NIALL MCGUINNESS felt Flint Town United deserved at least a point as Barry Town United snatched a 1-0 away win.

Kayne McLaggon’s 63rd minute settled the contest in Barry’s favour, but the visitors’ goalkeeper, Mike Lewis, was named man of the match after a string of fine saves.

Mark Cadwallader, Richie Foulkes and Callum Bratley were all denied by Lewis, whose heroics were rewarded as McLaggon kept his cool from the spot after being needlessly felled by defender Darren Thornton.

Flint boss McGuinness said: “I thought we deserved a minimum of a point. Their goalkeeper has had a very good game and made two or three very good saves.

“We didn’t really defend too badly either with Ben Nash in particular outstanding, but a reckless moment has proved costly for us.

“There’s plenty of positives to take because we’ve pushed a team who have been in Europe recently all the way.”

On Thornton’s challenge for the penalty from which Barry scored, McGuinness added: “I couldn’t believe it. He (McLaggon) isn’t going to hurt us in the position he was in.

“He (Thornton) knows is was a moment of madness that can’t happen again, he’s not stupid.”

Alex Titchener lasted just four minutes for Flint before being carried off clutching his knee, and McGuinness is concerned about his attacker.

“It’s not looking good, but we will keep our fingers crossed,” said McGuinness. “He’s never been carried off the football pitch in his life, so we knew it was a bad one.

“Titch going off changed things because he’s a huge asset for us.

McGuinness, who spent yesterday afternoon watching Wednesday’s opponents Caernarfon do battle with The New Saints, is set to go into the transfer market.

Tom Kemp is the latest player to leave the Essity Stadium, leaving Flint’s squad light on numbers.

“We are working,” said McGuinness on potential new recruits. “We are a little bit light in terms of squad depth.”

Barry Town boss Gavin Chesterfield was delighted to grind out three points on the road at a venue he feels will prove a tough place to come for visiting sides.

“It didn’t have lots of quality, but there are many ways to play football. We kept a clean sheet away from home,” said Chesterfield.

“This is a difficult place to come and I think other people will find it difficult as well.”

And Chesterfield wasn’t surprised by the performance of the hosts, continuing: “I know the coaches and they’ve come through the Welsh system, so I know they are well educated and they will get their team organised.

“They’ve got a team full of lads that have points to prove, either through stepping up, or through the experience they’ve brought in.”

On the game as a whole, Chesterfield felt his side did enough in the second period to warrant their three points.

“I thought first-half, Flint were probably the better side if I’m being honest,” he reflected.

“Mike’s pulled off a couple of good saves to keep us in the game and we’ve had a couple of good moments where we should be doing better, but unfortunately we didn’t.

“In the second-half, I thought we showed a different side to us and we were worthy of the win in the end.”