MERTHYR V Devizes

Updates here (hopefully!)

Perry Harris Dorrian Newall Williams Clarke Leek Smith Steins Prosser Armitage
Subs: Thomas Griffiths Leahy

Prosser has the ball in the net - chalked off for offside 5mins.

Still 0-0, 28 mins.

1-0 Smith stroke of h/t

Could be OG - Smith cross & keeper may have knocked it into his own goal!

Any more score ?

H/t 1-0

2-0. Prosser with his brace on 70mins: header following a great cross by Dorian!

3-0 Krys Leek at the death!

Presume its 3-0 F/t!

Brilliant win considering how Devizes have been playing recently, Oldland game off again, Bridport drew at Hengrove.

Not the best of games bit scrappy at times but we were always in charge .I thought Joe Perry was lucky not to get a red card when he brought a Devizes player down when he came out of his area. My man of match Kris Leek.

Today's team:

Perry;
Harris,Williams,Newall,Dorrian;
Armitage,Clarke,Leek,Smith;
Stiens,Prosser;

Subs:
Griffiths for Smith after about 65 minutes
Leahy for Prosser after about 83 minutes
Thomas

With Tareq Khalil unfit it was the 4-4-2 formation from last week, with Marcus Griffiths only fit enough to start on the bench where Joe Leahy got a chance ahead of Andrew Jenkins.

It was fairly even for the first 15 minutes with no real scoring opportunities being created. A couple of highlights for Merthyr were a good ball in from Leigh Smith on the left which was cleared away from Ryan Prosser. Then a throw from the left found its way to Craig Stiens in the 6-yard box, but he failed to connect with an overhead kick.

Then Joe Perry had to be alert to push a shot past the near post. When the corner came in the ball eventually fell for a Devizes player to hit a shot against the woodwork.

After about 32 minutes, following a free kick into the box the ball fell to Craig Stiens 12 yards out on the right, but he put a shot well over the bar.

About 5 minutes before half time Leigh Smith got in a well-hit shot from 20 yards which was fielded by the goalkeeper.

it had been a fairly even first half, but we took the lead moments before the break when Leigh Smith gained possession well down the left wing. He beat a man on the goal-line, cut in and got the ball onto his right foot to put in a shot which, it seemed to me, was going under the bar when the keeper got both hands to it and dropped it behind him into the net.

We took the game to Devizes at the start of the second half but didn't have the best of luck in front of goal, a shot a foot over the bar from Craig Stiens being the closest we came.

Devizes almost scored after about 55 minutes when a man found himself in the clear on the right of the area. He lobbed a shot over Joe Perry, but it hit the inside of the post and we were able to scramble it away for a corner.

But we made things more comfortable with the second goal after about 64 minutes. Ryan Dorrian made it, easily beating a defender down the left to put over an inviting cross to the far post for Ryan Prosser to score with a simple header.

Marcus Griffiths then came on for Leigh Smith, playing on the right with Scott Armitage moving to the left.

We nearly extended the lead 3 minutes later when Craig Stiens seized on a ball down the middle. He turned it inside to Ryan Prosser who worked a chance for himself and crashed a shot against the bar. It came to Scott Armitage who drew a good save from the keeper at the near post.

After about 75 minutes Scott Armitage again had a shot turned past the post by the keeper after a free kick into the box was headed down to him by Ryan Prosser.

Yet again we came to close to scoring after about 82 minutes when Scott Armitage went on a run down the left. He lost the ball but got it back again before laying it off to Craig Stiens whose shot hit the bar.

About 7 minutes from the end Joe Leahy from the under-18 side made his first team debut, replacing Ryan Prosser.

About 4 minutes from the end Joe Perry was booked after he came out of his area and brought a player down, but not until after he had got a shot away which was heading out for a corner. A free kick was given about 30 yards out which came to nothing, and it might have been more to Devizes' advantage to have been given the corner.

We continued to press Devizes in the last few minutes with their keeper having to make saves from Craig Stiens and Scott Armitage when they (especially the latter) might have done better. Almost on time we gave the scoreline a more realistic look following a free kick when Craig Stiens had been brought down just infield from the corner flag on the left. Kris Leek took the ball along the goal-line and was able to smash the ball high into the net from close range.

In terms of goalscoring opportunites a reflection of the game might have been a 6-2 scoreline as we were well worth the 3 we did get. There were a lot of off-target shots, and too often we weren't able to beat the goalkeeper from good positions. Devizes were a little unfortunate not to have scored, but we rode our luck a little bit and defended well most of the time. Although Devizes moved the ball well going forward they didn't have a very solid defence and we were usually on top in midfield. Oldland still look the best team we've played at home this seaso

A well deserved win and the scoreline didn't flatter us. In fact we should have scored more with the chances we missed but to be fair Devizes could have had a couple as well. 6-2 would have been about right.

Their keeper was unlucky with Leigh Smith's goal when he was challenged by Scotty and only suceeded in pushing the ball over his own line, Dozza showed an excellent bit of skill on the left before sending in a really delightful cross from which Ryan couldn't really miss. Kris Leek showed some excellent skill and fast feet along the byeline before smashing a great shot from 5 or 6 yards into the roof of the net.

Even though we allowed Devizes a few chances, defensively we did well with Willow & Badger looking a sound pairing in the centre and we held them in midfield with Deano & Leekie and looked dangerous upfront. Pross scored his usual goal & Steino who had another good game was extremely unlucky not to score.

I agree that Hengrove away looks now to be the most difficult game we have left and we need to do a "Shrewton" on a few of the other teams in the lower reaches of the league over the next few weeks to press home our advantage.

With Oldland not playing again today (anyone know why?) the title really is ours to lose. The rate that Oldland's matches are being postponed they will be playing three or four games a week. I would much rather have the points in the bag like we have, rather than playing catch up like they will be doing..

RiscaMartyr wrote:With Oldland not playing again today (anyone know why?)

Waterlogged pitch apparently.