Saints And Bala Share The Spoils At Maes Tegid

Match Report

Goals: J. Williams (2)
Yellow cards: K. Davies (39), Hudson (79)
Substitutions: Routledge for Denny (62), Cieslewicz for Robles (82)

Match report by Sam Wood
Lead image: Brian Jones

The New Saints were twice denied by the woodwork at Maes Tegid and were forced to settle for a point against Bala Town.

Jordan Williams fired his side into an early lead just 59 seconds into the match, before Nathan Peate headed home an equaliser early in the second-half.

The JD Cymru Premier champions had their chances as the game wore on, but were unable to find a way through a stubborn Lakesiders defence.

It was the perfect start for Anthony Limbrick’s side, who took the lead with less than a minute on the clock.

Jordan Williams was the man in the right place at the right time, beating Alex Ramsay from close range to score his 12th league goal of the season.

A few minutes later, Ryan Brobbel watched a free-kick go high of the target, as his side threatened again.

With 14 minutes played, the ball dropped kindly to Danny Davies on the right of the penalty area, and his powerful, driven effort came close to sneaking in at the far corner.

At the other end, the hosts had their first chance of the night in the 25th minute, but Kieran Smith failed to hit the target from the edge of the box.

Five minutes later, it was Will Evans’ turn to try his luck, but his effort from distance went straight into the arms of Paul Harrison.

Eight minutes into the second-half, the home side found a way back into the game, courtesy of Nathan Peate.

The Bala defender rose highest to meet Paul Rutherford’s corner, before sending a cushioned header into the back of the net.

Three minutes later, the Lakesiders were causing more problems for TNS, and Harrison needed to make an important double save to keep the scores level.

That was the start of a frantic spell in the match, as Williams almost scored a second of the night with a curling effort not long after.

With 20 minutes to go, Ryan Brobbel almost scored a superb goal, but his effort from just inside the box struck the crossbar and bounced down onto the line.

Despite protests from several Saints players, referee, Rob Jenkins, remained unconvinced it had crossed and play continued.

Four minutes later, the woodwork came to Bala’s rescue again, when Danny Davies clipped the crossbar after cutting inside from the right.

Despite their best efforts, Limbrick’s team were unable to retake the lead in the closing stages, which meant they were forced to settle for a point on an incredibly wet night at Maes Tegid. 

The New Saints are back in action on Saturday, making the journey south to Penybont’s SDM Glass Stadium.

https://twitter.com/tnsfc/status/1511441794101399556?s=20&t=csMRvFy2ZS2XcTKOpsotfw