A dramatic finish saw Bala squander a chance to go 3-1 up in added time allowing Flint to hit back right at the death to tie the scores at 2-2, thanks to a Ben Hughes goal. However, it was no more than the Silkmen deserved, having gone into the interval 1-0 up, the result of a commanding first half display, only to pay the price for 5 minutes of second half madness as defensive howlers gifted the visitors the lead.
Some of the passing and movement on display in the opening 45 minutes from the home side was a joy to watch, and was a continuation from the form they had shown the previous weekend at Newtown, the only let down being a lack of anticipation in the box at the vital moment. For example, on the quarter of an hour mark, Josh Jones raced onto a through ball on the left side of the area, before smartly cutting it back across goal from the bye-line, but the incoming Florian Yonsian was just too late to connect with it. Then Jake Phillips curled an inviting ball towards the far post, but again Yonsian didn’t quite make the movement that could have seen him be awarded a simple tap in. The Flint frontman, was however, proving to be a thorn in the side of the Bala defence, and he created a great opportunity for himself by turning Nathan Peate, only to see his curled effort finish just over the bar.
The breakthrough arrived on 35 minutes, from a short corner. Phillips played the ball to Jones, who passed it back to the corner taker, and he then picked out Yonsian in space on the edge of the box, who seizing his chance to get a shot away. As the ball made it’s way goalwards, Sidi Fofana was on hand to stick out a boot and poke it home.
A flick on by the giant figure of Hussain Mehasseb created a chance for the Lakesiders to get back on terms just before the interval. Joe Malking ran onto the ball, only to see his shot partially blocked by Jack Flint, and as the ball trickled goalwards, Isaac Lee provided good cover to hack it away in front of his own goal-line.
Defensively Flint can be their own worst enemy, often inviting pressure upon themselves when they attempt to play out from the back. Whilst this is laudable in many respects, sometimes common sense needs to prevail, and they need to recognise when they can and cannot do this. They just about survived a couple of scares in the opening period, but unfortunately didn’t learn their lesson, and this was to prove their undoing in the second half.
On 48 minutes, having made a meal of trying to clear their lines, they gifted Bala possession back, and in desperation, Harry Owen tugged back Mehasseb just inside the box, conceding a penalty. Mehasseb took the spot kick and drove it straight down the middle to being his side back on terms.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Bala’s second goal just 5 minutes later was handed to them on a plate. Isaack Lambert, positioned in the middle of the goal, took a short goal kick along the 6 yard line to Flint, who was to his left. However, the positioning of Flint as he received the pass meant he could only roll it back towards Lambert, who by now was under pressure from an incoming Bala forward. Cue mayhem inside the home side’s box as they desperately tried to clear a mess of their own making. An initial shot was blocked, but the ball fell to Osebi Abadaki who smashed it in to the roof of the net.
Having conceded two very soft goals, it was now a question of how this young Flint side would respond to the situation. And whilst it did take them a while to clear their heads, they did eventually show some resolve and resilience to try and get back into the game. Earlier in the season, they probably wouldn’t have been able to recover from such a setback, but it’s a sign of the progress they are making that they were able to shrug off the earlier disappointment and start to take the game to their opponents once more in the final quarter of the game. Key to this was the introduction of Harley Peagram, who was causing real problems with his incisive and direct running. Even so, it seemed that the final vital touch or bounce of the ball in the opposition box would not go their way.
For example, Peagram made a fine run into the box having received the ball tight on the right touchline. He flashed a cross into the near post, but Bala keeper Joel Torrance was able to beat it around his post. Then, from a corner, with the ball bobbling around, Luke Mariette snatched at it, and sent the ball spiralling over the bar from a good position.
With the game in added on time, Bala were presented with a golden chance to establish a two goal advantage. Malkin was slipped in, and Flint did extremely well to parry the effort, but Nathan Burke was following in, and fired wildly over when he should have done better.
The home side took full advantage moments later when they sprang a devastating counter attack. Harry Owen dispossessed Eddie Clarke on the halfway line and fed Yonsian down the right. To his credit, Owen carried on going forward in support of Yonsian, and he received the ball back, before slipping it to his left to find Ben Hughes. The youngster made the most of the space afforded to him from 12 yards out in the centre of the area to sidefoot home beyond Torrance.
It was just reward for the Silkmen who had battled bravely back into the match, having seemingly lost their way after needlessly shooting themselves in the foot earlier in the half.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photos by Geoff Quinn.
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – Jack Flint, Bobby Beaumont (H. Peagram 75), Isaac Lee, Izaack Lambert, Harry Owen (c), Sidi Fofana, Ben Hughes, Florian Yonsian, Ben Wynne (L. Mariette 75), Josh Jones. Unused Subs – L. Murphy (GK),, M. Burke, G. Maire, T. Mfuni, H. Cartwright
Bala Town – J. Torrance, K. Harrison, U. Kargbo, N. Peate (c), K. Lloyd, A. Edwards, R. White, N. Burke, H. Mehasseb (L. Mendes 88), J. Malkin, O. Abadaki (E. Clarke 88). Unused Subs – R. Jones (GK), D. Malone, T. Hughes, S. Badjana, L. Beck
Flint MOM – Ben Hughes (a creative display capped by the late equaliser)
