A TRIP to Skelmersdale United brought Bala Town’s pre-season to an end after two months of hard graft by the Lakesiders’ squad - in preparation for this Saturday’s opening fixture against Newtown at Latham Park.

Again, the Bala squad were missing key players in the form of Mark Jones, Mike Hayes, Lee Hunt, John Irving, Kieran Smith and Stuart Jones, and had four trialists involved in this final warm-up game.

It proved to be a match of few chances, with most of the play being battled out in the middle third by two battling teams.

New signing Lee Owens was in the thick of the action for the Lakesiders in the first half, seeing plenty of the ball and setting up David Thompson to burst forward.

Mark Connolly had Bala’s first attempt on goal when his curling effort from the edge of the area was collected by the Skem keeper, before Ryan Valentine swung in a free kick just wide of the near upright, after Ian Sheridan had been brought down.

A Skem break forced Bala’s trialist goalkeeper to save quickly, which was followed up with Chris Venables clearing.

The Lakesiders were edging the play on a tricky surface, with Nathan Burke seeing his strike from 20 yards well-saved.

A low powerful drive from Skelmersdale zipped inches past the far post in a good opportunity, but the game was still calling out for a goal to spice things up.

Conall Murtagh’s free header from a corner was saved, prior to a Connolly header being directed over the crossbar.

Bala, however, did have the ball in the net after 38 minutes when Venables’ half volley on the turn found the net, but he was deemed offside by the linesman.

Nathan Burke and Connolly made way for Jamie Crowther and a trialist at half-time, but before they had a chance to settle the home team took the lead with a superb curling shot from just inside the area, which flew the top corner of the Bala net.

Skem grew in confidence and were the better side in the second period, and a mistake by Anthony Stephens allowed the forward to turn him - but his shot missed the target when it was easier to score.

Bala were not out of the game though and Thompson had two efforts cleared away, before a one-two between Crowther and Lee Owens saw the right back stumble as he was about to shoot in the box.

Bala appeared to be getting close to an equaliser in the closing stages, and Crowther blazed over from five yards, before a slick move of passing by Bala led to a trialist bringing the ball down well, but Bala were unable to get the shot away.

It was not the result the Lakesiders were hoping for to end pre-season - but all attention now turns to the start of a new Welsh Premier campaign at Latham Park.