No Halloween Frights for Flint as they progress into Round 3

Flint were in the driving seat early on, thanks to a 7th minute opening goal. A long throw by John Davies caused some panic in the Rhostyllen penalty box, and the ball was half cleared to the edge of the area, where the waiting Stewart Carroll clinically smashed it into the back of the net.
Having gained this early advantage, Flint didn't really follow up on it, and the hosts started to claw their way back into the game, and created some good chances of their own, but were unable to take them.
On 16 minutes, a good ball was swung in from the right, and Steve Jones strained his neck muscles to get in a strong header that Flint keeper Ross Dalton pushed over the bar. A couple of minutes later, Jones had an even better chance, when he met an Allman cross with a free header, but with the goal at his mercy he put it over the bar.
The game was fast developing into a scrappy affair, and either side were unable to create any more clear cut chances, until right on the stroke of half time, when Flint grabbed the all important second goal. Kyle Smyth was battling for possession of the ball on the edge of the area, when he was fouled. Carroll stepped up to take the free kick, and was almost licking his lips, as he surveyed the situation. He struck a curling effort into the top corner, just out of reach of Josh Jones in the home goal.
The second half was a more end to end affair, with both sides looking fragile defensively and being unable to convert chances at the other end.
Rhos had a good chance to get back into the game just 4 minutes into the second period, courtesy of a mix up between Dalton and Mark McGregor. Dalton came to collect a cross, but McGregor, in attempting to clear it, forced the ball out of Dalton's hands, and the ball ran loose in the box. Fortunately, by the time a Rhos attacker got to the ball to get a shot in on goal, Dalton had recovered his position, and comfortably saved the rather weak effort.
Lee Healey whipped in a cross for Flint on 68 minutes that looked to be on a plate for Simon Thelwell, but his free header went wide of the target.
Flint were guilty of losing possession in the middle of the field on 74 minutes, and Steve Jones got on the end of a through ball, but Dalton was alert to save his effort with his legs.
Another golden opportunity was spurned by the hosts on 79 minutes, when Dalton missed his punch on a cross, and the follow up effort was cleared off the line by Flint skipper Craig Jones.
To their credit Rhostyllen kept going to the end and soon afterwards another cross flashed across the Flint goal, but no-one was on hand to apply the final touch.
Flint almost had the last say, when Carroll produced a great defence splitting pass that found Thelwell, but his effort went just wide of the post as he shot from an acute angle.
Rhostyllen take plenty of plaudits away from this game, as they were always in the match, and produced several good attacking moves. If their finishing had matched some of their approach play, then they could have posed a real threat to a Flint side that did just about enough to get through the tie.

Team Line Ups :
Rhostyllen - Josh Jones, D. Jones, J. Richards, D. Wickens, D. Hignett, J. Selley (R. Smith 72), A. Ryan (L. Clamp 43), K. Roberts, S. Allman, S. Jones (c), James Jones. Unused Subs - B. Patterson, R. Gibson, C. Spencer
Flint Town United - R. Dalton, J. Davies, J. Hill, M. McGregor, R. Courtney, C. Jones (c), L. Healey, S. Carroll, S. Thelwell (A. Goudrey 88), P. McManus (A. Dobson 80), K. Smyth (B. Brierley 85). Unused Sub - J. Gallagher

Goalscorers :
Flint Town United - Stewart Carroll (7, 45)

Bookings :
Rhostyllen - Yellow Cards : Josh Jones (38)
Flint Town United - Yellow Cards : Johnny Hill 65, Simon Thelwell 73

Flint MOM : Stewart Carroll (Two quality goals enlivened an otherwise low key Flint performance)