Mangotsfield v MERTHYR

Team: Cutlan, Williams, Newall, Thomas, Colbourne, Rewbury, Harris, Leek, Leahy, Newman, Traylor

Any news on Bench

meurid p wrote:Any news on Bench

Just had a text to say subs are:

Howe, M.Griffiths,Prosser,Jones,A.Griffiths

11th min sub. Leahy off and Prosser on. Just before he went off Leahy had a goal disallowed for offside. Marginal

21st min. Traylor hits the post after rounding the keeper.

0-0 half time

UP 1-0 NEWALL

1-0 up. Newall 54th min

scamp wrote:UP 1-0 NEWALL

His first goal for the club - and on his 50th appearance.

2-0! Traylor 69mins.

UP 2-0 traylor

Both good goals: Badger with a super run, breaking through and then a class finish; Traylor well despatching a good cross from Steve Williams.

Sub 88mins: Marcus Griffiths for Traylor
Sub 89mins: Jones for Newman

Attendance: 256 - and sounds like a fair few from the Pearl!!

F/t 2-0! Played well by all accounts!

well done lads,thanks for updates.

Thanks for the updates.

Good result, and makes the point on Saturday a better one.

Yes, we needed a win tonight. I thought we would get it. Two wins and three draws a good start to season. Cup action in the Forest on Saturday!!

Nice win up to 4th in the league.

GordonTheGopher wrote:Nice win up to 4th in the league.

Until tomorrow night anyway!

After the pre-season sort of game on Saturday, in the words of Kenneth Williams, last night's performance was "fantabulosa" as we controlled virtually the whole game. As early as the 3rd minute Traylor got free in the penalty area and sent a skimming shot along the ground which was deflected over the bar by a Mangos defender. The result was a goal kick and I thought here we go again! Joe Leahy was making headway against the defence and it was unfortunate when he injured his ankle when he seemed to land awkwardly after challenging for the ball. He did resume after treatment but was clearly struggling and his last action before going off was to put the ball in the net when he latched onto a through ball and he put it comfortably past the keeper. His ill luck continued when he was correctly ruled offside - I was in line and to be fair so was the lino. Prosser came on and we continued to press. Traylor received a delightful ball from Matthew (I think) and he ran into the area, took it round the keeper but his shot agonisingly came off the far post. He did everything right bar the finish and he terrorised the Mangos defence throughout the game. Mangos were limited to sporadic breakaways and from one they almost scored when a good cross came in from the left which was headed past our far post.

We started the second half where we left off and we took full advantage of playing downhill. We really pressurised the ball not allowing the Mangos defence the room they had in the first half to clear their lines and they started making forced errors in their clearances. Prosser was starting to link up well with the midfield runners and it was only a matter of time before we scored. When the goal came it was superb. After some good interplay in midfield, Newman sent a delightful ball inside the right back. Badger came storming through into the 18 yard area, approached the goal and shot it well into the far corner of the net for his first goal for the club. We thought he was going to do a lap of honour around the pitch such was his delight! Mangos were a beaten side after that and we continued our high tempo game and again after some good work in the middle, Willo was released down the right with another excellent ball by Newman and he in turn sent in a superb low near post cross which was met by Traylor who met it well and joyfully hooked it over the keeper. 2 really good quality goals which would have graced any game at any level. We could have had 5 or 6 as we continued to pressure the Mangos who looked shell shocked by our scintilating play. We had numerous chances from corners and from one of them Colborne was desperately unlucky not to score against his former club when he sent a near post header just past the far post. Every attack we had we looked likely to score and our wide play was excellent with both wingbacks to the fore. Shortly before the end Traylor and Newman went off to receive their deserved applause and Luke & Marcus came on which didn't alter our domination at all. When the ref blew the whistle in the 90th minute I'm sure it was to save the Mangos from further punishment and had it been a boxing match it would have been stopped long before.

