BALA TOWN 2

CEFN DRUIDS 1

CHRISTMAS came early for the Lakesiders thanks to their crucial win at home to Cefn Druids.

It wasn't Sion Corn who delivered three crucial Welsh Premier League points on Friday evening, though, but instead two excellent goals from Ian Sheridan and Stuart Jones to see Bala Town edge closer to securing a top-six spot come the mid-season split.

Bala were looking for revenge following their heavy 3-0 reverse at Druids earlier in the campaign.

Unusually for a match involving the Lakesiders, the opening half-an-hour was pretty quiet, with not much happening with regards to chances.

A box-to-box move beginning with Jordan Evans found Mike Hayes on the wing, but his ball to Davies was struck wide.

Down the other end, Ashley Ruane was unmarked at the back post following a Druids counter attack, but his golden opportunity was fired wide.

Two successive chances for Nathan Burke and Les Davies were blocked and cleared away, prior to a Druids free kick being collected comfortably by Ashley Morris in the Town net.

After half-an-hour, Bala had their best spell of play.

Sustained pressure in the box saw two opportunities initially cleared off the line before the ball came to Ian Sheridan, who bundled the ball over the line at the far post.

Before the interval, Jordan Evans and Nathan Burke combined on the left, but the ball went out of play due to too much power.

The second half was a bit brighter, in that the game that was quite end-to-end due to the fast counter attacks.

A half-chance arrived for Burke and then a swift move started by Evans saw the ball being headed back into the box by Venables and it was eventually fired inches wide by Ian Sheridan from eight yards out.

Mike Hayes then played a teasing ball in towards Burke, who was denied by Druids' keeper Michael Jones from the edge of the box as Town's pressure was building.

With 20 minutes remaining, Bala doubled their advantage.

After a scramble in the box, Stuart Jones put his foot through the ball to fire home unmarked.

However, it was by noo means game over and Druids hit back immediately.

Adam Hesp's ball into the area arrived to Naim Arsan, whose half-volley was rocketed into the back of the net.

This meant there was going to be another nervy end to play at Maes Tegid.

Bala number one Ashley Morris made what was possibly the save of the season to date when his point blank reaction stop pushed Nathan Peate's header against the crossbar.

As Druids continued to search for a leveller, Stuart Jones made a terrific block to stop Taylor's goalbound effort from finding the back of the net in injury time.

It was a hard fought three points for the Lakesiders and it sees them jump back up to fifth in the table ahead of their Christmas double header against Prestatyn Town.