Failure to score for the first time this season cost the Nomads, as Lee Hunt’s 43rd minute goal secured a narrow 1-0 win for Bala side in an entertaining game which saw both sides playing attacking football.

The Nomads came into the game with an unchanged line-up and showed their attacking intentions straight from the kick-off. Only one minute had been played when a long throw in from Rhys Healey was headed on towards the far post by Ricky Evans for Mark McGregor to push the ball just wide of the goal. Then in the 7th minute a forceful run by Ricky Evans saw him put a pass across the goal area and with both Rhys Healey and Jamie Petrie running in, Rhys connected first and hit the ball just wide of the post, when Jamie may have had a better angle if the ball had reached him.

The game was becoming an end to end contest with both sides pressing forward and John Rushton was forced into two crucial saves within the space of 4 minutes. The first came in the 10th minute after a Bala forward beat the Nomads’ offside trap and then in the 14th minute from a Bala corner he was forced into tipping a header over the bar.

The pace of the game continued to be very fast and Bala created another scoring opportunity in the 22nd minute after a strong run through the left side by former Nomad Ben Collins. Nomads were straight back upfield and won two free kicks in quick succession. From the second, Ricky Evans’ header was just tipped over the crossbar by the visiting keeper. 

Both sides continued to create openings but both sets of forwards were finding it difficult to avoid their opponents’ offside traps and when Dean Canning was presented with an opportunity from a through ball from Ricky Evans his shot from 25 yards was hit over the bar.

As half-time approached, it looked as though the sides would go in all square but as Bala pressed forward again, John Rushton was forced to concede a corner with a good save down to his right.  From the corner, the ball was cleared by the Nomads but Bala were awarded a free kick. The free kick was only half cleared by the Nomads defence and it fell to a Bala player who saw his sliced effort reach Lee Hunt, who scored in the 43rd minute with a powerful shot.

1-0 to Bala at half-time and the Nomads will have been disappointed to concede so close to the interval.

The second half started with the same pattern of play but with no clear opportunities. Then in the 57th minute Lee Hunt had the miss of the match when he blasted the ball over the empty goal from 6 yards out after Ian Sheridan had seized on a mistake in the Nomads defence.

The Nomads bounced back and Dean Canning forced the keeper to concede a corner before Rob Jones was brought on in the 62nd minute in place of Chris Rowntree.

The game was still being played at a very fast pace and after John Rushton was forced into another good save in the 72nd minute, his clearance upfield reached Dean Canning whose shot was narrowly wide. This was followed by a Bala effort which hit the crossbar and by an excellent block by Mark McGregor. 

Nomads hit back and in the 77th minute Rhys Healey was denied what appeared to be a very clear penalty when he was manhandled in the Bala penalty area. Shortly afterwards, the Nomads played their last card when Michael Thompson was brought on in place of Rhys, who had once again demonstrated his ability to play at this level.

The fresh legs of the Nomads’ subs provided the energy for a period of sustained attack by the home side and three corners came in quick succession. From the second of these the Bala goal somehow remained intact as the Nomads had three efforts on goal before the ball went out for another corner. Two more opportunities came in the dying minutes but both were hit over the bar. 

A disappointing result for the Nomads, who played their part in a highly entertaining game against a Bala side who have started to hit the sort of form which was expected of them pre-season. The Nomads created a number of chances, but couldn’t convert them and they had a good shout for a penalty turned down.  Bala would probably point to the number of chances they created and point out that John Rushton was kept the busiest of the keepers.  But in the end Bala were clearly relieved to have withstood the Nomads’ efforts to get back into the game. 

Nomads line-up: 

Rushton, Robinson, McGregor, Dobbins, Petrie, Rowntree, C Jones, Evans, Canning, Healey

Subs:  R Jones for Rowntree, Thompson for Healey