A youthful Flint side narrowly lost by the odd goal in seven to a well drilled Denbigh side who gained some revenge for their two defeats suffered at the hand of the Silkmen so far this season . Manager Lee Fowler decided to give his youngsters a chance to shine, and by and large they did themselves proud, matching the visitors for long periods of the game. It was just the odd defensive lapse at crucial times that proved costly, but overall Fowler will surely have been satisfied with what his team gave him, and it will stand the eleven Academy players, who featured either from the start or off the bench, in good stead for their future.
The game itself was certainly entertaining, and was often an end to end affair, with seven goal being served up for an appreciative crowd.
Denbigh rattled the woodwork after just 3 minutes, when Ben Lockley’s effort smashed back off the bar.
Flint took advantage of this let off, and took the lead on 11 minutes from a swift counter attack. Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro sought out Luis Lacey on the right, who beat his man, cut inside and fired a low shot past Aaron Jones into the net.
Denbigh mounted a swift response, and Ryan Kershaw ran through the middle before unleashing an effort that Luke Murphy got down well to save. However, on 15 minutes, the visitors did equalise, as Matthew Worrall was presented with the simplest of chances within the 6 yard box, as he was picked out from a cross from the left by Josh Lock.
Barely a minute later, Flint could have restored their advantage, as Akpa-Akpro chased down a long ball before hitting a stinging shot across goal that Jones did well to beat out. The Flint striker was presented with an even better opportunity eight minutes later, as he was released through the middle and found himself one on one with Jones, but ended up dragging his shot well wide of the target.
The Silkmen had a lucky escape just after the half hour mark, when a mix up in the right side of their defence gifted the ball to Tom Weir, who was presented with a free path to goal, but his shot whistled just past the post.
On 41 minutes, after Flint had failed to properly clear their lines sufficiently, Kershaw won the ball back in midfield, and for the second time in the game was allowed to run unopposed from the middle of the park. This time, having entered the box, he supplied the finish, calmly passing the ball into the corner of the net from the left side of the box, giving his side a 2-1 advantage at the interval.
Ten minutes into the second half, the game sparked into a flurry of activity. First, Craig Pritchard went close for the visitors as he curled a shot just past the post from the angle on the edge of the area,
Then on 57 minutes, Flint equalised, after mounting an attack which looked to have been repelled. Akpa-Akpro picked the ball up just inside the area, but lost possession as he tried to find an angle to get away his shot. However, the ball unexpectedly came back to him as Flint pressed the Denbigh defence, and he didn’t hesitate, by hitting a fine opportunistic strike into the net.
But straight from the restart, back came Denbigh, and almost instantly restored their advantage. They attacked down the left, and a cross was centred to the waiting Josh Lock, who applied the finish from close range, to cap what was an impressive display from the midfielder.
Denbigh further turned the screw on 63 minutes, as Weir received the ball on the right, outpaced his defender and slotted home beyond Murphy, giving his side a two goal lead.
Josh Jones had been introduced into the action for the Silkmen earlier in the half, and on 70 minutes he made an excellent burst down the right, putting in a quality delivery to Akpa-Akpro who was coming in at the far post, but his connection could only touch the ball onto the post rather than into the goal.
Lacey tried his luck with just under 10 minutes remaining, hitting a powerful shot from the edge of the left side of the box. Jones did extremely well to get his fingertips to it, in order to divert it just wide of the target.
As the game entered added on time, Flint managed to pull a goal back. A quick corner routine led to Jones receiving the ball near the bye-line, and he pulled it back into the path of Harvey Drazdauskas, who struck a sweet shot into the net.
Flint pressed for an equaliser, and the closest they came was when, following a delivery from another corner, an effort was cleared off the line, but in the end it wasn’t to be, and despite a positive, energetic performance, they exited this season’s WBS League Cup, with heads held high.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photo courtesy of Roy Gunther.
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – L. Murphy (N. Collings 84), J. Phillips (c), A. Mather (J. Jones 58), K. Brick (L. Ball 84), M. Roberts, S. Forde, L. Lacey, H. Cartwright (G. Maire 65), H. Peagram, B. Hughes (H. Drazdauskas 84), J-L Akpa-Akpro. Unused Sub – J. Owen
Denbigh Town – A. Jones, S. Jones (C. Rogers 60), W. Holmes, K. Roberts, B. Lockley, J. Lock, R. Kershaw (D. Parry-Jones 68), C. Pritchard (R. Lloyd 77), T. Weir (N. Brown 77), M. Worrall, D. Clarke (J. Foulkes 68)
Flint MOM – Luis Lacey (an exciting attacking outlet for his team who was always positive in what he tried to do)
