Media Watch - Winchester City

Hot-shot striker Traylor aiming to torment yet more opponents
Celtic Sport

A TORMENT to Southern League clubs this season has been Merthyr Town’s speedy forward Ian Traylor. He has played a major role so far in the club’s bid for a third successive promotion.

Saturday’s postponement of Merthyr’s home clash with Tonbridge Angels in the First Round Proper of The FA Trophy, after a waterlogged pitch, gave him a break from displaying his skills with the game rearranged for Tuesday night. That meant a postponement of the scheduled home fixture with Taunton.

But Traylor is always eager to get into the action and up to last weekend he had made 24 appearances for The Martyrs this campaign, netting six goals, including one at Poole Town when Merthyr were pipped 3-2, having played with 10 men for 79 minutes following Steve Williams’ sending off. He also netted when Merthyr overcame Shortwood United in the Trophy third qualifying round replay.

Traylor achieved joint top scorer role at Merthyr with Marcus Griffiths who, however, had made only 10 starts and had been on the bench eight times up to last weekend. Traylor, aged 23 and 5ft 7ins, is in his second season at Penydarren Park after joining them from MacWhirter Welsh League outfit Cwmaman Institute, along with defender Jack Howe.

Traylor was well ahead as the top marksman a few seasons ago for Pontypridd Town, playing from the left wing position, and previously played for Hirwaun. Up to last Saturday he had worn the Merthyr shirt in the starting line-up a total of 67 times, with a return of 23 goals.

And he will be ready to impress again this Saturday when Merthyr travel to Hampshire to meet Winchester City (3pm). Having lost only once in the league on their travels, Garry Shephard and Danny Carter, the bosses, will want to see Merthyr gain something from Winchester, who were 14th in the table before Tuesday’s scheduled home fixture with Didcot Town.

Merthyr were eighth with 21 points from 12 games, 14 points behind leaders Hungerford but with four matches in hand. And, depending on the weather and postponements, Merthyr looked to a scheduled game at Hungerford next Monday.

Merthyr hosted Hungerford in The FA Cup second qualifying round on September 22, drawing 1-1 before winning in Berkshire on spot-kicks after a 1-1 score.

Recently Winchester crashed 4-0 at Swindon Supermarine, which saw them fail to score in four successive league games. It prompted manager James Taylor to comment: “I wouldn’t blame the forwards because we haven’t been creating enough.”

Then they netted three times in their Southern League Cup meeting with Southern Premier side Gosport, drawing after 90 minutes before exiting 4-1 on spot-kicks.

Last Saturday seven games fell foul of the weather in The Evo-Stik Southern League Division One (South and West) – at Clevedon, Hungerford and Evesham. But the latter team saw the game abandoned when the floodlights failed.

Hungerford returned to the top, leapfrogging Tiverton with a 1-0 win. Clevedon won 2-1 at home to North Leigh.

Merthyr have arranged their home match with Sholing for Tuesday, December 18.

Wandering wrote:Hot-shot striker Traylor aiming to torment yet more opponents
Celtic Sport

But Traylor is always eager to get into the action and up to last weekend he had made 24 appearances for The Martyrs this campaign, netting six goals,

Traylor achieved joint top scorer role at Merthyr with Marcus Griffiths who, however, had made only 10 starts and had been on the bench eight times up to last weekend.

Up to last Saturday he had worn the Merthyr shirt in the starting line-up a total of 67 times, with a return of 23 goals.

I'm always open to correction, but according to the figures in Tuesday night's match programme, up to last weekend Ian Traylor had made 24 starts for Merthyr this season, plus one substitute appearance (along with Giles Cutlan he's played in every game so far), making a total of 25 appearances, and with 9 goals scored.

I have him down as making a total of 69 Merthyr appearances (44 last season, 25 this season), with 26 goals scored (17 of them last season).

These figures include all competitive first team games (i.e. not friendlies).

Wandering wrote:Hot-shot striker Traylor aiming to torment yet more opponents
Celtic Sport
Up to last Saturday he had worn the Merthyr shirt in the starting line-up a total of 67 times, with a return of 23 goals.

To also add - according to my figures he's only been in the starting line-up a total of 52 times (28 starts plus 16 sub last season, and 24 starts plus 1 sub this season)

Martyrs out to put promotion bid back on track
Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo

MERTHYR Town aim to put their EvoStik Southern League promotion challenge back on course over the next four days. Co-managers Garry Shephard and Danny Carter take their team to Winchester City tomorrow (3pm) and then hit the road again on Monday to take on leaders Hungerford Town.

The Martyrs, who have had solid runs in both FA Cup and FA Trophy competitions, stand eighth in the Premier Division with games in hand on all the teams above them. Their cup exploits ended in a 2-1 defeat to Tonbridge Angels in the FA Trophy so now Merthyr can focus on league ambitions.

They travel to Winchester’s Denplan Ground in the first of seven December fixtures, five of those being away from home.

Merthyr, promoted as champions in each of the last two seasons, follow trips to Winchester and Hungerford with fixtures against Yate Town (h), Wimborne Town (a), Swindon Supermarine (a), Cinderford Town (a) and Shortwood United (a) before the end of the year.

Central defender Jamie Rewbury returns at Winchester having missed the Tonbridge defeat through suspension. Garyn Preen was sent off against the Angels after being booked twice, but his suspension will be served in a fortnight.

But the Martyrs will be without the long-serving Steve Williams who sits out one game after being sent off at Poole.

Wandering wrote:Martyrs out to put promotion bid back on track
Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo

They travel to Winchester’s Denplan Ground in the first of seven December fixtures, five of those being away from home.

Merthyr, promoted as champions in each of the last two seasons, follow trips to Winchester and Hungerford with fixtures against Yate Town (h), Wimborne Town (a), Swindon Supermarine (a), Cinderford Town (a) and Shortwood United (a) before the end of the year.

In fact we're also at home to Sholing on Tuesday 18th December, and the match with Swindon Supermarine is at home (22nd December) and not away. So that's five out of eight fixtures in December away from home.