BALA lost their unbeaten status after a below par performance at Barry Town who picked up their first three points of the season.

Barry Town United 3 Bala Town 1; JD Cymru Premier

Bala assistant manager Stephen Fisher said: “We’ve had a great start (to the season). I’ve just said to the lads you set yourselves a bar and you set standards for yourselves but today we were nowhere near the standard required for this football club.

“We’ve played some good sides already this season and got some good results at home but today just wasn’t good enough.

“I’ve just said to them all sometimes you learn more about the group when you lose than when you do when you win.

“It’s given us food for thought for Wednesday night (Bala v Aberystwyth, 27 September).”

The Lakesiders offered the first threats on goal with Aeron Edwards testing Michael Lewis with a sweetly struck shot before Naim Arsan again asked questions of the keeper with a 25-yard free kick.

Barry began to apply some pressure and nearly took the lead in spectacular fashion in the 10th minute when an overhead kick by McLaggon was brilliantly saved by Kelland Absalom.

But Bala’s relief was short-lived as a mistake at the back moments later gave Ollie Hulbert a golden opportunity and he smashed the ball past Absalom.

The visitors were struggling to create clear-cut openings, their best effort a Nathan Peate long ranger that trickled out for a goal kick.

Bala’s results to date this season have been built on solid defence but they were breached again on the stroke of half time, Hulbert with his second of the afternoon, a close range finish after Bala failed to clear a corner.

With a mountain to climb in the second half, Bala introduced Josh Ukek to the frey on the hour and he made some impact, given too much space in the area to control Ross White’s looped cross and fire the ball into the roof of the net.

But it was game over when Barry made it 3-1 on 76 minutes, Kayne McLaggon with a simple finish after a clever move involving substitute Michael George and Lucas Tomlinson.

Nathan Peate headed over the bar as the match entered six minutes of added time at the end with Bala well beaten on the day.

Colin Caton’s men will look to get back to winning ways when they host basement side Aberystwyth Town at Maes Tegid tonight (Wednesday) with a 7.45pm kick off.