BALA Town keeper Alex Lynch made an excellent Welsh Premier League debut for the Lakesiders as Colin Caton’s side took a hard-earned goalless draw from Newtown in their opening fixture at Latham Park last weekend.

Lynch, who hails from Holyhead and had joined Bala from Wycombe Wanderers this summer, crucially saved a second half penalty from Neil Mitchell just after half time to earn his side a battling draw.

Full league debuts were also handed to Chris Venables, Lee Owens and Stuart Jones, but it wasn’t an ideal start for Bala as the Robins pressed from the outset.

Newtown created the lion’s share of chances, and had the ball in the net after two minutes, but Luke Boundford’s header was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.

The Robins also had a penalty shout for a challenge on Tom Goodwin waved away by the ref, before Mitchell squandered a great chance on the quarter hour mark.

Further home pressure saw Boundford cut in from the right, to find Jason Oswell, who laid to ball off for Mitchell, but the striker dragged his shot narrowly wide.

Bala, who were last year’s runners up, began to settle with Mark Connolly and Ian Sheridan firing over, before skipper Conall Murtagh also failed to get any power behind an effort to beat Dave Jones.

Just after the half hour, however, a cross-field ball was taken down by Newtown’s new signing Craig Williams, whose neat touch found Boundford, but he could only head into the side-netting on the angle.

Kieran Mills-Evans then came close before the break when he headed Williams’ corner wide, but David Thompson glanced a chance past the post for Bala.

The Robins were handed a golden chance to break the deadlock in the first minute of the second half as Shane Sutton headed down from a corner, and the ball struck the hand of defender Stuart J Jones.

Referee Bryn Markham-Jones pointed to the spot, but penalty taker Mitchell saw his effort superbly saved by debutant Lynch.

Boundford’s effort from a Mitchell pull back was blocked, before the striker rifled just over - and Oswell produced a superb save from ex-Wales U19s keeper Lynch after he had been played in by Boundford.

Newtown pushed on and the wide man then saw a header come back off the bar, whilst Sutton nodded wide from a cross, and Oswell was denied again by Lynch.

Bala’s big summer signing Venables came close to converting a Ryan Edwards cross in a rare chance for the visitors, before Williams produced another save out of the impressive Lynch at the other end.

With 10 minutes to go, the Robins broke forward again and Mitchell crossed the ball into the path of Ryan Kershaw, who was about to pull the trigger as Anthony Stephens produced a goal-saving tackle.

Newtown pushed again with a late free kick for Williams, after Thompson upended Kershaw and saw a straight red card.

Bala did pump a few long balls into the Newtown box late on, but to no avail as the Lakesiders came away with a point.

NEWTOWN: D Jones, C Williams, S Sutton, K Mills-Evans, J Steven Hughes, T Goodwin, A Fletcher (J Price 82’), L Boundford (J Wells 90’), C Williams (R Kershaw 78’), N Mitchell, J Oswell. Subs not used: J Newton, J Perry (gk).

BALA TOWN: A Lynch, R Valentine, A Stephens, S Jones, SJ Jones, D Thompson, L Owens, C Murtagh, M Connolly (R Edwards 46’), C Venables, I Sheridan (M Hayes 71’). Subs not used: J Crowther, N Burke, P Marsh.

Att: 435. Referee: Bryn Markham-Jones.