The eagerly awaited Flintshire derby where Flint started the afternoon in second place, and the Wellmen hot on their heels in third place got underway infront of a good crowd at the Achieve More Training Stadium.
The home side had the better of the early exhcnaged and the first effort fell to Gareth Evans but his shot went wide of Rhys Williams’ goal. The away side’s first real chance of the game came with 10 minutes on the clock as Ben Wynne turned and shot on goal but his effort flew high over the top of Shaun Pearson’s crossbar. The deadlock was soon broken on 14 minutes.
The Wellmen took the lead through Jamie Breese, good pressure in the penalty area saw the ball come back out to Morgan Murray, who’s shot was turned in by Jamie Breese to give Town the lead. The Wellmen went on to get a quick second goal, great play by Ryan Edwards but his fierce shot flew inches wide. The Silkmen then had a good spell of pressure, Lewis Sirrell with a good header which was deflected over the cross bar for a corner but the visitors were unable to test Pearson from the resulting corner and the ball was cleared. It was end to end stuff by now and Breese got the ball off Solomon Forde on the edge of the box, he burst forward and his low cross was met by Danny Andrews but he was unable to it the target.
With half an hour played, Flint had a chance as Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro had a shot on goal but was unable to get any power on it and Pearson easily gathered. The Wellmen could have doubled their lead moments later, the dangerous Breese broke down the middle, he lay the ball off to Andres but his shot was saved well by Williams, the rebound found Brady McGilloway who’s header was saved again then the ball was cleared as McGilloway attempted to head the ball over the line into an empty net. Wynne went close again for the visitors, but his shot went wide before the visitors had two good efforts to equalise. The ball fell to Elliott Reeves who was through on goal and Pearson saved well, the rebound finds Reeves again and his low shot is blocked by Mike Pearson and as he lay on the floor, he somehow headed the ball away from goal in what turned out to be the last play of the half and the Wellmen went off the field a goal to the good.
The second half got underway and the first chance fell to Flint Town’s Daniel Harrison but he was unable to beat Pearson who saved with his legs. Then the Wellmen went up the other end and nearly scored themselves, Breese through one on one but Williams pulls off a great save, then from the resulting corner, a couple of half chances but the Wellmen were unable to hit the target and the chance was gone. Flint’s Reeves had a shot which Evans did well to block, then moments later, Jake Phillips fires over the bar. The next chance of the half fell to Phillips too but again he fired over, then Breese went close again but his shot flew across the goal. Breese was causing all sorts of problems now, and another low cross was just too fast for the onrushing Mark Winslade, then Breese had a shot blocked again by Williams after a great through ball by Murray.
The game was in injury time and Flint were throwing everything at the Wellmen looking for the equaliser, and it very nearly came as Lacey met it was a good header which looked ot be going in but somehow trickled inches wide past the post. Couple more dangerous balls were sent into the box but the Wellmen held firm and the referee blew for full time and it was bragging rights to the Wellmen and we now overtake Flint Town United into second spot in the JD Cymru League North.