Former Manchester United prospect sinks Caernarfon Town with 90th minute winner for Flint

JD CYMRU PREMIER LEAGUE – DECEMBER 23, 2022

Flint Town United 2 (Stephens 9, Cole 90)
Caernarfon Town 1 (Faux 52)

Dynamic substitute Larnell Cole’s 90th minute goal delivered Flint the win they deserved at the Essity Stadium on Friday night.

Former Manchester United and Fulham prospect Cole, also an ex-England U-20 and U-19 international, made a big difference after appearing as a 75th minute replacement for Mark Cadwallader and fittingly grabbed the decider.

It would have been a travesty had the Silkmen not taken all three points as they missed a glut of chances.

Lee Fowler’s side broke the deadlock on nine minutes when Anthony Stephens scored with a magnificent 25-yard free kick from the left.

Flint had the better of the opening half, with Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro failing to make the most of two good opportunities and hesitancy costing Okera Simmonds when he had broken through the Cofis defence.

On the stroke of half time, referee Huw Jones showed Flint assistant-manager – and former Caernarfon boss – Iwan Williams a red card for dissent.

The Canaries shaped much better after the restart, but were initially grateful to Noah Edwards for a goal-line clearance from an Akpa-Akpro header.

Aaron Simpson also hoofed the ball off the line from a Cadwallader effort and within seconds the visitors had equalised.

Flint gave away possession in midfield and Joe Faux broke down the left, outpacing James Owen and turning Harry Owen inside out before hitting a gorgeous shot across keeper Harry Allen into the far corner.

It was the perfect left-winger’s goal – dazzling run, footwork, speed, trickery and a lethal finish.

Caernarfon were now on the up, Iwan Cartwright’s near-post attempt pushed behind by Allen before Gruff John nodded over from a Darren Thomas corner.

Edwards’ firm shot was well held by Allen before at the other end Cadwallader’s strike was grasped at the second attempt by Josh Tibbetts.

The last 20 minutes saw Flint back on top.

Frenchman Akpa-Akpro was always prominent in attack, but his finishing was awry.

The former Toulouse striker, 37, who has represented a number of English Football League clubs, saw one effort smothered by Tibbetts before he was guilty of a bad miss from a Simmonds cross.

Caernarfon went so close to taking the lead against the run of play in the 89th minute when Edwards’ volley from 20 yards came back off the bar.

However, in the 90th minute, Brandon Dieu’s header put Akpa-Akpro in on goal. The forward’s shot beat Tibbetts, but Cartwright cleared off the line. Akpa-Akpro then fed the loose ball across the face of goal and there was Cole at the back post to finish.

Three crucial points for Flint lifted them out of the bottom three and nudged Caernarfon down to eighth spot.