For the second time this season, Flint were given a harsh lesson in how to finish your chances by a rampant Connah’s Quay Nomads, who were two up at the break despite only having three decent opportunities. At the other end, their goalkeeper, George Ratcliffe, was in inspired form, and for his first half display alone, picked up the Nomads man of the match award. Despite carving out numerous chances in the opening 45 minutes, a combination of Ratcliffe’s goalkeeping, misfortune in front of goal and plain bad finishing, meant Flint were unable to get the ball over the line.
A long ball sent Nomads’ Kris Owen away on 7 minutes, and he centred to Jack Kenny who looked odds on to score, but Jack Flint flicked up a hand to get a vital deflection on the ball and send it spinning away from the goal.
The Silkmen replied in kind, and Josh Jones crossed from the left in the 10th minute, although there was no-one in black and white in the immediate vicinity to meet it. However, Noah Edwards, who was back helping out defensively met the ball, and somehow managed to volley it towards his own goal. Ratcliffe acrobatically kept out the effort to save Edwards’ blushes. A couple of minutes later, good work by Isaac Lee resulted in him finding Jones, who pulled the ball back to Elliott Reeves, who swivelled and hit it, only to see it strike the post and bounce clear. Then Jones found himself put through in a one on one situation, but just couldn’t get the ball under control, and the chance went begging.
Nomads took the lead on 21 minutes, when Rhys Hughes received the ball from a throw in on the edge of the box on the right. The Flint defence were slow to react to the danger, and after Hughes performed a bit of trickery to wrongfoot Mikey Burke, he looked up and calmly chipped the ball over Flint into the goal.
Back came Flint, and Reeves controlled a ball played up to him on his chest, before turning and unleashing a shot from 22 yards put, that Ratcliffe dived full length to turn around his post. From the resulting corner, a scramble ensued in the box, before Izaack Lambert prodded goalwards, but this time a Nomads defender blocked on the line.
With 8 mutes to go until the break, Flint conceded again, and defensively it was a bit of a mess up. A lofted ball was played over from the right just inside the 18 yard box. Flint started to come, but them seeing Lambert in attendance with the diminutive Max Woodcock he halted. Somehow, Woodcock got the jump on Lambert, and sent his header looping over Flint, who was stranded , and into the net.
For all the good chances they had created up to this point, it was a devastating blow for the Silkmen to find themselves 2-0 down.
In the 44th minute, Jones picked out Reeves with an excellent ball from the right, and he looked as though he just had to pick his spot from 10 yards out, but once again Ratcliffe was Nomads’ saviour as he flung out an arm to keep the ball out.
In the opening minute of the second half, Jake Phillips set off on a strong run that carried him deep inside the box, and his close range shot was blocked by the body of Ratcliffe at his near post, with no-one in black and white able to force the ball home.
Nomads substitute Callum Bratley set off on a mazy run of his own on 53 minutes, riding a half hearted challenge, before entering the box, and getting caught by Harry Owen, who gave away a penalty. Rhys Hughes stepped up to score his second of the night and effectively put the game to bed.
From that point on, Nomads were the more dominant side, with Flint looking bereft of ideas.
Sam Durrant was picked out in space with his back to goal on 69 minutes, and spun and hit a goalbound effort, but Flint pulled off a good stop to deny him. However, with just under 9 minutes remaining, Durrant did get his goal, when Corey Hart was caught in possession by the forward, who strode forward and calmly slotted home.
All in all, it was an up and down performance by the Silkmen, some good attacking moves and passages of play in the first half, that was just let down by the final execution and decision making, whilst defensively it was a night to forget, with too many individual errors, that were punished more often than not.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photos by Geoff Quinn.
Line Ups:
Connah’s Quay Nomads – G. Ratcliffe, J. Disney (c), D. Poole, D. Roberts, K. Owens (H. Morris 85), K. Edwards, J. Kenny (A. Williams 75), O. Wright (C. Bratley 46), M. Woodcock (S. Durrant 58), N. Edwards, R. Hughes (C. Ferguson 75). Unused Subs – R. Berry (GK), C. Marriott
Flint Town United – J. Flint, I. Lee, M. Burke(B. Collins 46), I. Lambert, H. Owen (c), S. Fofana (L. Mariette 61), J. Phillips, B. Hughes (O. Simmonds 75), E. Reeves, B. Wynne (G. Maire 61), J. Jones (C. Hart 75). Unused Subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), L. Sumner
Flint MOM – Jake Phillips (a dynamic performance from the wing back)
