A far from convincing performance from the Silkmen saw them just about overcome an Airbus side missing several regulars to make it into the last 16 of this season’s Welsh Cup competition.
Flint started off confidently, knocking the ball about with purpose, but they were unable to make Wingmakers’ keeper Keighan Jones work anywhere near hard enough, and towards the end of the first half, their opponents grew in confidence and forced their way back into the game, creating a couple of good chances themselves.
On 2 minutes, a Jake Canavan corner was played to Ben Wynne, who was stationed on the edge of the box, and he tried to shoot through the crowd, but his effort was blocked just in front of the goal line.
A swift counter almost paid dividends for the Silkmen on 10 minutes. Danny Warren had looked to have broken through the Flint defence, only for Harry Owen to stop his progress with a crunching tackle that turned the ball over, and left Warren prone on the ground. The home side quickly broke upfield, the move ending with Wynne once again having a shot and having his effort blocked. Darren Stephenson looked to try and turn in the loose ball, but Jones saved well from close range, and as the ball continued to bobble around the Airbus 6 yard box, no-one in a black and white shirt was able to force it home.
Isaac Lee then cut in from the left and tried his luck with a long range effort, but Jones was able to beat it out.
Following that opening flurry of chances in the first quarter of the game, Airbus successfully slowed things down, and succeeded in frustrating and blunting the Flint attack for the remainder of the half.
Indeed, as we approached the interval it was the visitors who began to look the more threatening. On 42 minutes, Sam Baker picked the ball up on the left, then set off on a jinking run that ended up with him well placed inside the box in a good shooting position. His low shot was, however, dealt with comfortably by Jack Flint. Then, in added on time, the Wingmakers carved out the best chance of the half. Mason Blackwell-Jones whipped in a cross to the unmarked Warren, who was central and 6 yards out. It looked a formality to score, but Flint reacted extremely well and pulled off a fine save.
The first decent chance of the second half also went to the visitors, as Blackwell-Jones met a ball on the volley, and connected well, but it was straight at Flint, who once again kept it out.
The all important goal arrived on 51 minutes, and was the result of a swift counter following an Airbus attack at the other end. A cross was played beyond the far post of the Flint goal, where Lee used his physicality to win the ball and set his side away, as Airbus players appealed in vain for a penalty. The ball was eventually worked to Wynne in an attacking midfield position, and he found Ben Hughes on the right in plenty of space. Hughes returned the ball to Wynne, who was now waiting on the edge of the 18 yard box, and he drilled a smart shot low into the corner of the net.
Having taken the lead, Flint once again gained the upper hand in the match, and began to control the game. Just after the hour mark, a Owen header from a corner was directed across goal towards Alec Mudimu coming on at the far post, but he didn’t connect properly and a great chance went begging. Then a long clearance by Flint found its way through to Josh Jones, who had outpaced the Airbus defence, only to see his attempted lob go wide of the target.
A run by Lee on 76 minutes triggered off a melee in the centre of the pitch, which saw two Flint players cautioned, and Blackwell-Jones sent off. As Lee stretched to try and regain the ball, he connected with Sam Rickett who came in to win the ball for his side. Rickett went down clutching his leg, and tempers boiled over as players from both sides raced over to become involved, and started pushing and shoving one another. In the midst of it, Owen and Blackwell-Jones faced off against each another, with the Airbus player appearing to raise his hands. The resulting outcome saw the Flint skipper being booked alongside Lee, for his the original challenge, and Blackwell-Jones seeing red for his part in the tussle with Owen.
Flint were then content to see the rest of the game out by patiently knocking the ball around at the back inviting their opponents onto them, before trying to launch long balls into their forwards.
In the final minute, they could have put the game to bed as Jones swept in a shot from wide on the right that thudded against the upright before bouncing back out into play.
Airbus belatedly try to apply some pressure in added on time, but the home defence held firm to see the game put and earn a place in the next round.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Woollam (A. Mudimu 63), M. Burke, I. Lee, H. Owen (c), J. Thorn, J. Canavan (D. Davies 90), B. Hughes (S. Fofana 73), D. Stephenson (Cam Ferguson 90), B. Wynne, J. Jones. Unused Subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), Cal Ferguson, L. Morrison
Airbus UK Broughton – K. Jones, T. McManus, K. Evans, J. Stevenson, N. Williams, S. Rickett, I. Jones- Wellstead (C. Meredith 90), D. Warren (J. Davies 70), J. Evans (c), M. Blackwell-Jones, S. Baker (L. Brewer 90). Unused Subs – S. Fenney (GK), J. Edwards, F. Sadczuk, J. Allen
Flint MOM – Ben Wynne (was at the heart of most of the good things from his side)
