Flint’s fine second phase form continued as they recorded another win to take them onto 39 points for the season, a terrific achievement considering they lost their opening 5 games.
Whilst not the finest footballing spectacle, due to the hard, bumpy pitch, the Silkmen adapted themselves to the conditions and started strongly, carving out the first chance within the opening 60 seconds. Elliott Reeves slipped in George Maire, with a smart little through ball, and the youngster pulled his shot just wide of the post. Then, on 8 minutes, Josh Jones escaped down the right side, and delivered a good ball to pick out Maire once more, but Ferry goalkeeper Will Fuller saved well with his feet, before the ball was hacked clear at the far post.
Somewhat against the run of play, the home side took the lead on 33 minutes. Ryan George played a slick one-two to get in space on the right, before firing a ball across the 6 yard box, that Jasper Payne met, and his shot took a slight deflection off the unfortunate Izaack Lambert, who was attempting to block the effort, and the ball spun up into the roof of the net giving Jack Flint no chance.
However, the Silkmen’s reply was almost instantaneous. Jones broke through the Ferry rearguard, surviving an offside appeal to reach a headed ball from Ben Wynne, and crossed across the face of goal where the incoming Mikey Burke met it, to touch home from close range. and return parity to the scoreline.
Kian Jenkins came close for Ferry when he tried his luck from 20 yards, the ball bouncing up off the hard surface and deceiving Flint, before striking the upright. Tom Walters pounced onto the rebound and fired in from a narrow angle, but Flint had recovered and saved well down at the foot of his post.
The Silkmen responded when Reeves was put through by the excellent Ben Hughes, who had been tremendous in breaking up the opposition play. Reeves delivered a killer ball to the far stick, and Jones looked certain to score, but a catastrophic bobble just before he connected saw hi hit the bar from just a couple of yards out.
The home side came out more energised for the second half, and the visitors had to take emergency action within a minute of the restart, as Payne got on the end of a lofted ball and shot past Flint, only for the alert Burke to rush back and clear off his own goal line in the nick of time.
Fuller then produced a fine one handed save to deny Lambert’s header from a corner. Another chance was created when found Reeves, but Fuller pulled off a close range save to deny him.
Ferry then went close as a Payne free kick, found Walters who headed just wide of the target.
Flint were struggling to clear their lines for a period, as the home side pressed, but couldn’t create a clear cut opportunity, and the Silkmen survived a handball shout against Ben Collins as the ball bounced up in the box and he was attempting to shield it from an attacker. But the visitors were able to weather the storm, and grabbed the vital second goal on 72 minutes, with a quality piece of play. Jake Phillips produced an exquisite ball from the right side that Reeves met perfectly to direct a pinpoint header just inside the post and beyond the despairing dive of Fuller.
Lee Fowler then took the opportunity to give some of his youngsters a taste of first team action as Luke Murphy, Logan Sumner and Lucian Morris were all introduced from the bench, the latter celebrating his 16th birthday with his first team debut.
Murphy distinguished himself with a save to deny Ruben Davies, and Luke Bowen sent a bullet header over the bar from a corner, as the home side pressed hard for an equaliser. They momentarily thought they had secured one, when from a free kick inside their own half taken by Fuller, Alex Gammond headed on to Keiran Williams who supplied the finish, but he had gone too soon and was in an offside position.
So Flint held on to bag another three points, and they complete their season next weekend with a home game against Newtown. Kick off is at the earlier time of 12-45pm, and following the game, the end of season presentation awards will be held in the clubhouse at 5pm.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Briton Ferry Llansawel – W. Fuller, J. Rickard, N. Sanca, A. Gammond (c), R. George (R. Bevan 67), K. Williams, K. Jenkins, T. Price (L. Bates 67), T. Walters (L. Bowen 76), J. Payne (R. Davies 76), C. Hurford (E, Sage 67). Unused Subs – J. Holland (GK), R. Dyer
Flint Town United – J. Flint (L. Murphy 76), I. Lee (B. Collins 46), M. Burke, I. Lambert, H. Owen (c), G. Maire (L. Morris 76), J. Phillips, B. Hughes, E. Reeves, B. Wynne (L. Sumner 76), J. Jones (L. Mariette 68). Unused Sub – C. Ferguson
Flint MOM – Ben Hughes (adapted superbly to a more defensive midfield role and was successful in breaking up play)
