An eighth home win on the trot and their biggest victory in the league, saw Flint end their campaign on a high, and brought the curtain down on a memorable and successful season for the Silkmen.
Their opponents Newtown, whose relegation had been confirmed last week, started the game strongly and dominated possession in the opening fifteen to twenty minutes, without really testing Jack Flint in the home goal. Harry Owen and Isaack Lambert were standing strong and containing the twin threat of Jason Oswell and Aaron Williams.
Flint then started to assert themselves onto the game, and began finding space for their playmakers to operate in.
A Jake Phillips free kick on 20 minutes was met by George Maire, whose stooping header was tipped over the bar by Julian Garcia in the visitors’ goal. A few minutes later, Phillips released Elliott Reeves, whose initial touch was a bit heavy, and took him away from goal. Still he collected the ball on the bye-line and then pulled it back to the supporting Ben Wynne, whose sidefooted effort was safely collected by Garcia.
The opening goal arrived on 26 minutes, and Reeves was again instrumental, by showing good footwork on the bye-line before trying to pick out Ben Hughes. Rob Evans intercepted for Newtown, but only succeeded in powering the ball past Garcia for an own goal.
On the half hour mark it was 2-0, and from that point on, there was only going to be one winner. Wynne produced a sublime defence splitting pass to release Reeves, who took it in his stride, before despatching a low shot into the corner of the net, with deadly accuracy.
Flint were now starting to open up the Newtown defence with comparative ease, and some of the slick, passing was a joy to watch. One such move saw Maire release Josh Jones, who cut inside from the left, and tried to find the top corner, but his effort just cleared the bar.
Wynne was again the provider for the third goal, as he released Maire. The youngster galloped into the box and sidefooted home, with Garcia getting a touch on the shot but was unable to keep it out.
Flint continued where they left off in the second half, and the Newtown goal just about survived several close calls, none more so than just after the hour mark, when Reeves burst through down the right, before teeing up Jones, but his shot flashed the wrong side of the upright, to the relief of a scrambling Garcia.
Lee Fowler had taken the opportunity to introduce Academy players Callum Ferguson and Liam Bevan from the bench, and both took their opportunity to impress, displaying some nice touches, as the home side continued to dominate.
Newtown did manage to muster one decent effort on goal, when, from an Oliver Sharp free kick delivered to the back post, Williams headed goalwards but Dawid Szczepaniak, another second half substitute for the Silkmen, gathered it with little trouble.
Flint’s fourth arrived on 81 minutes, when Maire pounced on a slip by Evans, and raced away before coolly slotting past Garcia, setting the seal on a comprehensive victory.
Report by Nigel Sheen. Photos by Geoff Quinn.
Line Ups :
Flint Town United – J. Flint (D. Szczepaniak 62), I. Lambert, M. Burke, L. Mariette (O. Simmonds 62), H. Owen (c) (C. Ferguson 62), G. Maire, J. Phillips, B. Hughes, E. Reeves (D. Davies 90), B. Wynne (L. Bevan 68), J. Jones. Unused Sub – L. Morrison
Newtown AFC – J. Garcia, D. Smith, C. Smith (W. Tahra 79), D. Martin (D. Torry 79), J. Harries, D, Downs (T. Hollinshead 71), G. Hughes, R. Evans, J. Oswell, A. Williams (c) (H. Howells 83), O. Sharp (A. Roberts 79). Unused Subs – S. Ussher (GK), C. Smith
Flint MOM – George Maire (great all round performance topped off with two goals)
