BALA Town continued their busy pre-season with a 3-2 win over Crewe Alexandra’s Under 23s side at Maes Tegid on Wednesday night - and Colin Caton could have a few selection headaches before the start of the new Welsh Premier League season.

With the competition for places hotting up, the Bala management could take heart from several very encouraging individual performances as he works out his best team for the new campaign.

After trailing by two clear goals, striker Les Davies halved the deficit, and a Chris Venables header and an own goal in the second half earned the Lakesiders a deserved win.

The young visitors, watched by first team boss David Artell and his assistant Kenny Lunt - both former Bala players - started brightly, with Regan Griffiths firing their first chance over the crossbar, following a decent ball from the right.

At the other end a 20 yard strike from Glenn Rule whistled past the post - but it was the visitors who opened the scoring when a good cross into the penalty box saw Griffiths fire home from close range.

The Lakesiders appealed for a penalty when a defender handled the ball in the box, but they were waved away by the referee.

Will Bell headed wide from Anthony Stephens’ free kick from 18 yards, but again Crewe broke on the counter-attack and doubled their lead on 32 minutes.

The Lakseiders failed to clear their lines and the ball arrived to Owen Dale, whose shot hit the post and nestled into the net.

Bala threatened when Les Davies picked out Jordan Evans, but his low strike was well saved by keeper David Richards.

Colin Caton’s men, however, halved the deficit five minutes before the interval when a cross by Anthony Stephens arrived at big striker Davies, who was able to turn the ball into the net to make it 2-1.

Down the other end, keeper Ashley Morris made a fine full body length save to palm out Crewe’s goalbound effort at the end of the half.

Bala made changes as Nathan Burke, Ian Sheridan and Stuart Jones replaced Glenn Rule, Mike Hayes and Will Bell at half-time, and the Lakesiders stepped up.

Showing plenty of hunger and desire, Bala created chances, with Burke firing over, and Jordan Evans forcing a decent save.

A brilliant Stephens delivery was also pushed away by the keeper, and Davies’ follow up went just wide of the far post.

A ball from Ian Sheridan into the area flashed across the face of the goal, and keeper Richards made a superb last ditch save to claw Chris Venables’ goalbound header around the post as Bala pressed.

Within a minute, the Lakesiders were level as Nathan Burke’s deep corner was flicked back by Stuart Jones and Venables’ bullet header from close range made it 2-2 with half an hour of the game remaining.

Playing with real confidence, Bala took the lead on 76 minutes when Ryan Wade crossed to the back post to Sheridan, but defender Ross Woodcock, under pressure, turned the ball into his own net.

Crewe’s defence almost scored another own goal when David Thompson’s brilliant ball with the outside of his boot released Stephens on the wing, and his deflected first time ball almost found the net.

In the closing stages, David Cooke came on to make his first team debut from the Under 19’s squad down the left hand side.

Wade almost added a fourth goal as his powerful drive was palmed out for a corner kick by impressive keeper Richards, as Bala signed off a very useful work-out on top.