Merthyr Town v Sholing

This coming Saturday(06th September), we entertain Sholing in the Southern League, kick off is 3:00pm. Sholing go into the game with a record so far this season of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats. Sholing are yet to pick up an away victory this season.

They drew at Shortwood 0-0 and in their last game lost 2-1 to league leaders AFC Totton.

Let's hope we get an early goal in this game - we haven't scored for 150 mins (Whoooo that's a bit negative!)

0523mr wrote:This coming Saturday(06th September), we entertain Sholing in the Southern League, kick off is 3:00pm. Sholing go into the game with a record so far this season of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats. Sholing are yet to pick up an away victory this season.

They've played 6 games actually - won one, drawn two and lost three according to the SL web site

cliffyboy wrote:

0523mr wrote:This coming Saturday(06th September), we entertain Sholing in the Southern League, kick off is 3:00pm. Sholing go into the game with a record so far this season of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats. Sholing are yet to pick up an away victory this season.

They've played 6 games actually - won one, drawn two and lost three according to the SL web site

Yep my mistake

Hopefully another 3 points chalked on the board this saturday. Out of curiosity does anyone think there'll be more on the gate due to the whole "non league day" thing.

Been poor so far

treharrismartyr80 wrote:Been poor so far

and then just after i posted we score 2

Come on Martyrs

Twitter saying its 6-1 to the Martyrs

7-1 was the final score.

We're now top of the league with a game in hand.

P.S. Results and full table to follow shortly.

AFC Totton 0-1 Stratford town
Yate Town 1-1 Taunton Town
MERTHYR TOWN 7-1 Sholing and TOP of the LEAGUE.

Today's team

Bradley;
Summerfield,Green,Wright,Davies;
G.Williams;
Traylor,M.Harris,Newman,Morgan;
McLaggon;

Subs:
Leek for Harris after about 67 minutes
Prosser for McLaggon after about 70 minutes
Jenkins for Traylor at the same time
S.Williams
A.Harris

The only change was perhaps expected, with Matthew replacing Adie Harris.

We had some early possession, and after about a couple of minutes a cross from the right was palmed away by the Sholing keeper, and when Kerry Morgan put the ball back across it was cleared off the line.

After about 8 minutes, just after we'd gone close through a shot by Ian Traylor being charged down, Sholing broke straight down the field with an attacker played through the middle, but Tom Bradley came out well and spread himself to block the shot. Almost straight back to the other end we won a free kick, from which Jarrad Wright had a header saved.

After about 13 minutes Sholing came close again when a 30-yard shot hit the top of the crossbar. A couple of minutes later, following a throw on the right Dan Summerfield crossed the ball for Kayne McLaggon to get in a header which was pushed over the bar from close range by the keeper.

Overall it had been a pretty even game, and Sholing took the lead when a long ball down the middle saw Jarrad Wright challenge an attacker for it, but it fell for an unmarked player running through to give Tom Bradley no chance from 15 yards.

About 4 minutes before the break Bradley had to push away a 25-yard shot, but about 3 minutes later we looked as if we must score when a shot from Ryan Newman on the left was deflected to Kerry Morgan on the right of the area, but his shot was deflected in turn and out for a corner.

Although we'd found it difficult to break Sholing's defence down they had shown a lot more attacking intent than Larkhall last week and were well worth their lead with probably more clear cut opportunities to score than we'd been able to create.

It was beginning to look like a case of Paulton/Wimborne/Larkhall all over again, with our usual patient build-up play not breaking the visitors down. But there was evidently a change of tactics decided upon in the half time break, as we now started sending long balls over the top of the defence for players to use their pace to run onto. This paid off immediately about a minute after the break, when just such a ball found Ian Traylor running clear down the middle and he picked his spot from 12 yards.

No more than a minute later we turned the game around when Traylor forced a throw on the right. The ball came to Matthew Harris on the edge of the area, and his shot was too much for the keeper to hold and Traylor was there to put in the rebound.

It was 3-1 no more than 3 minutes later when another long ball found Kerry Morgan, and although with a defender nearby he was able to lob the keeper from the edge of the area, with the ball going just inside the post.

After about 55 minutes an Ian Traylor cross from the left was well controlled by Kerry Morgan beyond the far post and his close-range shot was just turned past the post by the keeper.

We were close again after about an hour when Kayne McLaggon put a header inches wide of the post from a ball in by Dan Summerfield.

Kris Leek then got some game time in place of Matthew Harris, and a few minutes later Corey Jenkins came on for Ian Traylor, and Ryan Prosser replaced Kayne McLaggon to give us a 'battle of the beards', with Sholing's defender Mick Byrne similarly endowed (I think Prosser's was bigger than his...)

