BALA TOAST LEAGUE CUP WIN
Bala Town picked up their first title in six years as they won a penalty shoot-out against Connah’s Quay Nomads to lift the Nathaniel MG Cup for the first time.
After a goalless 90 minutes during which neither side really looked like scoring, and in which both sides saw red, the Lakesiders triumphed 4-3 to get their hands on the silverware.
Michael Wilde, the Nomads veteran striker who has scored more than 200 league goals and scooped 21 major trophies in Welsh football during his career, was the player whose miss gave Bala the title.
Bala lost Lassana Mendes to a straight red in the second minute of added time at the end of the first half for an altercation with Ryan Harrington. Nomads went down to 10 men in the 87th minute when George Horan caught David Edwards high.
The Nomads were unable to take advantage of their extra man for 42 minutes in the second half and there simply wasn’t enough time for Bala to make anything of being back on level terms on the field with a mere six minutes - three on the clock and three added on - to break the deadlock.
That sent the game to penalties and Chris Venables got Bala off to a great start with an emphatic opening strike. Callum Morris’ precision effort levelled things up before Edwards stepped up and struck the left-hand post.
Harry Franklin had the chance to give the Nomads the lead, but his shot was well saved to his left by Bala keeper Alex Ramsay. Adam Roscrow made it 2-1, Jon Disney replied and then Anthony Kay and Joe Malkin hammered home two more goals to make it 3-3.
Paul Rutherford, who had come off the bench in the 86th minute with the likelihood of penalties approaching made it 4-4, putting the pressure on Wilde to score to stop Bala from claiming their first trophy since 2017. His tame shot was comfortably saved by Ramsay and man of the match Kieran Smith was able to go up and claim the trophy from Kevin Ratcliffe and Scott Young.
We always knew it was going to be a tight game and as soon as we went down to 10 men it was a case of backs to the wall,” admitted Smith.
“We almost played better in the second half with a man down and we got our just rewards with the penalty shoot-out win. I remember the last time we won a trophy and it means a lot to everyone and we are all delighted.”
Bala will be back in cup action again at the weekend when they host Cymru South side Briton Ferry Llansawel in the quarter-finals of the Welsh Cup. The Nomads also have a home game, against Airbus UK Broughton, so the two teams could yet meet again in knock-out action.