Match of the Day 1 – Flint Town United and Holywell Town still unbeaten after draw

Captains and match-officials line up before the start at the Essity Stadium; All pictures: NIK MESNEY/FAW

JD CYMRU NORTH – REPORT, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023

Flint Town United 1 (Akpa-Akpro pen 90+6)

Holywell Town 1 (Cooke 56)

Match information: Nigel Sheen

Having not drawn in the league for 34 matches, the chance of Holywell sharing the points on Saturday was probably more real than it had been ever since they last split the honours in a 0-0 at home to Holyhead Hotspur in July 2022.

Both the Wellmen and their hosts Flint were unbeaten in the league this season and neither had any intention of surrendering that status.

However, it oh so nearly ended up with Johnny Haseldin’s men taking maximum spoils as they led 1-0 until the 96th minute when the Silkmen’s Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro converted a point-saving penalty.

So, a day which started with two Flintshire giants undefeated remained so at the end.

Holywell still lead the Cymru North, while Flint are just two points behind in third.

An impressive crowd of 916 witnessed this highly-anticipated encounter at the Essity Stadium.

Holywell had the upper hand in the early stages, and could have gone ahead with barely a minute on the clock.

With Brady McGilloway very lively in attack, Danny Sullivan rose highest but headed just over the bar from an early corner.

Holywell (red and white stripes) on the ball

On seven minutes, Flint keeper Rhys Williams pulled off a fine save when he was at full stretch to keep out a Gareth Evans strike from the edge of the box.

After withstanding the opening 10 minutes, Flint gradually began to assert themselves.

Sol Forde headed just over, then Elliott Reeves’ shot was tipped behind by keeper Shaun Pearson. From the resulting corner, Joe Williams’ strike was thwarted by a good Pearson stop.

Akpa-Akpro was through one on one with Pearson, but his shot was too near the keeper.

Half-time: 0-0

The breakthrough eventually came in the 56th minute.

From a throw on the right, the away side quickly switched play across to the left, and Jake Cooke was free to latch onto the ball and confidently slot past Williams.

After that, it was pretty much one-way traffic as Flint pressed for an equaliser, but Holywell defended solidly.

With 10 minutes remaining, Jay Owen swung over a quality free kick that Akpa-Akpro met, but his effort finished just wide of the target.

The game was in the fourth minute of added time when Reeves was brought to ground, earning a penalty for his side.

Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro scores from the spot for Flint to make it 1-1 in the 96th minute

Akpa-Akpro stepped up and buried the spot kick to bring his side level.

The drama still hadn’t quite ended. Holywell’s Sullivan was shown a red card following an apparent elbow on Reeves in an off the ball incident, and then Forde could have won it for the Silkmen almost at the death, but his header finished just over the bar.

Line Ups

Flint Town United – Rhys Williams, Jake Phillips (Ben Hughes 62), Joe Williams, Anthony Stephens (c), Sol Forde, Danny Harrison, Luis Lacey (Josh Jones 80), James Owen (c), Harley Brindley-Peagram (Rhys Kavanagh 62), Elliott Reeves, Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro.

Holywell Town – Shaun Pearson, Ryan Edwards, Zebb Edwards, James Graham (c), Gareth Evans, Danny Sullivan, Tom Bibby, Brady McGilloway (Luke Wiltshire 85), David Forbes (Mark Winslade 61), Danny Andrews (Julian Williams 81), Jake Cooke