New Mills AFC 2, Bala Town 3

With numerous players unavailable, Bala Town travelled to Evo Stick South Division 1 side, New Mills on Saturday with a smaller squad than ideally desired – however the team gave a good account of themselves against their Peak District opponents and it gave our manager the opportunity to see if some of his players could adapt to playing in different positions to the previous Saturday.

A scoreline of 1-0 to the hosts hardly reflected the play in the 1st half – Bala having the majority of possession and creating and squandering a multitude of gilt-edged chances which should have seen us comfortably in the lead at the interval and the result out of sight – however it was New Mills (with their one chance of the half) who went in at the interval in the lead.

With a starting line up of McCormick, Irving, Edwards, Williams, S. Jones, M. Jones, Roberts, Mason, Hunt, Trialist A, Trialist B Bala settled into their stride very quickly and the first sight of goal fell to Lee Hunt after 6 minutes when he turned his defender and got a shot away but was parried by the keeper and cleared. Bala should have taken the lead on 8 minutes when a corner by Edwards was dropped by the keeper and Stuart Jones’ piledriver came down on the line off the underside of the crossbar and was adjudged by the referee to have not crossed the whole of the line. On 17 minutes a right wing cross by Mark Jones was just missed at the far post by Chris Mason. Mason then had a clear opportunity to put the visitors ahead when, unmarked he put a cross from Hunt wide of the goal. Good work by John Irving on the right set up another opportunity for Mason to create space for himself and from a very tight angle saw his effort flash across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick.

With the watch showing half an hour gone, chances were still coming thick and fast for the visitors. Trialist A had a mazy 50 yard run past numerous opponents, but shot straight at the keeper from the edge of the area. On 37 minutes Mason was clear through on goal but was dispossessed on the edge of the area as he attempted to get his shot away. On 40 minutes, good work by Stuart Jones saw him put a pass through to Trialist A who put his chance just wide of the post.

However, after all these opportunities for the visitors to score it was New Mills who took the lead after 43 minutes with their first chance of the match – and excellent cross from the right was finished from 6 yards to give McCormick no chance. 1-0 at the interval.

New Mills came out for the second half with renewed vigour and belief and were now beginning to create chances of their own and asking many more questions of the Bala defence than had been done in the first half.

The visitors should have drawn level however on 57 minutes when Lee Hunt rounded the keeper only to see his shot blocked by a defender and cleared. This proved costly as on the hour the hosts No. 10 provided a peach of a cross from the right and saw it clear the Bala defence and glanced in with the merest of touches by their striker over McCormick – an excellent goal but obviously not from a Bala viewpoint!

On 62 minutes Trialist A put a fierce shot just over the crossbar. A minute later Bala did pull a goal back when Chris Mason dispatched the ball into the net from 10 yards. On 75 minutes we lost possession cheaply midway in our own half and thankfully the striker put his chance just over the bar. Trialist B then shot straight at their keeper before the hosts’ No. 7 had a shot parried round the post by McCormick.

With the match evenly poised going into the final quarter of an hour Mark Jones drew the visitors level on 75 minutes when he tapped the ball home from 10 yards. Bala were now in the ascendancy and with chances now coming thick and fast with both Jones’, Mark and Stuart being very unlucky not to put Bala in the lead. The pressure eventually paid off when on 87 minutes Hunt scored the winner which went in off the woodwork. There was still time for Bala to see another 2 chances blocked on the line before the referee blew for full time.

A good workout against fitter opponents than the previous week and good character shown to come back from two goals down.

A lovely trip to the edge of the Peak District and may we thank our hosts for their excellent welcome – all in all a very enjoyable day-out.

Attendance approx. 158 with 30 from Bala.

New Mills Match Photos

New Mills Match Report

• Tags:
• New Mills