Was this the greatest performance in Holyhead Hotspur’s history?

Bala Town 1 (Penlington 45)
Holyhead Hotspur 4 (Kelly 17, K Owen 50, Webber 60, C Williams 77)
Cymru Alliance League – April 25, 2009

Was this the finest performance in Holyhead Hotspur’s 30-year history?

It was a day where Campbell Harrison’s side put the cat right among the pigeons in the Cymru Alliance title race by thrashing championships favourites Bala.

As an added bonus for Hotspur fans, the match was televised by S4C’s Sgorio, meaning the event is captured on film forever.

The result at Maes Tegid boosted Harrison’s team’s superb end of season record to nine straight league wins and 11 victories in a row in all competitions.

On the most uneven surface imaginable, Hotspur took the game to the hosts from the first whistle and on 16 minutes the visitors were unlucky to have a goal ruled out when Curt Williams ran in from behind the defence to head home a Tomos Jones cross from the left, but was adjudged offside.

It looked a very dubious decision.

The travellers would not be denied, though, and a minute later a Tomos Jones’ looping cross was only half-cleared by keeper Leon Bimpson and Kenleigh Owen set up Mike Kelly to drill in the opener.

In the third minute of added time in the first period Bala equalised when Gary Penlington’s header from an Osian Jones corner went in via a fortunate deflection despite Kelly’s best efforts to keep the ball out.

Advantage Bala for the second half? Not a bit of it as Hotspur rallied and took their opponents to the cleaners.

On 50 minutes, Curt Williams found Marc Evans, who played the ball to Kenleigh Owen, and his fierce left foot thunderbolt found the net thanks to a deflection.

Holyhead keeper Mike Doutch showed his mettle with a fine one-handed save from an Owain Roberts header before on the hour the visitors made it 3-1.

The brilliant Owen provided his second assist of the day when his free kick to the back post was bundled in by defender Lee Webber.

A Tommy Mutton screamer threatened to bring the Lakesiders back into it, but Doutch saved magnificently again.

Nick Dumbarton cleared off the line for the visitors and efforts went close at both ends before the islanders notched their fourth on 77 minutes.

The sheer presence of Curt Williams forced the Bala centre backs into a calamitous error and the Holyhead striker fired home.

Bala eventually won the title by a three-point margin from Hotspur, who gave them a real run for their money.

Colin Caton’s Lakesiders went up to the Welsh Premier and have since won the Welsh Cup, as well as qualifying for Europe six times.

HOLYHEAD: Mike Doutch, Nick Dumbarton, Tomos Jones, Dean Garmey (Mark Williams 86), Lee Webber, Jonathan Newell (Gerallt Jones 60), Mike Kelly, Gareth Caughter, Curt Williams, Marc Evans, Kenleigh Owen (Steve Matthews 73).