THE New Saints made a disappointing start to the new Welsh Premier campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Bala Town.

Despite a dream start with a third-minute goal from Matty Williams, the visitors levelled inside 10 minutes and the Saints played the last 33 minutes with 10-men after the dismissal of Barry Hogan.
Williams turned-in a Craig Jones cross after just three minutes, beating keeper Terry McCormick inside his near post, but the Lakesiders were gifted an equaliser when keeper Paul Harrison and his defence failed to clear following a Mark Connolly corner and Chris Mason headed home despite Hogan's attempt to clear off the line.
TNS were unable to carve many clear openings against a resolute Bala defence, while the visitors were mainly restricted to long range efforts.
Both Craig Jones and Chris Sharp fired across the face of goal, with Sharp hammering another effort narrowly wide immediately after half-time.
The Saints' cause was not helped by the dismissal of Hogan for two yellow cards inside six minutes, but the 10-men showed more urgency than they had in the first hour.
Jones fired over from a Tom Roberts cross, with Ross Jefferies hitting the side netting for Bala.
Jones twice went wide with further efforts, Roberts ballooned a shot over the bar from Simon Spender's inside pass and Matty Williams came closest to finding a winner with an 18-yarder that flew past an upright.
Peter Doran's angled shot was cleared off the line before hitting TNS keeper Harrison and being booted to safety, with Jones almost having the last word for the hosts with a late heading chance from Chris Seargeant's free-kick.
Photo: Craig Jones takes on Bala's John Irving.