Cefn Druids’ Europa League preliminary round qualification hopes are finely balanced after a late equaliser denied the Welsh Premier side of a crucial victory in their first leg tie against FK Trakai.
Donatas Kazlauskas struck on 86-minutes for Trakai as the Lithuanian side left it late to secure a 1-1 draw.
James Davies put Cefn Druids ahead early in the second half but they will travel to next weeks away leg disadvantaged by the away goal.
Druids manager Huw Griffiths will however take heart from a hard-working and disciplined performance from his side, who have not played a competitive game since the end of last season.
Druids competed well throughout against a Trakai outfit, who are in the middle of their domestic season.
After a closely contested first-half, striker James Davies gave Cefn Druids the perfect start to the second period when he swept the ball home three minutes after the restart.
It seemed increasingly likely as the game progressed that Cefn Druids would take a decisive advantage going into the return leg as they absorbed late pressure from Trakai.
But the Lithuanian’s perseverance paid off when Kazlauskas beat Michael Jones from eight yards.
Bala slump in San Marino
Bala Town have left themselves a mountain to climb after collapsing to a disappointing 3-0 defeat in San Marino.
Tre Fiori caught Bala cold early on when they swiftly broke up-field and debutant Anthony Miley put the goal past his own goalkeeper.
Stunned Bala responded well with Stuart Jones’ header shaving the bar, but they gifted Tre Fiori a second goal when goalkeeper Ashley Morris came off his line to clear but sent the ball straight into the path of Giacomo Pracucci, who doubled Tre Fiori’s lead.
Bala’s night went from bad to worse minutes later when Mirco Vassallo’s fine finish put the Sammarinese 3-0 ahead with just 38 minutes on the clock.
Not even a floodlight failure or late dismissal of Tre Fiori’s forward Pracucci could inspire disappointing Bala and manager Colin Caton will require a vastly improved performance from his team if they are to avoid an early European exit.
