A very youthful Flint side were brushed aside by reigning champions TNS, as they looked to reassert themselves in this season’s title race.
With players missing through injury and suspension, Flint manager Lee Fowler took a bold decision to rotate his squad, and put some of his more senior players on the bench, to give others some game time. It did mean, though, he was trying a new centre half pairing for the first time, a daunting prospect when facing any side, let alone the full time professionals of The New Saints.
The new look Silkmen side were on the back foot after just 6 minutes, when the defence were caught square, and Remi Oteh got on the end of a through ball, before sliding it across the 6 yard box for Jordan Williams to tap home.
Flint got a rare glimpse of the TNS goal on 13 minutes, as Ben Hughes nipped in to win possession, before feeding Florian Yonsian. TNS keeper Connor Roberts saved Yonsian’s shot with his legs. Following that escape, the Saints broke quickly down the other end, and Oteh, cutting in from the right, hit the post.
However, in their very next attack, the home side made it 2-0. Sion Bradley made a typical mazy run into the box, before the ball was cleared to Ben Clark on the edge of the area. His shot was parried by Jack Flint, only to fall to Oteh, who was positioned in front of the keeper, and he got the benefit of any offside call to slot the rebound home.
It was 3-0 on 41 minutes, when a cross from the left picked out Dan Williams, and despite Flint getting a hand to it, the shot found its way into the net.
The second half saw the introduction of Jake Phillips, Josh Jones, Ben Wynne off the bench, but by now the game was beyond the Silkmen and it was a case of damage limitation.
Oteh grabbed his second of the game on 55 minutes, as he was picked out in a central position 18 yards out, shrugged off a challenge to head towards goal, then calmly rounded Flint and finished into an empty net.
The scoring was complete with 18 minutes remaining, substitute Adrian Cieslewicz heading in a Josh Daniels cross at the back post.
One bright moment on an otherwise gloomy evening for the Silkmen was the introduction of Levi Morrison on 74 minutes, the youngster making his senior debut for Flint.
Report by Nigel Sheen
Line Ups :
The New Saints – C. Roberts (c), J. Williams (N. Doforo 59), J. Marshall, J. Canavan, D. Davies (J. Pask 80), J. Bodenham, J. Daniels, S. Bradley (D. McManus 59), D. Williams (R. Brobbel 72), B. Clark, A. Oteh (A. Cieslewicz 59). Unused Subs – O. Karolak, D. Redmond
Flint Town United – J. Flint, B. Beaumont, M. Burke, L. Mariette (J. Phillips 46), I. Lee, T. Mfuni, S. Fofana (J. Jones 46), B. Hughes (c) (H. Cartwright 74), H. Peagram, F. Yonsian (L. Morrison 74), G. Maire (B. Wynne 46). Unused subs – L. Murphy (GK), I. Lambert
Flint MOM – Isaac Lee (on a difficult night for his side, he kept goingand put in a good shift)
