BALA TOWN 7

RHYL 5

GOALS, goals... and even more goals!

That was the tale at Maes Tegid on Friday night as Bala Town played out a 12-goal friendly thriller with Rhyl.

Lakesiders' manager Colin Caton took the opportunity to give all of his players a run out against their Huws Gray Alliance visitors on Friday night, with Craig Vernon playing in goal instead of Ashley Morris, while Stuart J Jones made his return from injury.

Bala’s first chance came after a quarter-of-an-hour when Chris Venables side footed the ball across the face of goal from five yards out in what was a quiet start.

Unbelievably, the action didn’t get going until the 29th minute.

Les Davies broke the deadlock after beating his marker and coolly slotting the ball into the net.

Seven minutes later and Town doubled their advantage when a superb ball arrived to Jordan Evans, who stunningly looped an effort over the keeper.

Rhyl did hit back in the 39th minute in their first proper attack of the game.

James Murphy unleashed a top corner bound strike from outside the area.

The goals kept coming and two minutes later, Les Davies notched his second of the night with a beautifully struck first time effort that left visiting keeper Crowther with no chance.

Before the interval arrived, Rhyl scored again.

James Murphy made it 3-2 via a tidy finish, with him slotting the ball into the far corner after turning Evan Horwood.

Half-time witnessed vast changes to both teams, with Stu Jones, Nathan Burke, Kieran Smith and Mike Hayes all coming on for Town.

It took only five minutes of the second half for the next goal to arrive.

Stuart J Jones smashed home from the edge of the area to make it 4-2.

Rhyl were far from finished, though, and two goals in the space of eight minutes from a trialist levelled things up.

However, Bala went ahead again after 67 minutes.

A goalbound header by Mike Hayes was cleared off the line, but it bounced back off a defender to be awarded as an own goal.

Rhyl rattled the post at the other end and Bala could have gone further ahead with Smith’s looping header going over the bar, while Nathan Burke’s piledriver hit the post from 20 yards out.

It was level once more with 13 minutes remaining when Rhyl’s trialist completed his hat-trick.

Another hat-trick soon followed and Bala’s Les Davies scored his third to finish off a good move.

Kieran Smith headed the ball to Davies, who swung his foot around it and blasted home from close range to make it 6-5.

The final goal of the night came in the last minute.

Substitute Josh Jones went on a great run down the right and delivered a brilliant ball for Smith to bury a chance at the near post.