HAVING overcome a two-goal deficit to earn a draw against Airbus, Bala Town found themselves on the receiving end of a comeback as they were once again forced to settle for a point in an eight-goal thriller against Cefn Druids at The Rock.

After a 20-minute delay which saw Icelandic referee Erlandur Eiriksson and several Druids players stuck in a motorway traffic jam, the goals soon started to flow.

A through ball from Marc Connolly found Mike Hayes, who drove the ball home to give the Lakesiders the lead on 14 minutes, and the chances kept coming.

A cross from Mike Hayes found Ryan Wade at the back post but he poked the ball wide of the goal, and then a free-kick by Anthony Stephens picked out Connolly, but his header flew over the crossbar.

The pressure paid off on 18 minutes as a defence-splitting ball from Connolly fed Hayes, who drove his low shot home.

Two goals within two minutes turned the game in its head, however, as Mike Pritchard was on hand to equalise after the ball had struck the woodwork, and then Ashley Ruane quickly curled home a shot that gave the Ancients the lead.

Bala still dominated the play and Chris Venables scuffed a good chance wide of the upright, whilst Lee Hunt also fired wide and Anthony Stephens’ curled a free kick over the crossbar before half-time.

After the interval, a strike from Ryan Wade dipped over the bar from 25 yards, and the winger also got on the end of Venable’ free kick, but headed narrowly wide.

Bala deservedly levelled matters just before the hour mark when Hayes completed his brace from a Venables pass, and then on 72 minutes the visitors went ahead when Venables headed home at the far post, following a cross from Connolly.

Conall Murtagh was credited with Bala’s fourth after a goalmouth scramble, but the Ancients still refused to lie down. Some poor defending allowed Pritchard the chance to tap home from close range on 80 minutes and, four minutes from time, Adam Hesp rescued a point when he found the net from three yards out.

CEFN DRUIDS: D Lloyd, K Parle, A Hesp, M Eckersley, J Barrow, S Cook, M Pritchard (M Cook 90), A Bowen, N Arsan (T Cooney 78), 21. C Roper (A Eden 76), A Ruane. Subs not used: F Hajdari, G Partridge, A Buxton, J Williams.

BALA TOWN: A Morris, A Stephens, S J Jones, C Murtagh, M Connolly, R Wade, C Venables, D Thompson, M Hayes, L Hunt, N Burke. Subs not used: R Valentine, S Jones, M Jones, R Edwards, I Sheridan. Att: 314. Ref: E Eiriksson.