Sholing did come into the game a little more, but without seriously looking like scoring, and we made the game safe at 4-1 after about 73 minutes when another long ball down the right found Kris Leek running onto it, and he lobbed it over the keeper from the right of the area.

About 3 minutes after that it ought to have been 5, but a free kick out on the left by Gavin Williams caught everyone out as it went across goal and hit the far post and bounced out with no-one able to turn it in. But the 5th goal did come about a minute later following a corner, and when Ryan Newman played the ball in from the left Jarrad Wright put into the net from 6 yards. Barely a minute after that it was 6-1 following good attacking play from Kris Leek on the right, ending with Ryan Newman drilling the ball home from just inside the area.

We made it 7 goals in a match for the second time this season about 5 minutes from the end when another long ball found Kerry Morgan. The keeper seemed to have it on the ground but lost it and Morgan was able to put it into the empty net from 15 yards.

We ought to have had 8 a minute or so later when a Sholing defender presented Ryan Prosser with the ball 10 yards out, but with only the keeper to beat he put the ball wide of the post.

Well, talk about a game of two contrasting halves! At half time I was thinking that we weren't looking like scoring as freely as the side last season used to, but I think it was evidently worked out where Sholing's weakness lay, with the balls over the top. Whether that will work against other defensively minded teams I don't know. Sholing did well in the first half and weren't all about defence, but after we went 3-1 up so quickly in the second half it seemed to knock the stuffing out of them and it was then just a question of how many we'd score - and we could have reached double figures. But it was good finishing after the break, and for me it was between Ian Traylor for those two early goals and Matthew Harris for man of the match.

I thought Jarrad Wright did well, and for their goal it seemed to me that Ryan Green ought to have been there to cover him, but otherwise Green also did well.

There have been a few postings on here lately saying that Matthew Harris and Kris Leek both ought to be in the team, but I just wonder, apart from Adie Harris, who they were advocating should be the other midfielder to lose his place? It would certainly be hard on Ryan Newman given his performance today.

So we're top of the league and averaging 4 goals a game! Let's hope we can pick up some good points in the forthcoming two away games to stay there.

Great read Old Sod....Boz

Old Sod!
Boz, it,s the Imps report.

Good crowd of 473. Second highest in the entire Southern League.  Premier League Weymouth with 847 being the highest! In fact, today's attendance was higher than 10 games in the Conference North/South.

Thanks Gord....pass my glasses Durham Exile....no not the red wine....Boz

GordonTheGopher wrote:Old Sod!
Boz, it,s the Imps report.

I'm just glad he kept the capital letters in.

To much amber nectar 2nd half Bos, good to see Durham Exile led you home safely

Merthyr Imp wrote:

GordonTheGopher wrote:Old Sod!
Boz, it,s the Imps report.

I'm just glad he kept the capital letters in.

And the Imp got the goalscorers right. According to Wales Online, Trayls got a hat trick.

As Tim Drummond would probably endorse the fact that you shouldn't believe everything you read in the press!

Thanks for the complement, Boz, but the Imp writes far better than I do and without the aid of a Dickyphone.

Bloody well done indeed Merthyr. I love the report on how high the attendance was in comparison to leagues above us today.

So top of the league it is then. If we win our game in hand we will be 4 points clear at the top by early september already.

Massive goal difference starting to form already.

Keep up the good work lads.
And lets absolutely obliterate this league!!!

A brilliant way to Celebrate Non League Day

0523mr wrote:A brilliant way to Celebrate Non League Day

Absolutely agree,
And without a shadow of a doubt the most entertaining game I've seen at the park for ages.
I think everyone there will admit,that the first 5 minutes of the second half were surreal,the way the game turned on its head.
Fair play to Sholing, they came to play open attacking football,and certainly don't deserve to be where they are in the league, based on their first half performance.

Top marks to our lads though for playing total football,it was a joy to watch!

Well after going 196 mins without scoring we hit seven in a fantastic display of attacking football, I wondered if seven without reply in one half was a record, but having checked we scored EIGHT second half goals without reply v Guildford last season!

Top of the league with a brilliant goal difference it all augurs well for the rest of the season, but let's not get carried away, it's early days yet and we have a couple of tricky away games to contend with soon - six points from them and we will be flying!!

cliffyboy wrote:Well after going 196 mins without scoring we hit seven in a fantastic display of attacking football, I wondered if seven without reply in one half was a record, but having checked we scored EIGHT second half goals without reply v Guildford last season!

Top of the league with a brilliant goal difference it all augurs well for the rest of the season, but let's not get carried away, it's early days yet and we have a couple of tricky away games to contend with soon - six points from them and we will be flying!!

Those tricky away game begin two weeks today with a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon