In a complete reverse to the scenario of the semi final, where they were three goals up after half an hour, Flint found themselves three goals down within twenty minutes and were simply unable to recover. Their opponents, Caernarfon, gleefully exploited the spaces in behind the Silkmen’s wingbacks, and made hay whilst the spring sun mostly shined down on Rodney Parade.
They had a warning shot they failed to heed within the opening minute when Sion Bradley shot wide after receiving the ball in an unmarked position. He made no mistake at the second time of asking on 7 minutes, when Paulo Mendes threaded a ball through into his path. He feinted to shoot, sending two Flint defenders completely the wrong way, before turning back inside and striking a right foot shot into the corner.
It was the start of what was going to be a long afternoon for Flint, in which absolutely nothing went right for them. A soft free kick awarded for an Elliott Reeves challenge just outside the box led to the second goal on 12 minutes. With almost everybody expecting a chipped ball played into the area, Matty Jones stepped up to hit an absolute pearler in off the post.
Mikey Burke had a brief site of goal, from a rare Flint attack, but a good defensive block kept out the shot.
Then, on seventeen minutes things went from bad to worse when the Cofis made it 3-0. An inswinging corner found its way to Adrian Cislewicz, who headed against the bar from close range. The ball was adjudged to have bounced over the goalline before Jack Flint grabbed it.
Burke had another opportunity for the Silkmen, when Darren Stephenson broke down the right, and sent in a low ball, that Ben Hughes dummied allowing it to roll into the path of the wingback, who tried to place his shot over the diving body of Connor Roberts, but the keeper stuck up a big hand to deny him. The woodwork then came to Caernarfon’s rescue as Stephenson met a Jack Thorn delivery with a clever flicked header that looked a goal all the way, until it bounced back off the post and into the grateful arms of Roberts.
Had one of those opportunities resulted in a goal it may have given the Silkmen some belief, but as it was the game just got away from them. Flint was called upon to deny Jones another spectacular attempt from a free kick when he tipped his thunderbolt onto the bar and out for a corner, which bizarrely was allowed to be taken from the wrong side of the pitch allowing Caernarfon to keep up the pressure with another inswinging delivery. Just one example of some of the strange officiating decisions that were infuriating the Flint fans.
Caernarfon were continuing to exploit the big gaps in a porous Silkmen defence and Josh Lock was sent through with a great opportunity to make it 4-0 but Flint denied him with a brilliant save to turn his effort around the post.
At the start of the second half, Jake Phillips was introduced into the action, as Flint faced the nigh on impossible task of clawing back a three goal deficit. Stephenson made a run into the box, before squaring the ball to Hughes, whose sidefooted shot looked as though it could have crept inside the far post, but for an outstretched defensive foot that deflected the ball away from its trajectory.
Caernarfon were adept at preventing any momentum getting going from a Flint perspective, breaking up play with clever little fouls in the middle of the park, to stop any sort of fluidity to the Silkmen’s play.
In a sign that when your luck’s out it really is out, Flint then had a goal chalked off for offside, when a Caernarfon player headed a ball into his own net. From a corner, the ball was half cleared, only for it to be returned with a looping delivery. Harry Owen went to challenge for it, as it came back in, and he was deemed to have been in an offside position as it was sent back into the box.
Understandably, gaps were now appearing at the back as the Silkmen had to chase the game, and Lock had another great chance, but once again was denied by Flint parrying his shot, before Jake Canavan nipped in with a tremendous goal saving challenge as the rebound bounced back invitingly for Zach Clarke.
Reeves appeared to be bundled over late on for what looked like a nailed on penalty, but once again Flint found themselves on the wrong side of the officials’ decisions, although at that stage it would have only been a consolation effort.
So after this disappointing result and display we now move onto our last league match of the season, away at Cardiff Met, knowing we have to match Bala’s result, should the Lakesiders win in their game, to avoid being dragged into the relegation placings.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Caernarfon Town – C. Roberts, K. Harrison, M. Jones, R. Sears (M. Owen 82), P. Mooney, S. Bradley (D. Thomas 87), P. Mendes, D. Gosset (c), A. Cieslewicz, J. Lock (I. Lewis 82), Z. Clarke (B. Young 82). Unused Subs – H. Thomas, A. Davies,
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Woollam, M. Burke (J. Jones 76), S. Fofana, H. Owen (c), J. Thorn (J. Phillips 46), L. Jonas (M. Purvis 81), B. Hughes (B. Wynne 87), E. Reeves, J. Canavan, D. Stephenson. Unused subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), E. Smith, A. Mudimu
