BALA TOWN closed the gap between them and the JD Cymru Premier's 'big two' to just three points with a convincing 4-1 win over Cardiff Met.

Following Connah's Quay's win over TNS, those two clubs now sit in second and first respectively on 38 points, with the Lakesiders in third on 35.

And although the top two have a game in hand over Colin Caton's side, it has to be said that Bala have been scoring goals for fun at times this season (39 in total with only TNS having scored more with 43), and Saturday was certainly no different.

The 4-1 victory also saw them extend the gap between them and fourth placed Barry Town United to 14 points (although the latter do have two games in hand to catch up a little).

Saturday's match at Maes Tegid was expected to be a close one, as Bala had drew 1-1 with Met in the reverse fixture at Cyncoed Campus just a week earlier. But this time around, Bala's class was clear to see.

They got off to a flying start when Will Evans, who arrived at Bala from Cardiff Met in the summer, made it double figures for the season by converting the first chance of the match just five minutes in.

Some brilliant work from Ollie Shannon saw him get to the byline before putting the ball into the box for midfielder Evans who headed home brilliantly against his former club to give Bala an early lead.

The home side continued to look dangerous when going forward through the likes of Shannon, Henry Jones and Ryan Pryce.

The pressure eventually told when the second goal of the game went in Bala's favour on the half-hour mark.

A brilliant corner whipped in by Pryce found experienced midfielder Antony Kay at the back post and he made no mistake to score his first goal for the club.

Moments later, there could have been a lifeline for Met but for a fine save from Bala keeper Alex Ramsay. A deflection from a shot saw him make a stunning save to keep the scoreline at 2-0.

Emlyn Lewis then went close for the visitors with a header before Bala managed to find a third goal on the stroke of half time - captain Chris Venables, back from suspension, scoring his 14th goal of the 2020/21 JD Cymru Premier campaign.

A great ball in behind the defence from Jones, via a no-look pass, fell right into the path of the attacker who dispatched the ball into the bottom right corner to give Bala an impressive three-goal cushion at the break.

In the second half at Maes Tegid, Met responded well early on in the second half as attacker Eliot Evans found the back of the net just four minutes in.

That could have set the tone for a nervy second 45 minutes for Caton's side, but Bala stood strong at the back after this.

Met had another shot on goal soon after scoring, but it went wide of the goal, before Ramsay tried his luck for Bala from long range but the ball landed on the roof of the opposition's net.

Venables then missed a glorious chance for 4-1 just after the hour mark, when he missed the target from a free header.

But, just three minutes later, he made up for that mistake. Venables this time latched onto a free kick punted forward by Ramsay, heading past the Met keeper to restore Bala's three-goal lead.

The visitors created more chances in the closing stages of the match, but Ramsay was in fine form to keep them out.

Henry Jones was denied by a great save late on before Jospeh Evans' strike hit the crossbar for Met in the dying moments.