Flinn kick starts return of the good times at Willen rd but rain stopped play with 2-1 lead against Daventry Town.

Today after losing 3-4 away to Leicester Navarna, the swans were looking for a straight forward win today to get them moving up the league from mid table after the return of FA Vase legionary manager, Gary Flinn. The home match looked straight forward enough with Daventry well below them in the table. Flinn needs to prove himself as a league promotion manager as well as being one of the most outstanding cup runner manager that has ever lived. With only a handful of players left ftom the legionary FA base side, like Adam Pike, Flinn has his work cut out to get the swans back on track chasing glory again. Flinn failed as a league manager at Leighton Buzzard and the swans performance has dipped with his absence from the club. There was expectation at Willen rd today that Flinn could turn things around.

The first ten minutes were surprisingly even with both sides getting some action but no serious shots on goal. A swans right hand corner was earnt in the eleventh minute with a cross which connected with the head of Jake Watkinson and went straight back into the net with a huge roaring cheer coming from the Swans fans.

New Swans side under Gary Flinn’s return gather before kick off with Daventry Town.

A goal up allowed the Swans to consolidate their play and they looked solid in all departments. All they had to do for the first half was hold onto the lead and push to extend it in the second. In the 22nd minute, Davrntry got a right hand corner of their own but the cross was low and soon quickly cleared by the Swans defence. To their credit, Daventry kept fighting and got a shot on goal a minute later which was saved by a dive from goal keeper Luke Abraham.

As the first half moved into the third quarter, the Swans were still holding their lead. Cold rain started to arrive and then in the thirty third minute Newport were awarded a penalty, reasonably easily taken by Corvill Pickering, putting the swan 2-0 up. From there confidence grew and the Swans were able to put more pressure in to the Daventry end and penalty box. There was a feeling of electricity about the ground with a packed home end, drummer playing and things looking like the juice had been switched back on the pitch. The icy rain kept coming down and everyone felt relieved when the referee finally blew the half time whistle and the players were allowed to return to the warmth of the dressing room. The Swans were looking for a way to kill off the match in the second half while Daventry needed to contemplate on how they could get back in. Daventry needed to greatly raise their game, if there was any chance of that.

Daventry came out fighting and in the first few seconds of the second half put the ball in the back of the net with a goal which was obviously disallowed. From then on

the clouds really opened and the rain came pouring down. Daventry kept on with the opening half pressure leading to another fine diving save by the swans goalkeeper. The swans tried to counter the alarming opening Daventry play with another header from Jake Watkinson up the other end which nearly went in. The rain kept pouring down and was a real nuisance. and added to Newport taking their eyes off the ball and a Daventry goal going in to make it 2-1. With the rain to contend with and Daventry radically stepping up their play, Newport had to keep fighting as the second half moved into the second quarter. With the floodlights switched on and glistening pouring rain, the swans fans started to become more vocal hoping to inspire the swans more on the pitch. The match was turning into a real dog eat dog battle as the players contended with the fast endless down pour and each other’s play. As the second half time moved on, Daventry’s half time pep talk started to b class effective, as the Seans started to get more of the play and a stronger grip on the match. The players were swimming and sliding on the pitch, the ball continued to move from end to end and Neeport got another right hand corner which they played short and didn’t get anywhere. In the 68 th min, a Swans player was badly fouled and a Daventry player was sent off. The mud bath, sliding pitch was adding to the players agony and frustration and it was no surprise that the bad fouls started to creep in With Daventry down to ten men, things were looking more promising for the swans and all they had to do was hold on. As the match moved into the final quarter , the pouring fast rain still did not relent and neither did Daventry’s will to keep fighting and keep the pressure on. All Newport could do was hope that the cold, the rain, the sliding pitch, being one man down would allow them to hold onto the lead and take the three points. Newport needed a killer goal but with the rain and the sliding pitch it was difficult for them to put the necessary required play together.

Blinding rain and a sliding pitch made things difficult for both sides in the second half.

Ten minutes from the end Adam Pike broke through the Daventry defence and nearly killed off the match but was pushed successfully away by the Daventry defence. More drama followed when the referee made a late decision to abandon play due to a dangerous water logged pitch which means the 2-1 Swans lead did not hold and the match will have to re- played. Flinn had proven that the good times had retuned but the sweetness today was stolen from his mouth with the referee abandoning the match a few mins from the end. Next week, the Swans play their FA vase match, a win there would show that Newport Pagnell were really back on track under Flinn.