Barry Town United 0-1 Flint Town United: Cadwallader’s header enough for the three points
Mark Cadwallader’s goal was enough to separate the teams as Flint beat Barry 1-0 in a feisty encounter.
As the Cymru Premier roared back into action after its brief suspension, it was Flint who took all three points from Jenner Park, in an ill-tempered game where nine yellow cards were given out.
The first chance of the match fell to Barry. Callum Sainty was bundled over on the edge of the box and the returning Jon Hood lined up the free kick. It was struck well but went narrowly past the post.
After that Flint had two glorious chances to take the lead. Firstly, Ben Maher floated in a free kick which Cadwallader rose highest to meet, but his header dipped over the bar. The second fell to Jack Kenny. He was played through after a wonderful backheel flick from Jake Phillips, but his effort went so wide it went out for a throw in on the other side of the pitch.
On the half-hour mark, Barry had another chance to take the lead. Chris Hugh drove into the Flint half all the way to the edge of the area, where his low cross was almost poked in by Nat Jarvis, but the ball narrowly evaded the Barry striker.
The goal came three minutes into the second half. A long throw from Phillips was launched into the box and Cadwallader rose like a salmon and powered the ball past Lewis to put the Silkmen ahead.
However, after the goal it was all one-way traffic as Barry tried to get an equaliser. Hood was bundled over in the area and there were appeals for a penalty, but the referee was not interested. Two minutes later, Evan Press’ header from a corner was clawed out expertly by Woods.
Sainty was the next one to go close for Town. Hugh delivered a cross, but Sainty couldn’t sort his feet out and as a result, couldn’t get his shot on target.
The home side were then almost gifted a goal from a Woods error. Theo Warton’s shot somehow wormed underneath the Flint keeper, but the ball slithered past the post.
Ten minutes from the end, Barry had their best chance to equalise. Press got himself on the end of another corner, which Woods parried away but only as far as Curtis McDonald, who from a yard out, somehow did not manage to convert, to the shock and horror of the Barry faithful.
From then on, Barry continued to push for a goal, putting in cross after cross into the box, but Flint dealt with everything expertly and secured the victory.
The result means that Barry are ninth in the Cymru Premier, and eight points behind sixth place Caernarfon. Flint stay in third place.
Barry will now face local rivals Cardiff Met in Cyncoed, while Flint face Connah’s Quay Nomads at home. Both matches will take place on Tuesday night.
Barry Town United: Michael Lewis (GK), Luke Cummings, Chris Hugh (Rhys Abbruzzese, 85’), Callum Sainty (Jordan Cotterill, 74’), Nat Jarvis, Rhys Kavanagh (Marcus Day, 74’), Theo Warton, Curtis McDonald, Clayton Green (C), Jon Hood (Aron Davies, 74’), Evan Press
Subs: Kelland Absalom
Yellow Cards: Clayton Green (43’), Jon Hood (57’), Michael Lewis (57’), Jordan Cotterill (89’), Curtis McDonald (89’)
Flint Town United: Ryan Woods (GK), Jake Phillips, Samuel Hart, Ben Maher, Ben Nash, Kai Edwards, Jack Kenny, Alex Jones (C), Mark Cadwallader, Callum Bratley (Conor Harwood, 66’), Oliver Nugent (Daniel Roberts, 81’)
Subs: Jonathan Rushton (GK), Samuel Duffy, Liam Ellis, Jack Higgins
Yellow Cards: Ben Maher (23’), Alex Jones (57’), Kai Edwards (68’), Neil Gibson (88’)
