LLANELLI 1, BALA TOWN 7

A CHRISTMAS cracker has been served up by the Lakesiders.

The travelling Bala supporters were treated to an early Christmas present on Saturday afternoon with a superb Welsh Premier League display at Llanelli.

Colin Caton's charges hit a magnificent seven goals on the day and they took control early.

Playing with a high press from the outset, Town's tactics caught Llanelli off guard and it look only two minutes for the Lakesiders to open the scoring.

A Town attack down the left flank saw a ball delivered into the box and after it was initially blocked, it fell into the path of Steven Tames on the edge of the six-yard box for him to place an effort into the back of the net.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Bala found themselves 2-0 ahead after seven minutes.

Henry Jones nutmegged March on the byline and put a teasing cross into the area, which Llanelli centre half Clarke headed into his own net.

The third goal came on 14 minutes.

Sean Smith danced down the wing and fantastically picked out Chris Venables, who leaped higher than everyone to power the ball in with a header from close range.

After a chaotic start, the visitors kept up their high intensity play and they looked a threat every time they broke free.

Nathan Burke's dipping strike from 30 yards ended up inches over, before Andy Burns tried to find Tames and Venables in the area, but the delivery was poor.

Burke went close again, prior to Burns' low defence splitting ball arriving into the path of Venables, but he pulled his strike centimetres wide.

Despite being under the cosh, Llanelli managed to pull a goal back after half-an-hour.

A stunning effort from 25 yards by Chris Jones curled into the left hand side of the net, giving Ashley Morris no chance in the Bala net.

Llanelli were coming more into the game half-time approached and they played some tidy football on the floor, but Bala remained a threat at the other end.

Henry Jones broke down the right and drove towards the box, but his attempt was turned around the post by the goalkeeper.

Bala took hold of the second half and it was a question of how many goals the Lakesiders would go on and score at times as their confidence went from strength to strength.

Ian Sheridan fired over from the edge of the box and Jones' powerful drive was pushed around the post, before Smith and Tames linked up, but the Llanelli keeper saved.

Steven Tames notched his second goal of the day on 56 minutes.

After beating the offside trap, Tames raced through the middle of the field and unleashed a shot into the right hand side of the goal to make it 4-1.

Bala had a fifth goal to celebrate on 64 minutes.

Chris Venables' pinpoint cross on the left was looped into the net by Sheridan's clinical header from inside the area.

The goals kept coming, with Tames soon completing his hat-trick.

Jones' brilliant backheel was collected by the league's leading goalscorer and Tames slipped the ball past the goalkeeper to poke in from an incredibly tight angle.

Bala were looking very dangerous and the chances just kept coming.

Burns' strike was saved and good work from Anthony Miley and Jones set up Chris Venables, but the opportunity went begging.

Tames rounded off a great day at the office with his fourth goal four minutes from the end.

He got on the end of a Venables counter attack and pinged in Bala's seventh goal of the day.

It was an impressive team display by the Lakesiders, who were excellent all through the 90 minutes.

However, with a double header coming up against league leaders Connah's Quay over the festive period, Town know that points are now crucial with the league split coming ever closer.