Bala Town vs Cefn Druids Matchday Programme

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT It has been a tumultuous six months since our last home match and the unprecedented times which we all have faced will have affected us all in different ways.

It is quite staggering that we are able to stage a Premier League fixture this afternoon and my thanks must go out to all the hard work which has gone on behind the scenes to make it possible.

It is also almost impossible to put in words what has happened at our football club since the pandemic hit us all hard but it has certainly been a roller coaster of a journey! The lows of the initial lockdown period and the uncertainty of whether the season could be completed were replaced by the decision to award us European qualification and the excitement of another overseas adventure to Malta.

As we all know that trip ended with the euphoria of an historic victory and the ensuing draw which saw us cross swords with the European giants at Standard de Liège. Another outstanding performance saw us leave Belgium with only a 2-0 defeat and must surely give us the confidence to return to our domestic league in the hope of another successful season!

In between these European fixtures we played our first League match and were cruelly robbed of a 3 point haul by a 95th minute equaliser at Champions Connahs Quay. Another superb team performance.

We have a hugely exciting squad of players and are very much looking forward to the season in front of us.

I can only hope that we will be able to get our fans back in to watch the matches in the near future but until then thanks to everyone who has stuck together in these most difficult of times to carry out the ridiculously onerous work of running a Football Club in the most demanding of times!

WE KEEP ON MAKING HISTORY AT MAES TEGID LONG MAY IT CONTINUE!

Nigel Aykroyd, Chief Executive

GWASANAETH PÊL-DROED DIGURO UNBEATABLE ON WELSH FOOTBALL CYNGHRAIR Y CENHEDLOEDD UEFA 2020 UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2020 CYMRU PREMIER JD CWPAN CYMRU JD JD WELSH CUP CWPAN NATHANIEL MG NATHANIEL MG CUP UWCH GYNGHRAIR MERCHED CYMRU WELSH PREMIER WOMEN’S LEAGUE

O F F I C I A L

B A L L

S U P P L I E R

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OPPONENT - CEFN DRUIDS EST. 1872 HOME: THE ROCK PASSION. STRENGTH. HISTORY Cefn Druids are steeped in history and were founded in 1872 by Llewelyn Kenrick who would later go on to found the Football Association of Wales.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER Lakesiders undone by injury time winner for second week in a row.

Missed chances proved costly for the Lakesiders in the previous encounter with today’s opponents as a late comeback from the Ancients saw Town lose in the final seconds in the final match of phase one.

Town began with plenty of intensity and tested early on with Burke’s 30 yard strike soaring over the woodwork prior to Henry Jones’ curling effort saved by the goalkeeper.

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Bala were playing some fast flowing tidy football and could’ve been 1-0 up midway through the half when an attack down the right was cleared into Robles’ path but was fired straight into Smith and deflected out for a goalkick.

Before the break, Jones saw his bullet header palmed away by the keeper before Burns was tumbled in the box but saw his penalty claims waved away.

The second half couldn’t have started any better for the Lakesiders who took the lead after three minutes of play.

Bala broke down the right with Burns overlapping and drilling the ball into the box which Robles initially headed in but saw it pushed back into his path for him to turn in from 4 yards out.

Town were dominating and should’ve been further ahead when a scramble on the line saw Jones and Venables not able to take advantage of the ball bouncing around in the area prior to Venables missing Mendes’ teasing ball into the box minutes later.

With Bala playing high up the pitch and the pressure mounting, it was devastation for a second successive Saturday with a 93rd minute winner for the opponents when Jamie Reed got on the end of a long defensive clearance and slid the ball into the net from eighteen yards out.

ALEX RAMSAY

ANDREW BURNS

SEAN SMITH

NATHAN PEATE

ANTHONY STEPHENS

JONNY SPITTLE

LEE MOLYNEUX

WILL EVANS

HENRY JONES

KIERAN SMITH

STEVE LESLIE

DANIEL GOSSET

LLYR MORRIS

SHAUN KELLY

LASSANA MENDES

CHRIS VENABLES

OLIVER SHANNON

RAUL CORREIA

ANTONY KAY

HARRI LLOYD

PREVIOUS LEAGUE FIXTURE

CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS 1 BALA TOWN 1

FOOTBALL’S A FUNNY GAME, ISN’T IT...

Kicking off the start of the new JD Cymru Premier League season with a bang, as the Lakesiders travelled to the home of the Champions in Connah’s Quay Nomads.

A slow start to the Lakesiders saw Nomads pile on the pressure early on, however after the first quarter of an hour, Bala were controlling the play. A crunching tackle from Sean Smith saw him pick a yellow card early on. Raul Correia was showing his strength deep in the Nomads half while winning a set-piece in the process. An early shout for a penalty came from Raul minutes later, as his legs are taken out by the defender, but the ref called play on.

