HUW GRIFFITHS conceded that there had been a “robbery” at Bala Town as Jamie Reed marked his debut in style by snatching a 2-1 win for Cefn Druids.

The Ancients, needing victory to stand any chance of gate-crashing the top-six, were below their best throughout the 90 minutes at Maes Tegid, but two smart finishes from Reed, the winner coming in stoppage time, completed a “smash and grab”.

Unfortunately for Druids, Newtown’s goalless draw with Airbus and a win for Cardiff Met against Caernarfon left them in eighth spot heading into the split and final 10 games of the campaign.

Sporting director Griffiths kept a level-head when assessing the victory, saying: “I’m delighted we’ve won the game. We’ve finished with 31 points in the first part of the season and you usually target 30 for the top-six, so we’ve done as much as we could and it’s unfortunate we are in eighth.

“You always look back at games where we have dropped points late on, like TNS, or games we’ve lost like last week against Penybont, but then we’ve beaten Connah’s Quay and Bala, which we weren’t expected to.

“We are the eighth best team in the league at the moment and apart from Newtown and TNS, we’ve beaten every other side, it’s just that we need to be more consistent against teams in the bottom six.”

Druids are 18 points clear of the relegation zone – effectively 19 as a result of their far superior goal difference, and will be looking to wrestle seventh, which secures a play-off place, from Cardiff Met.

“Two wins and we could be mathematically safe,” said Griffiths. “There are 30 points to be gained and it’s us, Cardiff Met and Aberystwyth, who will be looking to get on a run, in a shootout for seventh.”

Griffiths will want his team to improve on Saturday evening’s showing, that, despite bringing about the desired result, was not up to usual standards.

“It was a smash and grab, a robbery,” said Griffiths, who feared the worst when his side went behind early in the second-half through Louis Robles’ close range strike. “We couldn’t get out in the first-half and then when they scored early in the second you worry.

“But their goal actually relaxed us, we shortened the game up and started to cause a few problems of our own.

“It was pleasing to see our staying power. We didn’t deserve to be level at half-time, but we found a way to stay in the game and got our rewards in the end.

“We had to win and it was a case of ‘job done’ by hook or by crook.”

On two-goal debutant Reed, Griffiths added: “He showed his experience and used his composure to score the goals he did. He did really well, pinned their central defenders and scored two good goals.”

Reed, who was joined in the starting XI by fellow new boy Harry Brazel, tweeted: “Really enjoyed that yesterday!! To go to one of the top teams in the league and put in a performance like that, was very impressive from the lads. Let’s get that 7th spot now!”

Jordan Lam and Eliot Evans were on target as Cardiff Met defeated Caernarfon, who had Gruff John sent-off on the hour mark.

Billy Borge’s fourth minute own goal handed Aberystwyth a 1-0 home success over third from bottom Penybont.