett (Crowther), Hesp, Griffiths, Pejic (Taylor), Rush, Caughter, Whitfield
Bala Town: Boswell, Irving, S Fisher, Powell, Jellicoe, Williams, Roberts, Duckett (Thompson), Toner (N Fisher), Evans, Lloyd (R Jeffries).