After the disappointment of being knocked out of the Horace Wynne Cup against today's opponents just last week, Flint Mountain looked to rebound with a win in the league against high flying Rhostyllen. With the defeat still fresh, Flint Mountain altered their formation to try and counter the threat of Rhostyllen with a switch to a 3-5-2 formation. At the back, the usual pairing of Ian Wynne and Scott Forrester were joined by Chris Layne as Keiron Moore and Sean Wilkes returned to the starting line up, with Ryan Jones unavailable and Ryan Bradley dropping to the bench.

Following on from the disastrous start suffered last week, Flint Mountain were looking to defend from the front with strikers Lee Messham and Sean Wilkes pressing high up the pitch in order to suppress Rhostyllen. The first real chance of the game come fifteen minutes in. A long ball found Wilkes on the shoulder of the last defender. With Wilkes clean through on goal and with a defender breathing down his neck, he opted to take it on his left and blazed uncharacteristically high and wide. Five minutes later, Flint Mountain were dealt a body blow. Despite defending excellently up until this point, one lapse in concentration and one piece of skill was all it took to go a goal behind. As the ball bobbled around the penalty area, the Rhostyllen attacker kept the ball in the air with a bit of skill, and fired a volley into the corner of Ricky Bennett's goal. Despite a barrage of high balls into the Mountain penalty area, the defence otherwise held firm, but were unable to carve an opening. From a free kick on the edge of Rhostyllen area, Keiron Moore opted to take it quick, but caught Sean Wilkes off guard, to let a great opportunity go begging. At the break, Rhostyllen went in with just the one goal advantage.

The second half started even, but a bit of sloppy play from a Mountain throw in again gifted an opponent a goal. Chris Layne threw the ball long down the line, where Keiron Moore was muscled off the ball Rhostyllen counter attacked. As they did, a simple squared ball left an easy finish with Mountain players out of position. After this, Flint Mountain made an attacking substitution, with Aaron Austin and Ryan Bradley replacing Lewis Evans and Alex Millington. The introduction of Bradley meant that Chris Layne was moved further upfield. Within minutes of coming on, Austin had a great chance, but with the goal at his mercy he could only aim straight at the Rhostyllen goalkeeper. After this, Mountain were indebted to Ricky Bennett for a couple of wonder saves to keep the score as it was, diving backwards and tipping the ball over the crossbar, before a point blank effort was somehow clawed away from goal. These saves rallied the side as they got back into the game with twenty minutes to go. The goal though, came courtesy of a penalty given in controversial circumstances. Inside the penalty area, a Rhostyllen defender had been deemed to use excessive force when challenging through the back of Lee Messham, who dusted himself off and blasted home the penalty.

As the game drew to a close, Mountain continued to press for an equaliser and won a corner with minutes to go. With the majority of the team pushing forward, Mountain then had a strong penalty claim away, but the referee failed to adjudge the player holding onto the Mountain player as a penalty. With tragic irony, Rhostyllen then counter attacked and from closed off the game with a vital third goal.

Next up for Flint Mountain, is another trip to Wrexham to face Maesgwyn in the NEWFA Challenge Cup. Maesgwyn come into the game on the back of their first league defeat at the weekend. Flint Mountain will look at the game with confidence, having gathered a point with a depleted squad earlier this season.

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