Flint slumped to a 2-0 defeat against near neighbours and arch rivals Connah’s Quay, and their misery was compounded by a nasty looking injury to striker Jack Kenny in the latter stages of the game.
Both sides were guilty of some wayward passing in the first half, but it was Nomads who looked to play the more controlled, passing football, whilst Flint were content to play the long ball into areas, often more in hope than expectation.
Kenny did well to win back possession on 18 minutes, and set off on a charging run, that resulted in him hitting a shot from the edge of the 18 yard box that stung the hands of keeper Oliver Byrne.
For Nomads, Paulo Mendes looked extremely lively and dangerous, and it was no surprise when he opened the scoring on 35 minutes, having earlier fluffed his lines with a header from a Neal Eardley cross, when well placed about 6 yards out. The home side put together a slick passing move that carved Flint open right down the middle, Jamie Mullen linked up well with Mendes, and they played a nice 1-2, before Mullen clipped the ball through for Mendes to run onto and he took it in his stride and slotted it past Ryan Woods in the Flint goal.
The game was effectively over five minutes into the second period, when Nomads doubled their tally. Despite bringing everyone back to defend a free kick from wide on the right near the corner flag, Flint were unable to stop the ball reaching George Horan in the middle of a crowded box, and he poked it home.
On the hour mark, Conor Harwood made a nice turn, and surged to the edge of the box, but his shot was just over the bar, as Flint looked to mount a comeback.
However, barely a minute later, they almost found themselves 3-0 down. First, Mendes released Mullen, who burst through the back line and placed his shot just wide of the Flint goal. The referee adjudged Woods to have gotten the faintest of touches on it, and awarded a corner. From the corner, a bit of indecision ended in Woods juggling with the ball on the goal line before spilling it, but he was able to recover and dive on it before anyone in red could prod it home.
The introduction of Callum Bratley into the fray ignited the Silkmen, and in the closing stages they pushed hard to try and get something from the game. On 75 minutes, Michael Wilde, who had hitherto been contained extremely well by the Nomads defence, and Horan in particular, managed to break free and put over a cross which Bratley tried to get onto the end of. Horan managed to thwart him, but in doing so, fell onto the ball and clearly handled it in the process, but the referee was unsighted and failed to give anything. Then, as Kenny attempted to reach the loose ball he stumbled under a challenge, and fell awkwardly on his arm, sustaining an injury which led him to be stretchered off in what looked to be some considerable pain.
In the last minute, Jake Phillips ran into the box from the right, but as he closed in on goal, he was unable to keep his shot down, and he fired it over the bar.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Connah’s Quay Nomads – O. Byrne, J. Disney, N. Eardley, R. Harrington, G. Horan (c), K. Owens, J. Mullen (D. Poole 80), C. Morris, A. Edwards, P. Mendes, C, Curran (B. Harrison 94). Unused Subs -K. Calderbank-Park (GK), C. Simpson, J. Williams, M. Corbellini, L. Holden
Flint Town United – R. Woods, J. Phillips, S. Hart, B. Maher (J. Williams 95), B. Nash, K. Edwards, J. Kenny (L. Ellis 79), A. Jones (c), M. Wilde, M. Cadwallader (C. Bratley 63), C. Harwood
Flint MOM – Ben Nash ( another all round solid performance from the young defender)
