THE New Saints came from behind to secure a point in a 1-1 draw at Bala Town, but it was not enough to retain top spot in the JD Cymru Premier on Friday.

The Lakesiders went ahead after just five minutes when Aeron Edwards diverted a free-kick into his own net, and although Ryan Brobbel rescued a point for the visitors with a second half penalty, they dropped to second as Connah’s Quay notched a 4-0 win against Caernarfon.

Colin Caton’s side made an early breakthrough when Aeron Edwards steered his attempted headed clearance from Henry Jones’ free-kick into his own net, but the Saints dominated the remainder of the opening half.

Chances were sparse, however, as the Lakesiders sat back and soaked up the pressure, with Adrian Cieslewicz firing wide, and Jamie Mullan seeing two efforts blocked as Bala denied the Saints.

TNS ramped up their pressure as the half progressed, with Cieslewicz blazing over the bar again before Edwards headed just over the bar.

It was a similar story after the break, although the visitors’ pressure finally told on the hour when Chris Marriott’s cross was blocked by the arm of Ollie Shannon, to allow Ryan Brobbel to equalise from the spot.

Dean Ebbe steered Mullan’s cross onto the post, with Brobbel spurning the rebound as TNS went close to leading five minutes later. The home side weathered the storm and the final stages saw both sides have chances to snatch all three points.

Sean Smith dispossessed Simon Spender and squared for Kieran Smith, whose rasping shot forced keeper Paul Harrison into a save. Mullan then fired over for the Saints, before Bala substitute Dave Hayes scuffed his lines from close range in the dying minutes of the game.

Saints manager Scott Ruscoe’s frustrations boiled over deep into injury-time when Brobbel went down on the edge of the area under pressure from Chris Venables, only for referee Dean John to wave away appeals.

The result saw the Saints drop to second in the table ahead of their trip to new leaders Connahs Quay - for whom captain George Horan scored twice as they beat Caernarfon Town 4-0 to go top of the Cymru Premier.

Horan gave Andy Morrison’s side the perfect start at the Deeside Stadium, when scoring with a header in the second minute, and he doubled the lead on 23 minutes.

Craig Curran scored the first Nomads goal on 77 minutes and Michael Bakare sealed victory late on as Caernarfon suffered a fourth consecutive league defeat.

The evening couldn’t have started better for Nomads, as within the first two minutes, Horan gave them the lead. A cross from the right wing by Danny Holmes reached the penalty area, and Horan rose up near the back post to head home to give the Nomads an early advantage.

Horan then completed his brace on 23 minutes as he got the ball in the area, chested it down and hit a half volley past keeper Alex Ramsay to extend the home side’s lead.

Nomads kept their discipline against a Caernarfon side still willing to find a way back into the game, and made it 3-0 on 76 minutes, with a goal by Curran, to all but secure the three points.

With seven minutes to go, Nomads scored a fourth, as Bakare stepped up to send a pile-driver in from around 12 yards to seal their victory.