BALA Town manager Colin Caton was delighted with the response from his players as they maintained their resurgence in the JD Welsh Premier League with a 2-1 win over Llandudno at Maes Tegid, to leapfrog their opponents into sixth place.

Nathan Burke hit a 20-yarder to open the scoring on 34 minutes, but the Seasiders were soon level with a Sam Hart penalty - before the Lakesiders stepped things up in the second half to claim a deserved winner on 68 minutes through Mike Hayes.

“I gave the lads a bit of a rollicking at half-time, and I thought that we did not start the game well enough,” said Caton.

“We are all about working hard to get a result, and in the second half I thought we were outstanding, and it was a great win.

“It’s the second time we’ve beaten a team above us. We said before the game that’s what we need to do to climb the table.

“They could have been four points above us in the league, but now we’re two points above them, and if there was ever a six-pointer this game was one of them.”

Ian Sheridan fired an early effort over, but the visitors took a hold of the first 15 minutes, with a header from Sam Hart going narrowly over with 10 minutes played.

The Lakesiders then came close to opening the scoring when Burke’s corner kick was taken short to Jordan Evans, who curled the ball first time towards the top corner, but Dave Roberts saved well.

Les Davies came close to making the breakthrough on 32 minutes when he won the ball and drove into the box, but his shot was unleashed over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, however, Hayes laid the ball off to Burke, who struck a terrific effort into the net from 20 yards out.

It only took two minutes for the visitors to equalise as Tom Dix was fouled just inside the area and Hart stepped up to dispatch a penalty straight down the middle.

Hayes and Davies linked up to set up Evans, but Roberts saved, and then Ryan Valentine rattled the crossbar just before the interval as the Lakesiders pushed on.

Bala’s chances came thick and fast in the second half, with Burke firing over, whilst Danny Taylor brilliantly cleared off the line from Davies’ header, and an excellent box to box break saw Hayes’ delivery just miss the incoming Davies at back post.

At the other end a Toby Jones free kick curled wide of the upright, and Lee Thomas blazed over, but Danny Shaw blocked Les Davies’ effort and Stuart Jones’ bullet header was cleared off the line by Taylor.

Burke and Davies also went close, before the hosts took the lead on 71 minutes.

A great passage of play saw a header from Davies arrive to Hayes, who blasted home from just inside the six yard box.

Bala could even have extended their lead on 78 minutes when Ian Sheridan rattled the crossbar from around 16 yards out as the Lakesiders finished the game on top.

BALA TOWN: A Morris, R Valentine, S Jones, S J Jones, C Venables, N Burke, J Evans (E Horwood 60’), M Hayes, I Sheridan (D Thompson 83’), G Rule, L Davies (A Jones 90’) Subs not used: C Vernon (gk), W Bell, J Jones.

LLANDUDNO: D Roberts, D Taylor, J Joyce, M Williams, D Shaw, T Dix, D Hughes, M Williams (R Edwards 75’), T Jones, L Thomas (O Jones 80’), S Hart (S Cavanagh 88’). Subs not used: A Hassall, P Rutter (gk). Att: 238.