MERTHYR v Swindon Supermarine

Updates here!

Team: Cutlan Williams Griffiths A Rewbury Newall Davies Harris Cornwall Prosser Newman Preen.

Subs GriffithsM Traylor Leek Howe Jones

come on Merthyr

1 up! Rewbury header into corner 33mins!

yess get in

H/t 1-0

2-0. Prosser firm header from Preen cross 52mins.

Sub: Traylor for Davies 54mins

Brilliant

C'mon merthyr town. Let's get a win. Go on boys, play your soaks off.

Nice one. Come on Merthyr!

Sub: Leek for Cornwall 63mins

2-1. Pen 66mins.

Poole 1-0 up

Sub: Griffiths M for Newman 84mins.

3-1! Marcus Griffiths with a(nother) header following a deep Preen cross from the corner flag 85mins.

3-2. 89mins.

Please say its over now

F/t 3-2! Good result.

Excellant result I'd say. Well done team and coaching staff

Brilliant result and thanks for the updates. Anyone know how the other teams got on?

Tonight's team:-

Cutlan;
Williams,Rewbury,Newall,A.Griffiths;
Harris,Davies,Newman;
Cornwall;
Prosser,Preen;

Subs:
Traylor for Davies after about 54 minutes
Leek for Cornwall after about 58 minutes
M.Griffiths for Newman after about 85 minutes
Howe
Jones

We had a change in central defence, with Gary Colborne and Andrew Thomas there but not in the squad. Otherwise it was the same team as started on Saturday.

After about 10 minutes Swindon had a goal disallowed for offside after we lost the ball on the edge of our own area.

Swindon had an opportunity after about 21 minutes when a cross from the left was deflected into the path of an attacker, but it was a sharp chance and he put the ball over the bar. About 6 minutes later Alun Griffiths had to clear the ball off the line following a corner, and about 4 minutes after that we were glad to see a header go straight at Giles Cutlan as Swindon were looking the more dangerous side. But as on Saturday we took the lead against the run of play, and at a similar time - after about 36 minutes a corner by Ryan Newman on the right saw Jamie Rewbury glance a header into the net.

This time we were able to hold the lead until half time, but we'd hardly seemed to get going in midfield for most of the half.

We started the second half better than Swindon and went further ahead after about 52 minutes. A bit of pressure from us down the right ended with Garyn Preen getting to the line and putting over a pinpoint cross for Ryan Prosser to make it 8 goals in 6 games for him with a header into the top corner from 10 yards.

Ian Traylor then came on for Nathan Davies (who'd had another good game), and almost straight away good play from him down the left created a chance for Aaron Cornwall inside the area, but he put the ball over the bar.

We'd been playing 4-3-3 then, with Cornwall well forward in midfield, but he went off just before the hour mark and Kris Leek came on.

We'd been looking comfortable at 2-0, but a couple of minutes later we let Swindon back into the game when a player was brought down inside the area on the right, Giles Cutlan diving as the penalty was hit straight down the middle.

We then had 2 or 3 good opportunities, including a run across the Swindon penalty area by Steve Williams ending with a lob into the goalkeeper's arms from an acute angle on the left, but we couldn't get a third goal. We nearly paid for it after about 78 minutes when an attacker got free on the left and flicked the ball past Giles Cutlan, but also wide of the far post.

After about 85 minutes we made an attacking substitution, with Marcus Griffiths replacing Ryan Newman. His first task was to take a corner on the left, and when it came to a defender on the right Garyn Preen blocked his clearance and got to the ball near the corner flag. He stepped inside and put over a left foot cross for Marcus Griffiths, in a similar to position to Ryan Prosser earlier on, to plant a header inside the post.

That seemed to be it, but in about the 89th minute Giles Cutlan had to do well to block a shot, but we couldn't clear the ball and a Swindon player on the right fired it across goal and inside the far post.

But we survived the remaining time with no trouble for an important win.

Swindon didn't look as good a side as Poole, and we've probably played other teams at Penydarren Park better than them this season. While they were the better side for the first half hour I thought 3-2 flattered them a little overall. We should really have been 3-0 up before they scored, and the game would have been over then.

It's the best I've seen Garyn Preen play, and I'd make him man of the match ahead of Steve Williams not least for creating two of the goals.

Just got back home from Hereford, could not make tonights game, sad I missed the match but a great win. well done to all the lads 3pts YES.
Attendance of 269 the highest in all 3 divisions of the league tonight.

Preen did play well. Merthyr were the better side overall although not in the early exchanges.
Two substitutions in the opening 13 minutes of the second half seemed a little early. Although we were 2-0 up, the visitors were able to get back into the game.
Rewbury and Newall did a good job- a hard act to follow after Thomas and Colborne heroics on Saturday.
Midweek games do lack atmosphere and there weren't many to sip at the Candac Suite afterwards.So our best gate of the night in the SL does show the current situation in football.Last Wednesday there were 59 at Swindon Supermarine.
Anyway,another three points. I think four points from two of the top sides in four days is a good return. Now three away fixtures but they won't be easy....
Keep on keeping on!

I thought we played really well for most of the 90 minutes last night, not sure why Colbourne & Thomas didn't start but as I wasn't at the game Saturday not sure if they had knocks or were just rested because of all the games coming up. Defensively I thought we looked poor first half but tightened up in the second, though we made things difficult for ourselves by giving away a totally needless penalty, and losing possession in our half which led to their second.
The second and third goals were excellent, great crosses and both headers planted deep in the corner. We could have had another 3 in a purple patch half way through the second half when we were totally on top, but put ourselves under pressure towards the end with individual errors. Good result though, and not a bad crowd considering Cardiff were home and CL on TV.