Shortwood v MERTHYR

Good result, and good to keep a clean sheet again - mainly thanks to Giles Cutlan it seems. His first penalty save for the club?

Shortwood must be fed up of playing us. 4 close games this season and we've won 3 with 1 draw and arguably they could have got something more out of each one. We started last night with a back 5, Scouser, Newman & Cornwall in midfield and Pross & Preen up front. We started well putting Shortwood under pressure but initially created little. Neither side seemed to want to hold the ball and it was a bit scrappy. However we did gain the upper hand with Newman making some excellent runs. Some intricate play in the last third of the field involving Newman, Alun & Scouser led to a shot by Newman which the keeper did well to save at the foot of the post with Prosser on hand should it be spilled. This was the first of 3 or 4 good saves the keeper made in the 1st half from the likes of Prosser, Alun with a shot which took a deflection & Newman who sent in a stinging free kick which the keeper could only punch away. We had a few half chances from corners and Shortwood were playing very much on the break but created little with Gilo dealing competently with what came at him and at half time we deserved to be in front on the balance of possession, play and chances.

I don't know what was in their half time cuppas but Shortwood started the 2nd half the better side and put us under pressure from the off although we did look dangerous on the break with Newman again to the fore with some good runs and some long range efforts. Their keeper also made another excellent save from a Prosser header. However for periods of this half we were clearing the ball but our inability to hold it meant it came straight back at us. The referee - who looked about 10 - gave Shortwood a penalty when Colborne seemed to upend a Shortwood forward on the edge of the 18 yard area. It was taken by their centre half and seemed a good kick, hard and along the ground but Gilo made a superb save to his right and it was definitely a case of a penalty save as opposed to a penalty miss. Gilo had saved one other penalty this season in the shoot out against Hungerford in one of the cups. We came a bit more into it and the referee at last awarded us a free kick on the left. Alun took it and it was headed back across and Tubbsy who had found a bit of space on the edge of the 6 yard area got some part of his leg on it. Initially I thought it was going wide but it seemed to spin into the corner of the net giving the keeper no chance. No doubt had Tubbsy caught it well the keeper would have saved it as he was having that sort of night and it was always going to take a scruffy goal to beat him but they all count. Shortwood came at us again but our defence with Tubbsy outstanding held firm. Shortwood did create half chances but Gilo kept out everything that got through although they did hit the outside of a post with a cross come shot. Marcus & Traylor came on for Preen & Scouser and late in the half Badger replaced Cornwall and we saw out the game with a back 4, Rewbs & Willo sitting in front and the rest doing what they could to hang onto the ball upfront.

A hard game and maybe an undeserved victory but we put in 110% effort and definitely deserved to get something out of it based on the 1st half performance alone. We looked a bit lightweight in midfield as we were missing Nathan, Matthew & Leekie through work commitments and we did struggle to hold the ball although some of our one touch play in the 1st half was superb. Maybe Willo, who did such a good job in midfield away at Fleet may come into contention there for Saturday. Both Newman and Tubbsy had excellent games but my vote for MOTM goes to Gilo not only for the penalty save but for his general performance in dealing with everything that came at him including 1 good save from a Shortwood free kick. I was a tad critical of him last Saturday but the boy did good last night.

Talking of a boy, the 10 year old in charge of the game seemed to have very little control over it and succeeded in hacking off both sides with some of his decisions and inability to penalise poor challenges and some of the bookings were bizarre. He only played about 2 minutes stoppage time in the second half when it should have been a lot more than that and I think the reason for that is that it was getting close to his bed time and he had to get up early for school!

Giles has been great this season hasn't he.

Merthyr Imp wrote:Good result, and good to keep a clean sheet again - mainly thanks to Giles Cutlan it seems. His first penalty save for the club?

Giles saved a penalty with his very first competative touch for Merthyr over in a pre season in Ton Pentre.. (very simialar save to last night actually)

I thought we just about deserved the win last night, but Shortwood have certainly given us a stern test over the past months will all matches being very close.

If it had not been for both keepers the score would have read about 5-3 to Merthyr.

Giles penalty save was superb and his all round performance was solid once again.

Ryan Newman was also outstanding, and after a poor / moderate spell he is justifying the faith that Shep and Danny put in him, hes been excellent for a good few matches now.

Shortwood are a fantastically welcoming club, and I certainly wish them all the best for this season and their future endevours..

Did Giles save a pen against Hungerford in a penalty shoot-out?

Cracking 3 point's lads, let's keep this up!!

Great result and performance in the first half, but we should n't have sat back in the second half, it invited them on to us. Ryan Newman was superb and has more skill than a fleet of submarines! Preeno was everywhere. Marcus needs to work on his control. (I have always thought this).