Silkmen skipper Harry Owen scored a hat-trick of headed goals to pave the way to victory for his side and extend Flint’s run of winning home games to six on the bounce, stretching back to the last time these two sides met at the Essity, during phase 1.
Flint started impressively, and but for a fine double save by Ferry’s keeper Will Fuller, they should have been ahead inside 2 minutes. First he got his fingertips to a Josh Jones shot, to somehow deny the Flint striker from close range, then he recovered and dived down to the foot of his post to save again from Ben Collins who was following in.
The visitors got a sight of goal on 6 minutes, when a short throw from near the corner resulted in a cross that picked out Tom Walters, but his header on target was saved by Jack Flint. The home side then mounted a swift counter attack, and a good touch from Elliott Reeves sent Ben Wynne clear, but his shot from the angle slipped past the far post.
However, a couple of minutes later Flint took the lead. Wynne hurled a long throw into the box, and Owen applied a back header to send the ball spinning into the net.
A free kick near the corner flag for the visitors sparked a moment of worry, as it was delivered into the near post, finding a way past Flint, before it was cleared off the line by Sidi Fofana. Then there was another close call, as an attack down the right resulted in Mikey Burke intercepting a cross, inadvertently deflecting the ball onto the post.
In a frenetic opening period, the Silkmen had another great chance on 18 minutes. Ben Hughes won back possession for his team before finding Wynne, whose delivery was played into Jones, but his header lacked the sufficient power, and was straight at Fuller from 6 yards out.
From then on, it was pretty much one way traffic for the rest of the half, as Flint looked to extend their advantage. Hughes tried his luck from 22 yards out, forcing Fuller to touch it around the post. Then Jones beat the offside trap, and hit a shot from the angle on the right of the goal, that struck the woodwork.
On 36 minutes, Burke unleashed a fierce drive from 35 yards out that Fuller did well to divert around his post. From the resulting corner, however, Flint doubled their advantage. Jake Phillips picked out Owen, who rose highest, and powered his header home.
A solid 2-0 lead at the interval for the home side, who were probably slightly disappointed not to have led by three or four.
Within a minute of the restart, they could very well have extended their advantage, but Jones was once again denied by Fuller as he found himself one on one with the keeper. The supporting Hughes then horribly miscued his follow up effort, as Ferry were let off the hook. Had that opportunity been taken, the game would have been effectively over, as it was, there was still a lifeline for the visitors to get back into the match.
And to their credit, they started to create some decent openings, and gain the upper hand. Walters supplied a nice ball to Luke Bowen, who was in plenty of space, and his effort struck the post, and with the ball not being cleared sufficiently, Walters hit a curling effort just over the bar.
Just before the hour mark, Ferry did find their way back into the game, when a rash challenge by Isaac Lee on Corey Hurford inside the box was penalised, and Bowen confidently despatched the resulting penalty.
At this stage the Silkmen were being to look a bit tired and leggy, but the visitors were being spurred on with fresh legs from the bench.
One of the replacements, Tyler Brock hit a shot that Flint did well to touch over the bar as Ferry pushed for an equaliser.
In a rare foray into the visitors box by the home side, Jones was offered another decent sight of goal, but blasted it wide.
The game was eventually made safe with seven minutes remaining, with an almost identical set play to the opening goal. Wynne’s long throw was once again met by Owen, who deftly flicked the ball into the goal to complete his hat-trick.
Ferry tried in vain to respond once more, and Caleb Demery cut inside before hitting a viciously swerving shot that Flint did well to push around his upright.
Harley Peagram was introduced off the bench with 4 minutes remaining, but shortly after coming on, and in attempting to reach the ball, he suffered a horrible collision, and remained prone on the ground in scenes reminiscent of the nasty knee dislocation he suffered back in November. He had to be stretchered off, but fortunately, the diagnosis this time around is much more positive, and it appears he hasn’t suffered any major damage, which is a big relief.
There is no league action next weekend, and we resume with a trip to Newtown on Friday 7th March.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photos by Geoff Quinn.
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Collins, M. Burke, I. Lee, H. Owen (c), S. Fofana (C. Hart 90) J. Phillips, B. Hughes, E. Reeves, B. Wynne, J. Jones (H. Peagram 86 (O. Simmonds 90)). Unused Subs – L. Murphy (GK), G. Maire, L. Morrison, L. Sumner
Briton Ferry – W. Fuller, L. Bates (R. Davies 75), N. Sanca, R. Dyer (T. Brock 53), R. George (J. Rickard 53), K. Williams, K. Jenkins, T. Price, T. Walters (C. Demery 75), L. Bowen (c) (J. Payne 68), C. Hurford. Unused Subs – R. Wilson (GK), J. Norris
Flint MOM – Harry Owen (Captain Fantastic with a hat-trick of headed goals)
