ABERYSTWYTH Town paid the price for a disappointing first half display as Bala Town completed a quick-fire double over their hosts - to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches with a 3-1 win at Park Avenue, writes Adam Hughes.

The Seasiders were left cold on a frosty night under the temporary floodlights as the visitors eased into a two-goal lead at the break, with simple strikes by Mike Hayes and Lee Hunt.

An improved second half effort was rewarded with Kurtis March’s first goal for the club with a quarter of an hour to go, but the Lakesiders were always too comfortable, and sub John Irving had the final say with a last-minute goal.

Aber skipper Luke Sherbon returned after missing the 4-0 defeat at Maes Tegid, but Sam Rodon’s suspension meant a reshuffle, with Cledan Davies coming in, Will Bell moving to the centre of defence and Kostya Georgievsky making a second start, ahead of Geoff Kellaway out wide.

After their 3-1 win at Llandudno, Bala also made changes as Lee Owens, Ian Sheridan, Conall Murtagh and Lee Hunt came in for Keiran Smith, Ryan Wade, Ryan Valentine and Mark Connolly.

With ex-Seasider Chris Venables looking sharp throughout, the Lakesiders began at a high tempo and they could have taken the lead after only 30 seconds.

Striker Lee Hunt found himself in a huge gulf between centre halves Will Bell and Ryan Wollacott to latch onto a long ball over the top, but his tame dink was easily claimed by keeper Chris Mullock.

Mike Hayes then earned Bala a corner, which led to a goalmouth scramble, and Anthony Stephens and Hunt both saw efforts whistle just wide of the bottom post.

At the other end, Wollacott deflected the ball wide from a Chris Jones free-kick, but Aber were outclassed and outmuscled, and Bala’s pressure told after 26 minutes.

David Thompson got the better of Dan Alfei down the left and squared to Hayes, who found space to smash home from eight yards, to continue his scoring run.

Hayes could have doubled the visitors’ lead just minutes later, but he scuffed his shot wide of the upright from 10 yards out, after a good low cross from Owens.

Bala made it 2-0 on 36 minutes, however, when a corner from Stephens was delivered deep to the back post and Venables - just as he had done all last season at Park Avenue - headed back towards goal.

Aber keeper Mullock could only parry the effort to Hunt, and he volleyed in the simplest of goals from eight yards out.

Improvement was needed from Aber and they showed intent at the start of the second half as Luke Borrelli curled over the bar from distance, and March also went close after a quick counter-attack.

Streetwise Bala, however, resumed control and Hunt half volleyed over the bar, before he also forced an acrobatic one-handed save from keeper Mullock to tip his header over, after a Stephens corner.

Bala went close again when a whipping ball from Venables arrived to Hayes, and a cross back into the area by Thomson found Hunt, but he headed over the bar.

It was against the run of play that the Seasiders got a goal back on 75 minutes.

The lively Georgievsky latched onto a defensive slip to break quickly from his own half and he brilliantly played the ball through to March, who kept his composure well to curl the ball around keeper Ashley Morris into the bottom corner.

The Lakesiders, however, still looked like scoring again, and Mullock pulled off another acrobatic save to deny Hayes, after some great work from Venables.

Further pressure saw an acrobatic overhead kick by Hayes cleared away, and when Irving - who had replaced the injured Owens - eased his way past Georgievsky, he was granted enough space to run forward and fire his low bullet of a strike into the bottom corner of the goal.

Aberystwyth had been outfought in front of the freezing crowd of 530 supporters, whilst the Bala juggernaut continued its charge towards second place.

ABER: C Mullock, C Davies, W Bell, J Clarke (J Rimmer 75 minutes), L Sherbon, L Borrelli (B Davies 86), R Wollacott, K Georgievsky, K March, D Alfei, C Jones (G Kellaway 60).

BALA: A Morris, A Stephens, S Jones, S J Jones, D Thompson, L Owens (J Irving 69), C Murtagh, CVenables, M Hayes, I Sheridan, L Hunt. Subs: G Oikonomopoulos, R Valentine, S Fisher, M Jones. Att: 530. Ref: M Petch.