Cymru Premier: Caernarfon have Bala Town’s scalp under Lock and key

JD CYMRU PREMIER – JANUARY 31, 2025

Bala Town 1 (Robles 80)
Caernarfon Town 3 (Lock 7 & 90+3, Davies 14)

Josh Lock was on target twice as Caernarfon began their phase two with a tremendous win at Maes Tegid.

It was a first win at Bala’s ground for the Canaries since 2020-21 and they have now gone seven league matches unbeaten against the Lakesiders.

Richard Davies’ side made the perfect start in the seventh minute when Matty Hill burst down the right, drilled low across the box and Lock finished clinically with his left foot.

Ryan Sears went close to a second when his long throw from the left was returned to him and the ex-Newtown man lashed in a fierce right foot volley which Joel Torrence saved well.

However, Torrence was badly at fault in the 14th minute when he spilled a Paulo Mendes cross into the path of Adam Davies, who was left with the easiest of finishes.

Caernarfon were unstoppable, Top-scorer Louis Lloyd somehow missed from close range after Hill put it on a plate.

Hill then blasted over after his initial shot was parried out by Torrence.

The attacks kept coming from the yellow and greens. A great long pass from Lock was juggled by Lloyd with his head and thigh before he let fly with a thunderous volley which Torrence performed marvels to keep out. It could easily have been five for Caernarfon at half time.

Early in the second half, Caernarfon’s Morgan Owen jinxed his way past defenders before hitting a cannonball which Torrence saved superbly again.

Bala finally had a chance when George Newell latched onto a hoist from the back, but he scuffed wide of the target.

With 10 minutes left the hosts threw themselves a lifeline their performance had hardly deserved.

Osebi Abadaki was allowed to muscle his way into space on the right and his near post cross was headed into the net by Louis Robles.

However, three minutes into added time, the Cofis clinched the points when Lock let fly from 25 yards and Torrence, who had a mixed night to say the least, allowed the ball to squirm into the net.