Flint Town United V Caernarfon Town FC
Wednesday 25 September, 19:45
Matty Clinches Late Win For Cofis.
Flint Town United 1 – 2 Caernarfon.
Caernarfon were in Cymru Premier League action on Wednesday evening and they travelled to a damp Essity Stadium on the back of four points from their last two league matches. The hosts, after a challenging start to the season, had won seven points from their last three matches.
The Cofis started well and went ahead after just three minutes. Following an initial period of dominance the visitors forced a corner and, with the rain thrashing down, home keeper Jack Flint found the ball too wet to hold in the six yard area, with Paulo Mendes on hand to tap the ball in.
The stopper made up for his mistake seven minutes later as he flung himself to his left to get a hand to a Louis Lloyd rocket that seemed destined for the onion bag until Flint intervened.
Caernarfon were dominant with the hosts falling into a low block that invited pressure, and Zack Clarke should have done better in the fifteenth minute when in the box but his effort flew over the target from eight yards.
The Silkmen finally forced Town’s number one, Stephen McMullen, into action a minute later after Elliott Reeves did well down the right wing before cutting the ball back into the path of Florian Yonsian, whose strike saw Stephen McMullan parr the ball away.
Hard working Adam Davies tried a cheeky lob from thirty yards on the half hour mark that ended on top of the net and this somehow signalled a swing in the match as Flint took their turn to dominate possession.
They were rewarded with an equaliser in the fortieth minute after Caernarfon only half cleared a corner to Jake Phillips, who found Lambert with a pinpoint cross into the six yard area and he made no mistake, heading past McMullen.
Lambert nearly repeated the feat two minutes later from another Phillips cross but McMullen did enough to scramble the ball away. A well worked set-piece between Phillips and Josh saw the latter float the ball goalbound and whilst it beat McMullen, it struck the woodwork and was eventually cleared to safety.
The hosts continued to press early on after the break but without really creating any opportunities as Caernarfon’s defence, with Ryan Sear in supreme form, somehow found a way to deal with the constant crosses being put into their box.
Lloyd went close to regaining Town’s lead in the fifty third minute but his effort from the ‘D’ sailed six inches over the target, whilst his free kick three minutes caused some panic in the home area before the ball bounced into Flint’s hands.
The action was fast, and sometimes frantic as the sides went looking for a later winner and Zack Clarke twice looked as if he would provide it. First, he was put through by Mendes and, having shown a clean pair of heels to Ben Hughes, he struck for goal but the advancing Flint was equal to it and did well to keep the ball out of his net. Just a minute later Clarke was brought down in the box but hit his effort from the penalty spot against the post, which was met with a roar from the home supporters.
Buoyed by the miss, the hosts sped upfield through Bobby Beaumont who squared the ball to Yonsian but he saw his first time effort superbly saved by the diving McMullan.
The late introduction of Darren Thomas, Osian Evans and Matty Hill gave Caernarfon more energy and control in the final third and excellent play between all three set up Matty Jones for the Cofis’ late winner, the full back joining in the action and firmly placing the ball past Flint and into the net from just inside the penalty area. An excellent strike from the recent signing from Newtown that was worthy of winning the match.
Tyn Lon Volvo Garage Man of the Match: Paulo Mendes.
Team: Stephen McMullen, Je Faux, Ryan Sears, Phil Mooney, Matty Jones, Stefan Edwards, Danny Gosset, Paulo Mendes, Adam Davies, Zack Clarke, Louis Lloyd. Subs (used): Darren Thomas, Matty Hill, Osian Evans. Not used: Hari Thomas, Sam Downey, Morgan Davies, Caron Williams.