JD Cymru Premier: Flint begin 2025 with fine win which lifts them out of the bottom three
JD CYMRU PREMIER – JANUARY 1, 2025
Flint Town United 2 (Phillips 53, Burke 87)
Newtown 0
Flint made the perfect start to 2025 by completing the double over Newtown and lifting themselves out of the Cymru Premier bottom three.
The Silkmen’s cause was certainly helped by some eccentric goalkeeping from the Robins’ Italian glovesman Samuel Ussher, but Lee Fowler’s men were good value for the three points.
Newtown had their moments in the first half, Aaron Williams seeing a 25-yard effort tipped over by Jack Flint, while Albanian Zeli Ismael fired a fierce strike just wide from distance.
Early in the second half, the Powys visitors went closest to a goal up to that point when an Ismael free kick from about 25 yards came back off the crossbar.
However, it was the Silkmen who broke the deadlock after 53 minutes.
Keeper Flint provided the perfect assist when his clearance picked out Jake Phillips free in the opposition box and the ex-Newtown and Airbus man chipped a stranded Ussher and the ball bounced high into the net.
Things got worse for the visitors on the hour when Jolyon Harries was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Ben Hughes.
Flint were now well on top, defender Callum Roberts and Ussher guilty of an awful mix-up before Phillips crossed, Hughes headed goalwards, but Shane Sutton was on the goal-line to clear.
Michael Burke was then found free on the left and his low cross left Josh Jones with just the keeper to beat, but Ussher stuck out a leg and saved the day.
However, the hosts would not be denied and an 87th minute second goal guaranteed the three points.
Ussher raced out of his goal to meet a long clearance, but succeeded in only heading the ball straight to Burke, who lashed into an empty net.
FLINT TOWN UNITED
Jack Flint
Michael Burke
Harry Owen (c)
Jake Phillips
Ben Hughes (Harry Thomas Cartwright 90+4)
Elliott Reeves (Luke Mariette 74)
Ben Wynne
Joshua Jones (Logan Sumner 90+4)
Izaack Lambert (Teddy Mfuni 67)
Isaac Lee
Sidi Sanogo Fofana
UNUSED SUBS
Luke Murphy
George Maire
Levi Morrison