A spirited and disciplined performance from the Silkmen made sure that current Cymru Premier league champions, The New Saints, were made to work hard for their victory in an entertaining encounter at Park Hall. Ultimately, two goals either side if half time proved to be the deciding factor, although a disallowed goal which could have made it 3-3 with just a few minutes remaining was a huge talking point.
The hosts took an early lead on 5 minutes, when a long ball down the middle picked out Ryan Brobbel on the edge of the box, and he improvised a clever flick to send it into the path of the incoming Jordan Williams. The in form attacker took it on his chest before volleying it with his left foot into the top corner.
Flint were then forced to weather a bit of a storm, as the champions attacked with purpose, especially whenever Williams was on the ball. On 9 minutes, he broke through into the area before hitting a cross come shot that was deflected out for a corner. Then, shortly after, he robbed Isaac Lee of the ball, before breaking away and hitting a shot that Jack Flint did well to tip over.
As the first half wore on, the away side started to piece together some nice passages of play, and on 25 minutes, following a corner, they got themselves back on terms. Saints’ keeper Nathan Shepperd got some contact on the delivery, and pushed it just beyond the far post, where Harry Owen retrieved it, and attempted to send it back into the danger area. A defender’s block only succeeded in putting the ball into the path of Sidi Fofana, who smashed it home, with a well taken effort.
The contest was now a much more even affair, with both teams capable of putting together some nice passages of play. For Flint, Mikey Burke and Danny Davies were combining well down the left to fashion some decent attacking moves, whilst the hard working Josh Jones was putting himself about up front in his lone attacking role.
The hosts created another decent chance on 35 minutes, when centre half Harrison McGahey made a good run from deep out of defence. He picked out Ben Clark, and Flint did well to parry his stinging shot.
Some good link up play by the Silkmen on 40 minutes resulted in Jones firing in a low shot that Shepperd comfortably dealt with.
Just as the first half entered stoppage time, TNS took the lead with a goal that had more than a whiff of offside about it. Flint had over committed in attack for a long throw, and as the ball was partially cleared, they lost possession, allowing the Saints to break quickly down their left. Danny Davies centred towards Brobbel, who looked to be marginally offside. Flint got a touch on the ball to prevent it initially reaching its target, but as it bounced up on the goal line, Brobbel, whose momentum had taken him over the line, reached back and hooked it back across the line. Despite the indignant protests of the Flint defence, the goal was allowed to stand.
Just seven minutes into the second half, it was 3-1. Davies received the ball in bags of space in his own half before surging forward down the left. He eventually crossed and, via Williams, found Ben Wilson, who executed a smart turn in the box to wrongfoot his marker before slotting home past Flint.
At this point it started to look a bit ominous for the away side, and on previous occasions, we have folded against TNS, but this time Flint showed great resolve and fought their way back into the game. On the hour mark, from a corner, a header caused a scramble in front of the TNS goal line, before it was smuggled clear. But then, almost immediately, up the other end, the Saints broke, and Wilson raced away and was through one on one with Jack Flint. However the keeper spread himself well and deflected the ball around the post.
Flint was called into action once again a few minutes later, when he produced a flying save to keep out a Brobbel free kick.
A triple substitution which saw the introduction of Elliott Reeves, Darren Stephenson and Alec Mudimu, saw the tide turn back into the Silkmen’s favour, as they once again started putting together some dangerous moves. On 75 minutes, Owen surged upfield out of defence. He found Reeves, before the ball was returned into Owen’s path, but his shot was saved by Shepperd.
Burke, who was having an excellent game on the left for the Silkmen, then hung in a dangerous cross, and the ball broke loose as Reeves challenged Shepperd in the air. Ben Wynne latched onto it, but his goalbound effort cannoned off Reeves, who was unable to get out of the way.
The Silkmen did get a goal back on 83 minutes, when Reeves broke free on the left and delivered a great ball in that was met by Stephenson from close range. It was now very much game on, and Flint thought they had got back on level terms with a couple of minutes remaining, only for the intervention of the Assistant to apparently change the referee’s mind in awarding a goal. A corner was met by Owen, and Shepperd just about managed to keep out the first effort, but Owen followed up again, and this time Shepperd appeared to have grabbed the ball behind the line, as Flint players rushed in. The referee initially appeared to signal a goal, before changing his mind and awarding a free kick., as confusion reigned.
Insult was then added to injury in added time, as Flint continued to press, and got caught on the counter, as the unfortunate Owen missed his kick to allow in Ken Charles, who raced clear from the halfway line and kept his composure to make it 4-2, to give the scoreline a more flattering look for the hosts.
But this was a performance from which the Flint players can take great credit, and sets the template and standards for which they must now strive to maintain, especially for this coming Saturday when we entertain Briton Ferry Llansawel.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
The New Saints – N. Shepperd, D. Williams, D. Davies, D. Corness, H. McGahey, J. Bodenham, B. Clark (A. Wilson 67), R. Brobbel (J. Nadin 79), B. Wilson (K. Charles 79), D. Redmond (c), J. Williams. Unused Subs – B. Owen (GK), J. Owen, J. Morris, K. Craig
Flint Town United – J. Flint, I. Lee, M. Burke (Cl. Ferguson 87), S. Fofana, H. Owen (c), J. Thorn, J. Phillips, B. Hughes (A. Mudimu 69), D. Davies (E. Reeves 69), B. Wynne, J. Jones (D. Stephenson 69). Unused Subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), L. Morrison, L. Sumner
Flint MOM – Mikey Burke (a gutsy, disciplined performance that typified that of the team)
