BALA TOWN 1
FC UNITED 6
A FOUR-MIDABLE first-half showing meant that Bala Town’s preparations for the new Welsh Premier League season ended with a heavy loss.
FC United of Manchester continued their rich vein of form by claiming a thumping 6-1 scoreline at Maes Tegid.
The Reds were 4-0 up at half-time thanks to goals from Jerome Wright, Chris Ovington and two from Michael Norton.
The hosts converted a penalty in the second half, but substitutes Ben Deegan and James Holden completed the scoring.
United raced away into a 3-0 lead within the first 15 minutes with Wright opening the scoring by rifling home a fine effort from 20 yards out.
Moments later, Jake Cottrell curled the perfect cross in for Norton to score with a diving header at the near post.
It was no surprise when United struck again to make it three when former Leeds United youngster Ovington took just one touch before firing the ball into the bottom left corner from 25 yards out.
Things went from bad to worse for Bala as United added a fourth goal before the interval from the penalty spot, with Norton scoring.
However, Bala got the goal their hard work deserved midway through the second half courtesy of a re-taken penalty.
Substitute Zach Hibbert saved Mark Powell’s initial effort and his follow-up on the rebound only for the referee’s assistant to deem the keeper was off his line as the kick was taken.
Second time around, Powell confidently stepped up and chipped the ball to Hibbert’s right to make it 4-1.
However, it was too little, too late for the Maes Tegid side as Deegan rose above a crowd of defenders in the box to head home a Wright corner into the top right corner, before a long ball from the back was taken first time by Holden, chipping it home to make it six.