Football: Prestatyn Town FC beat Bala on penalties

Oct 8 2008 by Dave Jones, Denbigh Visitor

BALA TOWN 3 PRESTATYN TOWN 3

WELSH CUP ROUND TWO

PRESTATYN WIN 5-4 ON PENS

SIX goals, three red cards, a mass brawl and a penalty shoot-out – it would take half the pages of this newspaper to tell the full story of events at Maes Tegid on Saturday.

But above all the controversy one vital fact stands out – Prestatyn Town have finally laid the Bala ghost and are through to the third round of the Welsh Cup.

Five previous meetings with the Lakesiders – littered with sendings off and bad feeling – had all gone the way of Colin Caton’s side.

Bala started strongly and took the lead on five minutes when Llion Roberts headed home from a corner.

The hosts doubled their score on 11 minutes when Gary Penlington sidestepped Dave Hayes and unleashed an angled drive beyond Jon Dunt.

On 22 minutes the visitors had the ideal chance to pull one back when Steve Hoult’s shot was handled on the line by Steve Fisher.

The Bala defender received a straight red, but Gibson’s subsequent poorly-struck penalty was saved by Leon Bimpson who also kept out the rebound.

In the 28th minute, Hoult’s shot just missed the target then Jack Lewis’ 15-yard strike was pushed on to the upright by Bimpson.

Finally, in first half injury time, Jon Fisher-Cooke put in a brilliant ball for Ian Griffiths to tap home and make it 2-1 at the turnaround.

Ten minutes into the second period pandemonium erupted when Fisher-Cooke made a strong challenge and the Bala players reacted furiously. A mass scuffle ensued and it took between five and 10 minutes for the fracas to settle down before Fisher-Cooke received a red card.

Ten men each now, but Prestatyn held themselves together the better of the two sides and Griffiths hit the post before setting up Michael Parker for the equaliser on 78 minutes.

Penlington could have won it for Bala in normal time when his shot deflected off Andy Davies onto the woodwork.

Then on 90 minutes Davies reacted to an off-the-ball incident by pushing Gethin Lloyd while both were on the floor and became the second Prestatyn player to see red.

Still the Welsh Premier side remained undeterred and eight minutes into extra time the nine men made it 3-2 when a great free-kick by Steve Bowes was headed in superbly by Griffiths.

Gibson and Bowes went close from great opportunities and Dunt produced a fabulous tip over before on 110 minutes an Osian Jones free-kick levelled the tie once more.

Bowes went near to winning it, but that was the end of the scoring so spot-kicks were required.

Parker, Hoult and Bowes took it to 3-2 before Bala’s Jones missed. Griffiths converted, as did the hosts, so Hayes needed to score to send the Seasiders through and he did just that.

“I was quietly confident we’d win the shoot-out as in three or four attempts I’ve not won a single one so I thought by the law of averages this might be our time and it was,” said winning boss Gibson.

“Six or seven players came forward asking to take one which was another positive. We’ve finally ended the hoodoo and it’s a great feeling.”