A Boxing Day classic was witnessed at the Four Crosses Construction Arena as Bala Town saw off a late Colwyn Bay surge to continue their push for a comfortable top 6 spot.
The Colwyn Bay home faithful hadn’t seen their team in league action for nearly a month and just after 10 minutes they were probably wishing they would have held out longer when fullback Naim Arsan put the away team in front with a beautifully struck free kick that nestled in the top left corner.
Bala didn’t let up there, constantly pilling on the pressure and causing the seagulls to make mistakes, one of which came in the middle of the Colwyn Bay box where Ross White was waiting to pounce, tucking the ball away in a melee to put Bala 2-0 within 20.
A scrappy game ensued for the rest of the half with players from both teams picking up late Christmas cards for cynical fouls and disrupting break aways, Ryan Rogers continued to look lively down the left flank for the Lakesiders and was unlucky not to make it three deep into the first half.
As the teams were led out for the second half, there were cries from the Bay crowd for some of the young talent to be given a chance from off the bench as the creativity wasn’t there. It would be Colwyn Bay who started the second period off the better of the two sides and much more up for it than what was showed in the first period, Matty Hill carving up some good chances as well as the captain Tom McCready.
The relentless Bala though didn’t give up their chances and it would be them to seemingly seal the deal in the 71st minute, a barrage of corners which were Bay’s downfall when it came to defending ended up causing the third, it was that man again Ross White to poke home from close range and get the away fans celebrating.
The game was thought to be over for everyone except for one man, Bays in-form Udi Akpan who gave the home fans some faith when converting substitute Will McKinley’s low cross. Their tails were now up as they hunted a way back into the game and they found it in the 87th minute, Akpan winning and cooly slotting away the penalty to bring them within a goal, yet it was too little too late as Bala saw of the game, earning an important 3 points on the road.
The win sees Bala go ever closer to confirming their spot in the Championship Conference whilst the Bay in the first season in the Cymru Premier will have to settle for a place in the Play-Off Conference.
Attendance: 745
Referee: Aaron Wyn Jones
Man of the Match: Naim Arsan (Bala Town)
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