The best performance of the season by a country mile. Mangos were not good but we played excellently and didn't give them a look in. Apart from catching and punching a few crosses, Giles had little to do and apart from having to deal with a dodgy back pass from Rewbs he was in no trouble at all. Tubbsy, Rewbs & Colborne mopped up everthing that came their way and allowed Badger & Willo the freedom to go forward whenever they wanted and they took full advantage. The midfield of Leeky, Newman & Matthew chased and harried all night and played some good stuff when they had the ball. Prosser was unlucky not to score and this almost full game will have done him good and Traylor was absolutely outstanding all game and was my MOTM, although honourable mention must be made of Willo, Badger, Leekie & Matthew and to be honest the others as well. We seem to be playing a lot better away from PP and hopefully that is a good pointer for Saturday in the Forest. A word of the officials - after the first couple of minutes I was a bit worried and even though the ref was a bit fussy and gave a few soft fouls whilst letting others go, at least he was consistent to both sides and was certainly the best I've seen this season - not saying much, I know! One thing that really gets me is that Badger was booked for kicking the ball away but a Mangos sub almost strangled Tubbsy and could have been charged with GBH when challenging for the ball and all he got was a warning! The linos on my side of the pitch in both halves were virtually spot on with their decisions, particularly the offsides and maybe the ref's fussiness was catching as they signalled for the odd free kick from what looked like fair challenges - from both sides.

The combination of our attacking play and a clean sheet will do the lads confidence the world of good and if I remember correctly we haven't been behind in any game yet this season so it was great to cash in on our lead in this game.

Well done boys hp it will be similar Saturday

superb result well done the town

Much better peformance than Saturday!!! Away peformances are much better than the Home Perfomances!!!! UP THE TOWN

Off the Mangotsfield web site,

Two unanswered second half goals eased Merthyr Town to a comfortable victory against a Mangotsfield side which lacked creativity and a cutting edge.

The starting eleven showed two changes from Saturday's defeat at Hungerford Town with Martin Horsell and Clayton Fortune coming in for the injured Danny Greaves and Josh Klein Davies who was named as one of five substitutes.

In a tactical switch Lee Marshall was moved to left back with Tom Parrinello pushing forward into a five man midfield.

In a half of few chances Mangotsfield were almost caught cold as the visitors made a quick start when going close to taking the lead inside the first minute through Ian Traylor who after going by Lee Marshall made ground into the right side of the area to drill in a low shot which was deflected off a team mate and flashed a yard over the bar.

Merthyr Town goalkeeper Giles Cutlan had a let off on eight minutes when his attempted clearance from Steve Williams back pass was charged down by Mike Whittington but fortunately for Cutlan the ball bounced wide of the unguarded goal.

The best chance of the half came the way of Merthyr on twenty one minutes when Ian Traylor latched onto s Matthew Harris through ball to go around Martin Horsell but his strike from the left side of the area hit the foot of the left hand upright.

What was to be Mangotsfield's only notable chance of the ninety minutes came on the half hour mark after a fine passing move ended with Mike Whittington whipping in a cross from the left for Todd Winter who was unable to get enough on a glancing near post header.

Merthyr started the second half brightly and were rewarded with an opening goal on fifty four minutes, Ryan Newman sending Jon Newall clear to confidently guide the ball past the advancing Martin Horsell from just inside the area.

An error in the Mangotsfield defence on sixty five minutes went unpunished as substitute Ryan Prosser failed to find the back of the net shooting wide of the right hand upright with just Martin Horsell to beat.

The miss wasn't to prove costly as minutes later Merthyr doubled their advantage, Ian Traylor making a run to the near post to meet Steve Williams' low ball in from the right to flick the ball past Martin Horsell and high into the roof of the net.

Merthyr could have added a third through former Mangotsfield player Gary Colborne who met a corner from the right to glance a header across goal but just wide of the far post.

Having failed to create a notable opening in the second half Mangotsfield were limited to two half chances in the final ten minutes.

The first falling to Josh Klein Davies whose strike from just inside the area was comfortably saved by Giles Cutlan and a minute later Ryan Bath made ground into the right side of the area only to blaze well wide.

This is from the Mangos Forum -

Well, this was actually the first game of ours I've seen this season, so I can't say much about the earlier games, but v Merthyr, I thought we were second best pretty much all evening. We didn't play badly, but Merthyr were sharp, speedy, quick to the tackle, they chased lost causes & often won them and by and large, just dominated proceedings via possession (which they totally dominated), chances created & all the rest of it. Sure we battled well & did well to keep them to 0-0 as long as we did, but once they were ahead, our uphill task became even steeper & we couldn't get back into it.

Thommo said last week in the paper that the Hungerford & Merthyr games were huge tests for us & while we may have been unlucky at Hungerford, we could have no real complaint last night. Merthyr will surely be up there (or around the top) at the end of that campaign & we were beaten by a very, very good side last night. Still, it's early days all around & Thommo will know what's needed, if we are to try and get anywhere near the likes of Merthyr.

Better luck next week lads. COME ON THE FIELD!