Connah’s Quay Nomads 0 Bala Town 2

JD Cymru Premier

BALA Town secured their place in the JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference with a 2-0 win at Connah’s Quay Nomads on Friday evening.

Needing at least a draw to finish in the top six at the end of phase one, Colin Caton’s charges grabbed the lifeline given to them with both hands after the first attempt to fulfil this fixture was abandoned three days earlier because of thick fog with the hosts 3-0 ahead.

The FAW ordered a full replay and the Lakesiders took full advantage, the three points taking them up to fifth spot, with Cardiff Met dropping to sixth and Barry Town United, who were frustrated by the game being replayed, replacing Bala in seventh.

Caton said: “We turned up here the other night, the game should never have started.

“It was fair conditions for everyone tonight and we’ve come and done a really good job.

On Barry failing to make the top six he added: “The Barry situation is difficult but everyone’s played the same amount of games and you get your just reward at the end of 22.

“We get on to the top six now but we’ve got to be better in the top six than we have in the 22 games that we played.”

In stark contrast to the first game where the Nomads blew Bala away with three first half goals, the opening 45 minutes on Saturday was a dour goalless affair.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between, the best falling to the visitors with George Newell firing wide under pressure after confusion in the Nomads box.

Knowing that they had no way of making the top six after Tuesday evening’s results, the hosts were possibly not as motivated in the replay and struggled to reproduce their scintillating attacking routines.

The only other real efforts of the half came when Newell set up Nathan Burke on the edge of the area but his tame effort was easily gathered by home keeper George Ratcliffe and Louis Robles snatched at a half volley on the stroke of half time.

The breakthrough moment for Bala came on 56 minutes when Osebi Abadaki smashed the ball home to the visiting fans’ delight.

And they doubled their advantage on 65 minutes when Lassana Mendes squared a free kick to Burke on the edge of the area to curl the ball into the bottom right hand corner.

Bala were comfortable after that but keeper Joel Torrance made sure that they avoided a nervy last 10 minutes when he got down well to stop Rhys Hughes’ shot and then pounced on the rebound from three yards out.