BALA had to settle for a point after a hard-fought encounter at Maes Tegid with Cardiff Met manager Ryan Jenkins disappointed not to get the winners’ spoils.

The Lakesiders fashioned the first opening when Osebi Abadaki’s cross to the far post was met by Nathan Peate but his towering header drifted wide with former Bala keeper Kelland Absalom seeing the ball out.

At the other end, Jack Veale sent a long cross field free kick out wide to the left, the ball falling to Eliot Evans whose shot on the turn missed the target.

In a follow-up attack, a slick move by the students led to skipper CJ Craven in space on the edge of the area but his shot was too close to Bala keeper Joel Torrance.

And they were denied by the woodwork when Bala failed to deal with a corner, the ball eventually falling to Matthew Chubb’s whose glancing header scraped against the post.

It continued to be a nip and tuck affair after the break with the visitors looking the likelier of the two sides to break the deadlock.

Sam Jones tried his luck with a first time volley from Daniel Barton’s corner but failed to keep the ball down.

Bala’s Dan Malone was cautioned he dragged substitute Charlie Wright to the floor on 73 minutes and was unlucky to pick up a second caution eight minutes later after a challenge on the edge of the area.

Lewis Rees almost won it for Met after coming off the bench when he brilliantly controlled a high ball downfield and forced Torrance into a top notch save.

The visitors forced the 10 men back as they went in search of a winner but the Lakesiders defended resolutely to hang on for a point.

Bala boss Colin Caton said: “I thought we played really well first half, we were very good.

“I thought they had the best half chances in the first half. I thought we played really well without creating a chance.

“We put some good balls across the box and I thought the lads showed massive improvement through desire and work rate from what we showed in Caernarfon last week.”

Cardiff Met manager Ryan Jenkins explained: “It was a tight game, the elements didn’t help with the wind getting stronger during the game and the pitch slick and not much football played on the floor.

“If I assess it, I see that we had four opportunities to win the game but to come to Bala and get any point at all is a good thing.”

Up next for Bala is a trip to The New Saints on Friday, 11 April.