BALA Town became the first team to stop The New Saints from scoring at Park Hall this season and also picked up their first point on the road in a determined goalless draw at Park Hall.

Some resolute defending coupled with wasteful finishing from the Saints helped the Lakesiders over the line, but they missed the best chance of the game when Steven Tames blazed over from six yards out early into the second period.

Bala keeper Ashley Morris has only had a handful of saves to make, and the best of those came in injury time, when he dived low to his left to tip round the post a Jon Routledge effort that looked like a certain goal.

The visitors had set their stall out early, looking to create chances on the break.

Henry Jones tested keeper Paul Harrison with a wicked corner that the Saints’ stopper had to palm away from under the crossbar, whilst Stuart J Jones also went close from another corner, from a chance which resulted in a few shouts for handball.

Saints had in-between gone close through Dean Ebbe, who poked just wide, before Aeron Edwards found space on the edge of the box to force a save.

Bala had another half chance on 35 minutes, as a corner was cleared, recycled and eventually delivered to the returning Chris Venables at the back post. His ball was intercepted by Blaine Hudson, with Harrison eventually collecting.

Danny Redmond went close for the champions twice, either side of the break. His first was a rasping volley from the edge of the area that fizzed past Morris but just wide. His second was also just wide, after he had showed great skill to jink his way through.

The Tames chance followed shortly after. Good work by Henry Jones down the right saw him cross deep to Evan Horwood, who deftly controlled and laid it back on a plate for Tames, but he could not find the target.

From there, the Saints took more control, as Edwards fizzed a volley just over, and crosses evaded firstly Ebbe then sub Greg Draper.

Routledge hit the roof of the net in the final minute, and forced Morris into the save of the game soon after.

THE NEW SAINTS: 1. Paul Harrison, 2. Simon Spender, 3. Chris Marriott, 4. Tom Holland (11. Adrian Cieslewicz 82), 5. Benjamin Cabango, 6. Jon Routledge, 10. Daniel Redmond, 12. Blaine Hudson, 14. Jamie Mullan, 17. Dean Ebbe (9. Greg Draper 65), 23. Aeron Edwards (21. Kurtis Byrne 86?). Subs not used: 18. Josh Hmani, 19. Ben Clark, 20. Joash Nembhard, 22. Kane Lewis.

BALA TOWN: 1. Ashley Morris, 2. Andrew Burns, 3. Sean Smith, 4. Stuart Jones, 5. Stuart J Jones, 15. Rob Pearson, 8. Nathan Burke, 25. Chris Venables (17. Danny Gosset 63), 7. Steven Tames, 12. Evan Horwood (10. Ian Sheridan 77), 77. Henry Jones. Subs not used: 6. Anthony Miley, 9. Mike Hayes, 23. Vaughn Charles (gk), 22. Josh Jones, 20. Joe Edwards.

Attendance: 365. Referee: Kevin Parry.