Flint got their league campaign underway with a well earned point away at Bala, courtesy of a classy Ben Wynne strike that brought them back on level terms having fallen behind.
Indeed having reached parity just inside the half hour mark, they then dominated play and should have ended the first period in front. The second half was a much more even affair, as the game descended into a scrappy battle, with good football at a premium.
The Silkmen started brightly, when Isaac Lee strode out of defence towards the half way line with the ball, before threading a pass through to Elliott Reeves on the edge of the area. He managed to round the defender, but was forced wide and shot into the side netting. Reeves had another sight of goal on 15 minutes, as a ball was played through to him, but good defending closed down his shooting angle and the effort was just wide of the target.
Slightly against the run of play, Bala took the lead on 19 minutes, as Flint were caught cold from a corner. Lakesiders’ skipper Nathan Burke sent in the delivery, and the big target man Mohamed Mehasseb stretched out a foot in front of Lee, to force the ball home. A disappointing set piece goal to concede from a Flint point of view.
The Silkmen rallied following this setback, and Wynne let fly from just outside of the box, with Bala keeper Joel Torrance doing well to block, the ball bouncing out to Reeves on the wide right of the area, who sent it crashing back into the side netting once more. However, they didn’t have to wait long for the equaliser. Ben Hughes and new signing Jake Canavan combined well on the left, with Canavan delivering a nicely weighted cross onto the head of Darren Stephenson, who flicked it on and into the path of Wynne, who met it on the volley and smashed the ball past Torrance.
A rare foray into the opposition half almost brought dividends for Bala shortly after. Louis Hall received the ball and weaved his way infield from the right, before striking a goalbound effort that Jack Flint had to react well to, palming the ball away at full stretch.
The Silkmen could have ended the half in front, when they created a good chance on 38 minutes. Jake Phillips sprinted down the right before pulling the ball back to Reeves, who touched it on to the supporting Ben Hughes, who cracked in a shot that screamed goal, but Torrance reacted extremely well, threw up his arms and managed to deflect it onto the bar. The loose ball was picked back up and returned into the box to Stephenson, who curled the ball around the post.
Unfortunately, the second half failed to live up to the standard set in the opening 45 minutes, and the game descended into a very disjointed affair.
Bala put together a nice passage of play around the hour mark, when a good ball picked out Hall on the right. He made progress down the flank before whipping in a great cross to Mehasseb, who was in space, but lifted his shot over the bar from a good position.
Flint huffed and puffed but couldn’t really make any headway. They did manage to get the ball the ball in the net on 85 minutes, although play had already been stopped for what looked like a fairly innocuous foul, given what the referee had previously allowed in terms of physical challenges. A tremendous ball had picked out Reeves, who was isolated and up against two defenders. He used his physicality to break free, and turn in on goal and fire into the net, only for the whistle to deny him, as it was ruled he had committed a foul in the process.
Right at the death, Flint could have won it when Harry Owen raced in to meet a cross from close range, but under challenge he was unable to direct the ball goalwards, and it went harmlessly wide.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
Bala Town – J. Torrance, R. White, L. Hall, N. Digbeu, W. Bell, O. Ibrahim (D. McGiveron 77), H. Dean, N. Burke (c), J. Tarasenko (J. Owen 84), M.Mehasseb, L. Higgins (L. Lumenka 69). Unused subs – A. Mihai (GK), J. Walls, E. Smith, R. Nicholas
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Woollam, I. Lee, J. Canavan (G. Maire 86), H. Owen (c), J. Thorn, J. Phillips (J. Jones 66), B. Hughes, E. Reeves, B. Wynne, D. Stephenson (C. Ferguson 66). Unused Subs – D. Szczepaniak (GK), S. Fofana
Flint MOM – Ben Wynne (good all round performance capped by a sublime strike)
