It seems almost inconceivable that we find ourselves in the situation where we are having to go into the last game of the season needing to at least equal the result of Bala to guarantee our survival in the league. Just 5 league games ago we came away from the return fixture against Haverfordwest, having secured an excellent 3-1 win, knowing another 4 points from our remaining 5 matches would ensure our survival. However, a series of indifferent displays, culminating in two successive home defeats has left us in this precarious position. Our season long habit of conceding soft goals where the opposition don’t have to work too hard and not converting our own chances has really come back to haunt us, and now there really is no more room for error. We need our senior players to step up, and for the whole team to develop more steel in their overall play , and to cut out the over elaboration in the final third if we are to be successful in our quest to retain our league status, In effect we now have two cup finals on our hands, the Welsh Cup final a week om Sunday and the last league match of the season at Cardiff Met the following Saturday.
This latest defeat, together with Bala’s 5-0 away win at Llanelli, means that our goal difference advantage over the Lakesiders has been negated, with a six goal swing.
The game was played with a strong wind blowing down the pitch, and Haverfordwest had it at their backs in the first half, and started the game the stronger. However, it was Flint who created the first talking point on 12 minutes, when a long ball found Osebi Abadaki, and he scampered into the box, but went down under a defender’s challenge. Referee Mark Petch, officiating in his last Cymru Premier game, ruled that the tackle had fairly won the ball, much to the frustration of the Flint players and fans.
The visitors put together a good move on 22 minutes, after possession had been carelessly given away to them 25 yards out. Greg Walters slipped the ball into the path of Corey Shepherd, who broke into the box, and Jack Flint came to his side’s rescue with a good save with his legs, before the ball was eventually scrambled clear.
The home side gave an immediate response, as a clever Elliott Reeves flick found Jake Canavan, who, in turn, found Jake Phillips on the right, who drilled in an excellent low cross, that was just begging to be touched home, but no incoming Flint players were able to get the vital touch.
A minute before the break, a misplaced Jack Thorn pass gifted possession back to Haverfordwest, with the dangerous Shepherd picking up the ball before slipping a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Ben Ahmun who ran through and slotted it past Flint in the home goal.
In the second half, bar for a Ricky Watts shot that forced Flint into making a good save, the visitors contented themselves in sitting in deep and defending their 18 yard box, which they did superbly well for the most part. Time and time again, the Silkmen tried to pick their way through a massed Bluebirds defence, and time and time again the visitors successfully repelled them. Lee Jonas was prominent in surging forward with the ball to try and unlock a stubborn Haverfordwest back line.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, a Phillips free kick delivery was met by Ben Woollam, but a deflection took his effort just wide of the far post. Then, a few minutes later, Darren Stephenson met another cross and headed towards goal. The ball looked as though it was heading inside the post, before rolling agonisingly wide. With a couple of minutes remaining, Ben Hughes picked the ball up, demonstrated some nice skill, and opened up a decent shooting opportunity on the edge of the box. Haverfordwest keeper Ifan Knott sprung across his goal, and at full stretch denied Hughes the chance to level the match.
Despite all the possession that Flint had enjoyed after the interval, this was the only notable save that Knott was called upon to make, a sad indictment of the paucity of the Silkmen’s attacking threat.
The only positive to be taken from this result is that our fate is still in our own hands and the players can be under no illusions of what they need to do in our last game at Cardiff. Before that, of course, they will need to lift themselves for next weekend’s Welsh Cup final, when we will take on a strong Caernarfon side.
Report by Nigel Sheen Photos by Damon Mead
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Woollam, M. Burke (D. Stephenson 67), L. Jonas, H. Owen (c), J. Thorn, J. Phillips (J. Jones 90), B. Hughes, E. Reeves, J. Canavan (A. Mudimu 90), O. Abadaki. Unused Subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), S. Fofana, M. Purvis, C. Ferguson
Haverfordwest County – I. Knot, D. Rees (c), R. Abbruzzese, K. Kenniford (H. Thomas 46), K. McCarthy, J. Bacon, R. Watts (A. Watkins 85), C. Shepherd, B. Ahmun (O. Jones 90), D. Hawkins (I. Humphreys 85), G. Walters. Unused Subs – L. Rees (GK), P. Makwiramiti, W. Hughes
Flint MOM – Lee Jonas (was impressive coming forward with the ball to try and get his side back into the game)
