BALA TOWN kept things tight to complete the double over the Cardiff students as Mike Hayes’ winner proved enough to earn the Lakesiders an important 1-0 win.

The Archers showed glimpses of why they’d won five of their last seven Welsh Premier games, but Bala’ defence held firm to claim another valuable victory.

The three points strengthens Bala's grip on fourth spot, and stretched their unbeaten league run to six games.

After conceding nine goals in their last three outings, manager Colin Caton was pleased to have kept the students out, but he felt that his side could have killed off the game with the chances they created.

“We’d been leaking goals lately, so to keep a clean sheet is a big plus,” he said.

“I thought that we played well, but we should really have put the game to bed, we had enough chances in the first half and early in the second to have done that.

“When you don’t get the second goal you’re always a bit nervous, but we defended well and they never looked like scoring, despite their pressure at the end.”

Caton named an unchanged line-up after their 3-2 win at Carmarthen and Bala carried their momentum into the game.

Home keeper Will Fuller was called into action in the opening minutes when Anthony Stephens’ through-ball saw Kieran Smith drive forward and force the save.

Isaac Philpot tested Ashley Morris at the other end, but with 20 minutes on the clock, it was Bala who broke the deadlock.

A cross from Smith caused confusion in the box, and Hayes made the space to turn well and flick the ball over the line for his eighth league goal of the season.

Bala were playing with confidence on the 3G surface, and some slick midfield play by Smith allowed Ryan Wade to break free unmarked, but he blazed over.

David Thompson twice swung in crosses into the area, but they were just inches too far for Wade and Chris Venables.

The second half began with a similar intensity by Bala, and a cross from Thompson was cleared before reaching Venables.

A superb run by Wade saw him breeze past his marker and supply a dangerous low cross on the byline to Hayes, but his shot went inches wide from close in.

Another chance went begging as a slick move down the left saw Thompson cross in for Wade, but he failed to capitalise.

With Bala on top, Hayes pulled his cross wide of the upright and Nathan Burke, sliding in, was unable to toe the ball home.

Then another cracking ball from Thompson found Venables, but his flicked header was saved at full stretch by Fuller.

Met started to step things up in the final 20 minutes, but at the other end replacement striker Lee Hunt was straight in the thick of the action when he headed a deep cross from Hayes into the side-netting.

Ryan Wade could have sealed a second goal when he drove a dipping volley narrowly over the woodwork from the edge of the box with five minutes left to play, but Bala held firmly onto the three points.

Bala, who were back in action on Tuesday night when they played Porthmadog in a friendly, are looking to maintain their momentum in the Welsh Premier League on Friday night when they welcome Aberystwyth to Maes Tegid (ko 7.45pm).

BALA TOWN: A Morris, A Stephens, S Jones, S J Jones, M Connolly (L Hunt 67), R Wade, D Thompson, N Burke, M Hayes, K Smith, C Venables (C Murtagh 89). Unused Subs: G Oikonomopoulos (g), R Valentine, I Sheridan

CARDIFF MET: W Fuller, I Philpot, K McCarthy, B Woolridge, E Lewis, B Bowler, E Evans, W Evans (C Baker 75), A Roscrow (D Spencer 67), C Corsby, J Lam. Subs Not Used: J Littlemore, L Black, D Evans (g), H Daubney Attendance: 151. Referee: Nick Pratt.