Despite getting off to a dream start courtesy of a sublime Josh Jones strike, Flint were pegged back and then fell behind to a second half goal, and were unable to grab an equaliser despite a couple of near misses.
The Silkmen raced into the lead on 8 minutes, when Alec Mudimu supplied a lovely long ball which picked out Jones. He beat the defender to the ball and then lobbed it past keeper Alex Lang into the net to make it 1-0.
Flint were showing plenty of early threat, especially down the right, with George Maire and Harley Peagram doing well, but the final delivery was just lacking.
However, Met started to rally, and began to assert control in the midfield area, which allowed them to start turning the tide in their favour. They strung a few promising moves together, before getting back on terms on 20 minutes. Sam Jones made inroads down the left, before crossing to the far post. The ball was headed clear, but only into the path of Adam Roscrow, who then slipped it to Dixon Kabango on the edge of the box. He made the most of the space afforded to him by drilling a low shot into the corner of the net.
Flint tried to respond, and on 36 minutes, Peagram surged down the right, before supplying a cross into the path of the incoming Maire, but he could only sidefoot his effort into the arms of Lang in the Met goal. In added on time, the home side went even closer. Jones supplied a perfect cross onto the head of Florian Yonsian, but his header crashed against the bar, as another chance slipped away.
A period of pressure paid dividends for Met early in the second half, as they started to gain the upper hand once more. They grabbed the decisive goal on the hour mark. From a corner, the ball was half cleared to the edge of the box, where Sam Jones picked it up, and shot through a crowd of players, sending it past Jack Flint and into the goal. from a defensive point of view, it was a sloppy and cheap goal to concede, and something the Silkmen will have to tighten up on, if they are going to make progress in the league.
Flint pressed for an equaliser, and created a couple of other decent chances, none of which they could take. On 78 minutes, Harry Owen, possibly unsighted by Izaack Lambert just in front of him, couldn’t quite connect properly with a header from 6 yards out, and the ball spun away from the target. Then in added time, Ben Hughes charged into the area from the left, and crossed across the front of goal. Peagram met it at the far post and sent a shot towards the opposite side of the goal, but Evan Cadwallader was perfectly positioned on the goal line to hack it clear and preserve all 3 points for Met.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photos by Damon Mead.
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – J. Flint, H. Peagram, I. Lambert, A. Mudimu, H. Owen (c), G. Maire, J. Phillips, B. Hughes, F. Yonsian, B. Wynne (R. Oakley 36), J. Jones. Unused Subs – L. Murphy (GK), I. Lee, H. Cartwright, L. Sumner, B. Hoban
Cardiff Met – A. Lang (c), C. Craven, J. Edwards, J. Veale, E. Cadwallader, R. Reynolds, T. Vincent, D. Kabongo, L. Rees (B. Soady 65), S. Jones, A. Roscrow (J. Morris 80). Unused Subs – H. green (GK), G. Morgan, J. Williams, H. Matthews, C. Wright
Flint MOM – Alec Mudimu (showed class and composure on the ball)
