BALA Town made a very promising start to their new campaign in the JD Welsh Premier League as they beat Newtown 3-0 at Maes Tegid on Friday - and will travel to face defending champions The New Saints in confident mood on Saturday.

There was no looking back once Chris Venables had put Colin Caton’s men in front on the half hour.Debutant Evan Horwood doubled the lead with a pile-driver free-kick two minutes later - and Mike Hayes added a third in the second half to seal a positive win.

In the driving rain, Bala were out of the blocks quicker and could have had a couple of goals early on. Nathan Burke had a speculative effort cleared, before Venables headed a David Thompson back across goal, but no one was there to convert.

Moments later a ball over the top left the Robins defence standing, but they got lucky as Hayes lashed wide of the goal.

Horwood also went close with a free kick as Bala maintained pace, and the early pressure paid off on 29 minutes when they caught the Robins backline cold.

Jordan Evans’ pass found Venables, who sprung the offside trap and fired low across keeper Dave Jones and into the net.

Then, before the Robins could take a breather, they were two goal behind.

As the Robins were preparing for Horwood to whip a free kick into the box, he took it quickly and curled it into Jones’ near post for a commanding 2-0 lead.

The Robins were stunned but as the half drew to a close they were presented with two great chances to get back in the game.

First Luke Boundford crossed from the right side and found an unmarked Nick Rushton at the back post, but he could only head straight at Ashley Morris.

Then, two minutes before the break, Boundford flicked on a Jamie Price free kick to Nick Ruston, whose looping head landed just inches wide of the post.

Again it was backs to the wall for the Robins at the start of the second period, and when the ball deflected off Leon Clowes back to Jones, referee Huw Jones deemed it to be a back pass and awarded an indirect free kick. Jones saved the free kick and pushed it behind for a corner.

Jones also reacted well when he parried a well-hit Stuart Jones effort, and then Hayes beat the keeper in the air, but his flick on was cleared off line by Clowes.

Newtown’s Ryan Kershaw went close with two efforts, before Rushton fired a Jamie Reed knock down wide of goal.

Jamie Price also saw a rasping free kick deflected wide, but the margin was widened moments later as neat build up play in the box ended with Hayes smashing into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

The evening went from bad worse for the Robins in the final minute of stoppage time when Clowes was shown a second yellow to reduce Newtown to 10 men.

BALA TOWN: A Morris, S Jones (W Bell 79 minutes), S J Jones, L Owens, E Horwood (G Rule 90+1 minutes), C Venables, D Thompson, N Burke, J Evans, M Hayes, L Davies (A Jones 75). Subs not used: C Vernon, I Sheridan.

NEWTOWN: D Jones, C Williams, K Mills-Evans, L Clowes, J Price, T Goodwin, J Denny, R Kershaw (I Cartwright 84'), L Boundford (J Murphy 68), N Rushton (N Mitchell 68), J Reed. Subs not used: S Litchfield, J Perry (gk), W Evans. Attendance: 343. Referee: Huw Jones.