BALA TOWN are set to finish fourth in the JD Welsh Premier League after Cardiff Met edged a seven-goal thriller at Cyncoed Campus, to sentence the Lakesiders to a fifth successive defeat.

Mike Hayes handed the Lakesiders a 16th minute lead, but the visitors were then stunned by three goals in four minutes just before the interval from Jordan Lam, Will Evans and Eliot Evans.

Chris Venables pulled one back for Bala, but Ben Bowler restored the home cushion, before Evan Horwood set-up a nail biting finish with a 77th minute goal.

Bala’s European hopes now depend on success in the play-offs, unless Gap Connah’s Quay and Bangor City fail to gain a domestic licence on appeal on Thursday.

“We’d like automatic promotion, but it’s difficult with three teams above us who are full-time,” said Bala boss Colin Caton. “So, based on resources, maybe fourth place is a creditable position for us.

“If we do go down the route of the play-offs, then we’ll prepare the best we can.

“The other sides will not want to come to Bala, we’ve got a lot of experienced lads who’ve been there and done that, and it tells a lot when it comes to big games.

“But we’ve got to be better than we have been over the past couple of weeks.”

Bala’s defensive woes returned at a glorious Cyncoed campus last weekend, and the Lakesiders have now conceded a total of 15 goals in five games.

They had opened the scoring, however, when Mike Hayes drove into the box and impressively lobbed the keeper from a tight angle, and it was a bright start from the visitors.

Chris Venables also fired inches wide of the far upright, but Met had a superb opportunity to level matters when Eliot Evans blazed over the bar, and he went closer still when his strike rattled the post with Lam unable to score the follow-up.

On 40 minutes, however, Lam’s 30 yard strike flew into the net, and Bala were then punished further by two goals in two minutes on the stroke of half-time.

Will Evans converted a cross from the right and then Eliot Evans caught Bala on the counter-attack to slot home after a delivery from the left to make the score 3-1.

In the second half Evan Horwood blazed a free kick from 25 yards wide, and Keiran Smith headed narrowly over as the Lakesiders looked for a way back into the game.

Venables, who was making his 400th Welsh Premier start, then rattled the bar with a header, but on 66 minutes when Ian Sheridan and Smith created the chance for Venables to score from close in.

Bala, however, were dealt another sucker-punch as only three minutes later Met counter attacked for Ben Bowler to head in, and although Horwood found the net with a 20 yards strike into the bottom corner, Met held on for the three points.

Lam might have put the game to bed for Met, but his shot rebounded off the post and bounced across the face of goal, as the students graduated with the three points.

CARDIFF MET: D Evans, R Morgan, J Edwards, K McCarthy, M Swindlehurst, J Barnett (C Corsby 62’), E Evans, B Bowler (C Baker 70’), A Roscrow (D Spencer 43’), W Evans, J Lam. Subs: R Thomas, H Lloyd.

BALA: A Morris, S Jones (L Owens 46’), S J Jones, E Horwood, J Disney, N Burke (J Evans 89’), R Pearson, C Venables, M Hayes, I Sheridan (L Davies 71’), K Smith. Subs: C Vernon (gk), G Rule. Ref: K Hames.