Twice Flint came from behind to get back on level terms, and could have come away from Briton Ferry with all three points had Darren Stephenson scored a glorious opportunity right at the death, but as it was both sides had to settle for a point apiece.
The Silkmen started the game brightly, and saw plenty of the ball, but were unable to trouble Will Fuller in the Ferry goal. Instead, it was Jack Flint that found himself picking the ball out of the net when the home side scored with their first real attack of note on 13 minutes. From midfield, Ricky Lee Owen floated a ball over to the right side of the penalty box that just eluded the head of Mikey Burke and found Ryan George, who pulled it back across the goal towards the 12 yard spot, and it was met by the incoming Kian Jenkins who swept it home.
But Flint weren’t behind for long, and equalised just 3 minutes later. Stephenson picked the ball up on the half way line, and prodded it forward into the path of Burke down the left side. The wingback produced an inch perfect cross that eluded the defender on the near post, and fell perfectly to Ben Wynne, who continued his fine scoring form this season by finishing off the chance.
However, the Silkmen fell behind once again on 22 minutes thanks to some shoddy defending. Ferry had been awarded a free kick wide on the left, around 22 yards out. A clutch of players made a run towards the near post, taking all the Flint defenders with them, and the ball was played to the back stick, where Alex Gammond was left unattended, and made the most of the space afforded to him by sidefooting the ball into the net. Yet again, a terrible defensive lapse resulted in a goal being conceded by Flint.
In previous encounters between the two sides, the Silkmen have made the most of set piece situation, but Ferry were much more organised and determined this time around not to give anything away. Nevertheless, Alec Mudimu did manage to get a free header from a corner on 27 minutes, but couldn’t get it on target.
Just past the half hour mark, Tom Price had a sight of goal on the edge of the 18 yard box for the home side, but dragged his effort wide of the upright.
In added on time at the end of the first half, the Silkmen made it 2-2. A short corner was initially cleared, when Wynne’s shot was blocked, but the ball was returned quickly into the crowded box by Burke, who found Stephenson, and he in turn knocked it into the path of Alec Mudimu, whose shot cannoned off the bar, but Isaac Lee was on hand to apply the finishing touch and head the ball back over the line.
There was still time for Flint to almost fall behind again before half time. Following the restart, a Ferry free kick caught the Silkmen defence napping. A low delivery along the ground found Gammond 6 yards out, but Flint was just about able to beat his effort out, only for an attempted clearance to then strike Price, who didn’t know too much about it, and the ball flew just past the post.
Try as they might, both sides were unable to break the deadlock in the second half. Jake Canavan had a couple of efforts for the visitors, first with a free kick that he tried to catch Fuller out with, only to see his shot bend around the wall and into the side netting, and then from a long throw he saw his shot blocked. Wynne also had a shot blocked, when Gammond made a good recovery to get in the path of the ball.
The Silkmen were having much the better of the second period, but Ferry looked threatening on the break and on 84 minutes, Jenkins produced a fine delivery from the left that Flint did well to dive onto and collect when under pressure.
In the 90th minute, Stephenson was presented with a gilt edged chance. Wynne flicked a long ball into his path, and he was through with just Fuller to beat, but he hesitated in pulling the trigger, and then opted to try and take it round the keeper, only for Fuller to pounce on the ball and smother it under his body.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Briton Ferry Llansawel – W. Fuller, L. Bates, K. Jenkins, A. Gammond (c), C. Smith, J. Fanning, R. Owen, T. Price, T. Walters, R. George (E. Sage 71), M. Bates. Unused Subs – R. Wilson (GK), K. Evans, R. Dyer, R. Bevan, O. Andersen, D. Packer
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Woollam (J. Phillips 64), M. Burke, I. Lee, H. Owen (c), J. Thorn, A. Mudimu, B. Hughes (S. Fofana 46), D. Stephenson, B. Wynne, J. Canavan. Unused Subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), J. Jones, D. Davies
Flint MOM – Mikey Burke (another whole hearted display, and a quality cross for the initial equaliser)