However just minutes later, a free kick just inside the Bala half by Jonny Spittle went straight towards a crowd of players, but summer signing Nathan Peate climbed high to head the ball back and loop the keeper! A league debut goal for Nathan for the Lakesiders to put them 1-0 up!

Just what the Lakesiders needed, just under half an hour into the game. Nomads without any real threat up top with everything being defended well.

Another chance for Bala, as Leslie swings a wicked cross into the back post, where Venables heads back to Lassana, but his shot curls over.

And again, a big chance for the Lakesiders to double their lead, but Spittle’s header clips the post, comes back to him and the defender recovers to head over the bar for a corner.

Brilliant defending from Spittle at the other end minutes later, with a superb tackle to stop the Nomads shot, and concedes a corner in the process.

The Referee called for half time with Bala 1-0 up after Nathan Peate’s looping header. With Bala well on top after slowly getting into the game, endured the early pressure from Nomads, however could have had ended with one or two more goals to Bala.

The second half got underway, similar to the start of the first, with another crunching tackle from Sean Smith to stop the shot from Nomads, and clears any danger.

Will Evans this time had a penalty shout waved away by the Referee, after he’s taken out in the box.

Alex Ramsay was then called into action, as he climbed above the bodies to punch away the ball out of harms way.

After a little pressure from Nomads, Leslie drives down the pitch and wins a free kick for Bala to get them back up the pitch.

Nomads came close to an equalizer on the hour mark, with a header at the back post, but the Nomads player couldn’t direct his header anywhere to trouble Ramsay in goal.

LAKESIDERS IN EUROPE STANDARD LIEGE 2 BALA TOWN 0

Our historic European adventure came to a close on Thursday evening (17/09/20) in the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

A historic European adventure for the Lakesiders came to its climax in Belgium when the Town faced off against Belgian giants in Standard Liege.

The match started with a flash of chances for both sides, Standard coming close in the first minute with a close range effort which was saved by Ramsay. Only 30 seconds later, Raul called the Standard keeper into action, with a shot on the turn inside the box, however the keeper saves well with his foot.

The Lakesiders were put on the back foot for a short period, as Ramsay again was called into action as a deflected shot nearly wrong footed our number one, yet he recovered well to pounce on the ball.

Colin Caton's game plan was well executed throughout the opening 10 minutes, with a lot of defending, but also creating chances down the other end, this time through Will who made a driving run down the wing,

came back inside and made the keeper work with a ďŹ erce left footed strike which won Bala a corner.

Standard had a penalty shout just after 10 minutes, however the attempt at fooling the ref didn't go to plan as the ref waved play on.

Sean Smith wasn't taking no prisoners on 15 minute mark, as he left a hefty challenge on a Standard player with the ref deeming it a clean tackle.

More defending from Sean and Will who made a succession of blocks to stop the cross into the box and then clearing any danger.

Just before the 20 minute mark, Standard were given a penalty, this time the linesman took the decision into his own hands and assisted the ref to give a penalty.

Avenatti stepped up to take the pen, and he converted the penalty down to Ramsay's right hand side. 1-0 to Standard, with encouraging signs from Bala that they could grab a goal.

Ramsay was called into action again, as a curling shot from the edge of the box looked to be going in, however Ramsay leaped into the air and pushed the ball away from his goal.

Minutes before the half hour mark... The Lakesiders were awarded a penalty! Venables had beaten the defender leaving him in the dust, however the defender tracked back and tangled legs with our Captain, with the referee pointing to the spot. Venables stepped up to take the penalty... the keeper got down far to his right and saved the penalty, pushing it past the post for a corner.

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FIXTURES

SEPTEMBER SUN 20 SUN 27 WED 30

CEFN DRUIDS PENYBONT FC THE NEW SAINTS

OCTOBER

H A H

NOVEMBER FRI 06 SAT 14 FRI 20 FRI 27

CEFN DRUIDS PENYBONT ABERYSTWYTH NEWTOWN

SAT 03 TUES 06 FRI 09 TUE 13 SAT 17 SAT 24 SAT 31

HAVERFORDWEST FLINT TOWN ABERYSTWYTH BARRY TOWN UTD NEWTOWN CARDIFF MET UNI BARRY TOWN UTD

H A H H A H A

DECEMBER A H A H

SAT 05 SAT 19 SAT 26 TUE 29

CARDIFF MET UNI HAVERFORDWEST CAERNARFON CAERNARFON

A A H A

JANUARY FRI 01 SAT 23 FRI 29

CONNAHS QUAY THE NEW SAINTS FLINT TOWN

H A H

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SUNDAY 20TH SEPT 2020