It was a day to forget for Flint, having made the long journey to south west Wales, as a sub-par performance left them on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline. This result, together with the others from the league fixtures over the weekend, means that there is now an eight point gap between ourselves and the ninth placed team. Even at this relatively early stage in the league, it looks increasingly like it may be a three way battle between the teams currently in 10th/11th/12th to see who will escape the drop.
The early stages of the game saw the Silkmen at sixes and sevens, with the ball like the proverbial hot potato. Defensively we looked anxious and nervous, and in midfield we lacked a presence, with large gaps that were being exploited by the home side.
A long punt upfield by Bluebirds skipper Dylan Rees after 4 minutes saw striker Owain Jones in a foot race with Harry Owen, as they battled for possession. Owen stooped to try and head the ball back to keeper Jack Flint, but didn’t get enough on it, and as Jones ran through to try and collect the ball, Flint brought him down to concede a penalty. Ben Ahmun stuck the spot kick straight down the middle as Flint dived to his left, to put the hosts 1-0 up.
It was the worst possible start for the visitors, who just hadn’t settled into the game, and they continued to struggle against a Haverfordwest side with their tails up.
On 10 minutes, Flint was called upon to make a save at full stretch to deny Jones, who was proving a real nuisance.
Then, on the quarter of an hour mark, the Bluebirds extended their lead. Already having served notice of their danger from inswinging corners, they repeated the formula, and got their reward. Kyle McCarthy swung in the delivery which Jones met, and headed goalwards, only for Flint to produce a great reaction save to deny him. However, the ball was palmed direct into the path of Greg Walters, stationed directly in front of Flint, who had the simplest task to bundle it back over the line. Although at first glance Walters appeared to be standing in an offside position, there may have been a Flint player at the near post who hadn’t moved out quick enough, who was playing him on.
On the half hour mark, and completely out of the blue, the Silkmen managed to pull a goal back, to put themselves back in contention. A long ball found Elliott Reeves, who displayed a great first touch to bring it under control then ran at the backline, before threading the ball through to the path of Florian Yonsian, who took it in his stride and calmly slotted home.
Given the balance of play, Flint were perhaps fortunate to go in at the break only one goal down, but despite a promising start to the second period, defensive frailties would once again prove costly.
When they were able to get the ball to him, Reeves looked the most likely option to get his side back on terms, and three minutes into the second half he attempted an opportunist strike that whizzed just past the post and hit the stanchion behind the goal.
Shortly after, Jones hobbled off for the home side, and was replaced by Ben Fawcett, who would go on to make his mark on the game.
On 56 minutes, he struck a shot that Flint did well to keep out with his legs. But shortly after the hour mark he was on hand to tap home an Ahmun cross that was pulled back across the face of goal. The home side were gifted possession after the ball was passed back from Teddy Mfuni to Owen, who in turn played a short pass into Phillips, who had several men around him. A heavy touch by the midfielder ceded possession, and Ahmun strode away with the ball to deliver the cross for Fawcett to finish off.
That effectively killed the game, and the away side had a dispirited look about them.
Fawcett completed the scoring with his second and his teams’ fourth three minutes from the end. A long throw was met by a Flint head, but the ball was directed along to the edge of the area, where Fawcett collected with his back to goal, twisted and turned, and planted a shot into the corner.
Flint almost grabbed a consolation in added on time, when a Phillips free kick forced Zac Jones into a rare save, the home keeper tipping the effort over the bar, but by then the game was beyond their reach.
With almost the last action of the game, the unfortunate Harley Peagram went down suffering what at first glance appeared to be quite a serious injury, which resulted in him being stretchered off after receiving a lengthy spell of treatment on the pitch. Later reports suggested it might not be as serious as first thought, and hopefully this will prove to be the case, as a miserable afternoon for the Silkmen ended on a distressing note.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Haverfordwest County – Z. Jones, A. Jones, K. McCarthy, L. Tabone, D. Rees (c) (K. Kenniford 72), L. Jenkins, G. Walters, C. Shepherd (R. Watts 85), O. Jones (B. Fawcett 54), D. Hawkins (I. Humphreys 72), B. Ahmun. Unused Subs – I. Knott (GK), H. John, D. John
Flint Town United – J. Flint, I. Lambert (T. Mfuni 46), I. Lee, L. Mariette (J. Jones 58), H. Owen (c), S. Fofana (G. Maire 74), J. Phillips, B. Hughes (H. Peagram 68), E. Reeves (B. Beaumont 68), B. Wynne, F. Yonsian. Unused Subs – L. Murphy (GK), M. Burke
Flint MOM – Elliott Reeves (one of the few Flint players who displayed an assured touch on the ball when in possession, and delivered a great assist for the goal)
