Bala Town's Welsh Cup campaign ended at the first hurdle in a 4-3 defeat to Holyhead Hotspur on Saturday. The Lakesiders scored three times but were ultimately edged out in a seven-goal thriller at Maes Tegid.
Owen Connor Vaughan scored twice for the home side, with Owen John Roger adding the other goal. For Holyhead, Burke Nathan, Codie Dean Holland, Jamie Lee Williams and Thomas Kelly all found the net.
Substitutions and cards
Lucas Garmey, Reece Thomas Francis, Huw Robat Morris, Cory Williams, Cameron James Buckley, Tomas Jones, William Thomas Bell and Jamie Cumming all entered the fray from the bench.
The game was a physical affair, with four Bala players shown yellow cards. Nathan Burke, Codie Dean Holland, Iwan Rhys Lewis and Samuel John Brearey Jones were all cautioned, while Holyhead's Okera Diarra Teal Simmonds also received a booking.
This cup exit compounds a challenging spell for Bala Town, whose recent form reads one win, one draw and three losses from their last five outings across all competitions. This sequence includes a 3-3 draw at Caersws on Saturday 3 October, a 2-4 home loss to Mold Alexandra on Saturday 26 September, and a 0-1 win at Penrhyncoch on Tuesday 15 September, preceded by a 5-2 defeat at Denbigh Town on Friday 11 September. They now turn their focus back to the FAW Championship, where they sit mid-table. The team will be aiming to halt their slide and return to winning ways on the road in their next fixture away to Llanuwchllyn on Saturday 24 October.
Manager Colin Caton told reporters that "poor defending and lack of commitment" cost his side dearly in the 4-3 Welsh Cup defeat to Holyhead Hotspur. The Lakesiders have now lost their last two matches, leaving them 5th in the FAW Championship. They face a key local derby at Llanuwchllyn on Saturday.
The club confirmed the 4-3 defeat to Holyhead Hotspur on October 17. Bala Town's recent form now reads one win, one draw and three losses from their last five, having lost their last two matches. They sit 5th in the FAW Championship, eight points behind leaders Brickfield Rangers. The Lakesiders face Llanuwchllyn away on Saturday.
