On the back of last night’s results in the Play-Off Conference, both sides knew that a victory today would give them an opportunity to put a bit of distance between themselves and the bottom two. However, Flint and Briton Ferry Llansawel could only cancel one another out, as neither side could strike a telling blow on the other. On the plus side, the Silkmen recorded their third consecutive clean sheet, and on the balance of play, a draw was definitely a fair result, but at the end of the game, there was just a nagging feeling that had we showed a bit more determination and application, we may secured all three points. Instead, we got caught up in a frenzied game of football, particularly so in the opening half, which at times was a hundred miles an hour stuff with no end product. To their credit, Ferry successfully prevented Flint from playing their football for large parts of the game, especially in the midfield areas, where they often outnumbered their counterparts, and turned over possession on numerous occasions.
The visitors got a sight of goal on 3 minutes when Luis Bates cut infield from the right, but shot over Jack Flint’s goal. In terms of goalmouth action for the first half that was about as exciting as it got, with the Silkmen’s attacking intent blunted by some extremely poor passing and decision making. Their cause wasn’t helped when top goalscorer Elliott Reeves felt a tight hamstring and had to depart the action on the half hour mark.
Flint’s first real chance didn’t arrive until the 51st minute when Ben Hughes bundled his way through the Ferry defence to get a decent sight of goal, but was thwarted by Ferry keeper Will Fuller who turned his shot around the post.
Down the other end, the visitors had a penalty claim turned down when Sidi Fofana won the ball from Ollie Anderson, but his follow through caught Anderson as the ball was cleared. Then Jack Fanning fired wide for Ferry after the ball fell to him, as it bounced around in the box following a long throw. This was probably the south Walians’ best attacking phase of the game, and Ricky Lee-Owen attempted a half volley that flew wide of the target before Anderson produced a goalbound header as he met a cross from Keiran Williams, but Flint denied him the opening goal with a fine reaction save.
It wasn’t until the last 15 minutes or so that the home side managed to exert some sustained pressure on the Ferry goal, forcing a number of corners, none of which came to anything. The introduction of Osebi Adadaki gave Flint more threat going forward, and it was his shot on 78 minutes that almost broke the deadlock. It took a deflection which looked to have wrongfooted Fuller, but the keeper showed quick thinking to stick out a leg and divert it around his post. That was as close as the Silkmen came to scoring as clear cut chances continued to be few and far between, although Josh Jones did have a sighting of goal, but lifted his shot high over the bar.
The last action of the game saw a Briton Ferry corner delivered to Fanning who headed wide under challenge by Jack Thorn. The aftermath saw Fanning and Thorn clash, which in turn triggered a small melee that ended in Thorn and Owen booked for Flint and Rio Dyer and Sam Snaith booked for Ferry, with Snaith picking up his second yellow and receiving his marching orders in what was the last act of the game. An untidy finish which was entirely in keeping with the preceding 90 plus minutes.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photos by Damon Mead.
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Woollam, A. Mudimu (O. Abadaki 69), S. Fofana, H. Owen (c), J. Thorn, J. Phillips (B. Wynne 54), B. Hughes, E. Reeves (J. Jones 29), D. Stephenson, J. Canavan. Unused subs – D. Szczepaniak, M. Burke, M. Purvis, C. Ferguson
Briton Ferry Llansawel – W. Fuller, L. Bates, K. Jenkins, A. Gammond (c), L. Cooper, K. Williams, R-L Owen, T. Price, T. Walters (R. Dyer 83), O. Anderson (S. Snaith 83), J. Fanning. Unused subs – R. Wilson (GK), C. Hurford, R. George, D. Packer, R. Dyer
Flint MOM – Ben Woollam (a solid, reliable, unfussy performance from the full back who did all the basics right)
