FLINT TOWN UNITED U-19s 1

CAERWYS 2

CAERWYS continued their pre-season programme with a short trip to Cae-y-Castell to face Flint Town United's U-19 Academy side.

The game started at a fast pace and it was the young Flint side that started the brighter, moving the ball around well and enjoying plenty of possession.

However, Caerwys did a very good job of containing their hosts and they weren't really threatened in the opening 15 minutes, with Deiniol Bower, Josh Richardson and Jarek Sakowicz doing a good job in midfield.

The first chance went to Caerwys, with Ryan Edge firing wide from outside the box.

Soon after, a Flint free kick from 20 yards out was equally well saved.

Kieran Smith and new signing Rob MacKenzie were putting in commanding displays in the heart of the defence, which resulted in no further chances for Flint in the first half.

Midway through the half and a great diagonal ball from the impressive Alex Harrison-Smith released Jon Edmonds, whose shot from just outside the box was spilled by the keeper.

He was nearly punished by the onrushing Ryan Edge, but the keeper managed to recover at the last second.

Harrison-Smith combined well with Ruari Wood down the right, but the Flint backline held firm as it remained goalless at the interval.

A tactical change at half-time saw Tom Cumming and Seth Geary come off the bench and they made an instant impact.

Cumming released Edmonds down the left and he was hacked down just inside the area.

Edmonds picked himself up to confidently slot home the penalty and give Caerwys the lead.

Cumming again threatened soon after, as his looping header went narrowly wide with the keeper beaten.

Flint settled quickly and kept asking questions of the Caerwys defence, with Harrison-Smith and Matty Palin keeping the wingers under control.

However, it was level after an hour.

A talented Flint midfielder placed a perfect free kick into the bottom corner.

Flint grew in confidence and began to pile on the pressure, with stand-in keeper Ethan Jones having to sweep up well behind his defence.

However, Caerwys regained control of the midfield, whilst Edmonds and Geary threatened out wide.

A corner was gathered by Kieran Smith on the edge of the box and he supplied a neat ball to Richardson, who blasted into the roof of the net at the second attempt.

Caerwys tried to manage the game as Flint searched for the equaliser, which nearly came in the 85th minute.