Bala Town drew 1-1 with Bootle FC in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, 27 July 2024. The match at New Bucks Park was part of the Lakesiders' preparations for the upcoming FAW Championship season.
Pre-season preparations
Colin Caton's side used the fixture to build fitness and assess his squad ahead of the competitive action. The match kicked off at 09:00 and ended with the teams sharing the goals. This result extended Bala Town's pre-season run to one game unbeaten, following a mixed bag of results against sides like Southport, Burscough, and Hyde.
Looking ahead to the league
While that friendly campaign is now two years in the past, the focus for supporters is firmly on the present. Bala Town currently sit third in the FAW Championship, having taken 15 points from their opening seven matches. Their recent form shows three wins and two defeats from the last five, a sequence they will aim to improve upon.
Their last outing was a 5-2 defeat away to Denbigh Town on 11 September, a game where Nathan Burke and Josh Owen were on the scoresheet. Before that, they secured a 2-1 victory at Porthmadog with goals from Tom Kelly and Callum Fisher. The team has scored 14 goals in the league so far, but conceded 10.
The squad then and now
The lineup from that 2024 friendly featured players like goalkeeper Joel Torrance, defender Nathan Peate, and midfielder Kieran Smith. While the squad has evolved since then, the core objective remains the same: challenging at the top of the table. Bala Town are currently three points behind league leaders Brickfield Rangers, keeping the title race very much alive.
Attention now turns to the next league fixture. Bala Town travel to face Penrhyncoch on Tuesday, 15 September. Penrhyncoch are 15th in the table, presenting an opportunity for the Lakesiders to return to winning ways. The full schedule is available on our fixtures page.
Ending on a positive note, Bala Town's home form earlier this season included a 3-0 win against Gresford Athletic and a 2-1 victory over Ruthin Town. Maintaining that strength at Maes Tegid will be key as they look to close the gap at the summit.
