A LAST minute deflected shot gave Bala a win in their final match of a productive and unbeaten pre-season.

With the visit of Carmarthen Town to Maes Tegid for the Welsh Premier League kick off this Friday night, there is a new optimism as the club look to hit the ground running – which in previous years has been their downfall.

Pre-season has seen more new faces join the squad with Sean Smith, Steven Tames, Anthony Miley, Andy Burns, Andy Mangan, Henry Jones, Danny Gosset, and Academy duo Joe Edwards and Charlie Williams promoted to the first team. This has caused quite a stir in the Welsh football scene and cranked up the expectations at Maes Tegid.

All the new additions have seen a change of atmosphere at the club and a new style of play.

The workrate off the ball is constant and the quick, fluid passing across the floor has been very impressive during the four pre-season games.

That was evident in the final warm-up match, a derby at Ruthin Town’s Memorial Park Fields.

It was a fiery, full blooded affair as predicted but a great high tempo game that could’ve gone either way at times.

The home side had a great chance to open the scoring in the first real chance of the game when Ryan Jones’ low shot after four minutes was saved by Ashley Morris with his feet.

A good attack by Bala saw Chris Venables head the ball back into the area after a deep cross which found Henry Jones but his instinctive shot was pushed away brilliantly by Ryan Goldston.

But, despite plenty of promising build-up play, clear-cut chances were few and far between. Venables saw a header go narrowly wide prior to Henry Jones’ low shot fizzing inches wide of the upright.

But he deadlock was broken out of the blue on 33 minutes when the hosts’ midfielder Osian Davies unleashed a rocket of an effort from 40 yards which found the top corner of the net.

Steven Tames could’ve brought play level seven minutes before the break but Goldston was called into action again and denied him from eight yards.

Town started the second half well. Sheridan and Smith came on to freshen things up but even though they were building pressure, they couldn’t get that lucky break they were looking for.

There were half chances for Tames, Sheridan and Smith and they had a penalty appeal waved away when Jones appeared to be tripped in the area.

The pressure was building and it paid off on 66 minutes when Evan Horwood whipped in a stunning free kick into the top left hand corner to bring the game level.

They could’ve gone further ahead at the restart when Horwood broke into the box but rattled the post from close range.

With the game entering the closing stages and it getting very dark in the final quarter of an hour, fitness started to tell and Bala took control. A minute from the end, Kieran Smith’s shot from 18 yards out took a deflection and whizzed into the back of the net.

After what has been a solid pre-season campaign with so many new faces coming into the squad, the real action start on Friday night.

• Bala have been handed a home draw in the Nathaniel MG Cars Cup draw. They host Guilsfield in the first round tie on 28 August.