Bridgwater v MERTHYR

Taunton winning 4-1 now,
at least we don't have to worry about goal difference

Didcot won 1-0 at Shortwood

4mad.anubis wrote:Just got out of hospital (AGAIN)!!!
Came home to find us 2 up. It just doesn't get any better

Are you trying out different ones as a 'secret patient'? Hope things are good.

Come on, boys!

89th min sub. Traylor off and Morgan on

Taunton won 4-1 at Cinderford

Home side pull one back with a free header in the 90th minute. 1-2.

Full time: won 2-1! Only 1 minute played after they scored. Another step on the road to promotion! Quite a comfortable win for us tonight

Solihull Martyr wrote:Full time: won 2-1! Only 1 minute played after they scored. Another step on the road to promotion! Quite a comfortable win for us tonight

thankgod we scored 2 earlier on then

Yes!!!

Solihull Martyr wrote:Full time: won 2-1! Only 1 minute played after they scored. Another step on the road to promotion! Quite a comfortable win for us tonight

Yes!! :-):-)

Grand....three hard away points against a decent team.... Five more wins ....it is in our hands ....Boz

so still ten points ahead of 2nd placed Taunton and 8 games left to play, which means 24 points left to play for both sides.

realistically Taunton need to win 4 games more than we do... I think

Well done Steve Jenkins(what a difference you have made, building on the platform laid by Shep/Dan) and the all the players involved tonight. Superb result, Onwards to PP on Saturday and hopefully another 3 points in our quest for promotion to the SLP.

Also, nice to see us kick off on Sat at 3:00 despite those egg chasers playing at the same time, all loyal/true Martyrs will be there.

only four can catch us now, And now 3 away 5 home, Looking so good.

Taffia wrote:

4mad.anubis wrote:Just got out of hospital (AGAIN)!!!
Came home to find us 2 up. It just doesn't get any better

Are you trying out different ones as a 'secret patient'? Hope things are good.

Thanks Taffia,
If the quacks had done their job properly last week, I wouldn't have been taken back in today

Thanks for the updates.

Great to turn around the scoreline from the home match with Bridgwater - and to get 9 points from the run of 4 away games.

Only one more point needed now to be mathematically certain of a play-off place...

A thoroughly professional performance gave us a great 2-1 victory at Bridgwater last night and we scored 2 excellent goals worthy to win any game with the only blot being the concession of another goal from a set piece which came far too late the affect the outcome of the game.
With Williams (G) serving the second game of his suspension, Harris on holiday and Rewbury injured we lined up as follows –
Bradley
Summerfield, Green, Wright & Davies
Leek, Patten & Bauza
Traylor, Prosser & McLaggon
 
Subs – Williams (S), Evans, Jenkins, Morgan & Cowley
 
The game didn’t kick off until 8pm due to traffic problems caused by a fatal accident in the Bridgwater area where a youngster died which puts a game of football into perspective.  Condolences to his relatives.

 
We kicked off and Patten sent a long ball forward which was headed clear by Allward but only as far as Bauza but his pass forward was put out of play by a Bridgy defender.  Davies took the throw to Bauza who tried to get it forward to Prosser but the ball went out of play for a goal kick.  The kick was headed back into the Merthyr half only to be cleared back into the Merthyr half and out of play, which to a certain extent set the pattern for the game, which was played largely in the middle third.
 
It was Merthyr who were doing most of the pressure and playing the football with Prosser & Traylor trying to make inroads down the left with Bridgy just lumping the ball upfield or out of play to clear any danger.  Davies did get hold of the ball on the halfway line and he gave it to Prosser who set it back to Leek who held it up and moved right and sent it further right towards Summerfield and went around him. Summerfield got the ball down the line towards Leek who tried to cross it but it was intercepted and put out for a throw.  Summerfield took the throw towards Traylor but it came off him and out of play for a Bridgy throw.  The ball got up to the halfway line where Green was fouled and took the kick himself.  He sent it up to the area and Prosser headed it down towards Traylor but Rudge stretched out a leg and got it clear as Traylor was about to pounce and the clearance was completed and the ball sent up to the halfway line where Wright was fouled by Griffiths for another free kick to the Martyrs and a pattern was beginning to emerge with Bridgy playing their usual physical game.
 
Prosser then got the ball close to the halfway line and tried to find McLaggon on the left but Grimshaw got in and hammered the ball out of play for a Merthyr throw, although Grimshaw did claim it for himself!  Davies took the throw to Bauza who set it back to Davies.  Davies held it and sent it back to Bauza who stepped inside and sent in a good cross towards Prosser who stuck out his right foot and pushed it just wide of John’s right hand post with the keeper struggling to get there. 
 
Bridgwater’s rare forays forward were being dealt with easily by the Merthyr back four and Bradley had little to do but he did have to be on his toes when Grimshaw got the ball up the line to Knighton who gave it further left to Tooze who got it back inside to Knighton who got a shot away which was easily fielded by the Merthyr keeper.  A few minutes later a clearance from the Bridgy defence only found Bauza who hit it forward towards Prosser who tried to chip it over the head of Rudge towards Traylor who was free on the edge of the area but Rudge managed to reach it and got it clear to Grimshaw who was challenged by Prosser and Grimshaw went down as if he had been hit by an American Sniper in the ground and the referee awarded Bridgy a free kick and after the referee had a word with Prosser, Grimshaw got up after writhing around in agony on the ground from what had been a slight push by Prosser and ran around like a spring chicken.  Rudge, who was trying to referee the game complained about Prosser not being booked but Mr Derrien waved him away but that passage of play rather sums up Bridgwater’s approach to football, no doubt encouraged by their manager, Fey.
 
Merthyr were on top and the midfield of Patten, who was lying deeper than he has done, Leek and Bauza were testing the Bridgy midfield and with Prosser holding the ball up well and bringing others into play we were looking good but the Bridgy defence were keeping us at bay and the game was largely being played in the middle.  Leek took a throw down the line towards Prosser who got it back to Bauza who tried to get it back to Prosser but his pass was intercepted by Chamberlain and Leek challenged him with his foot off the ground giving Bridgy a free kick and Leek receiving a deserved yellow card.    
 
Just before the half hour mark Merthyr got the goal they deserved and what a goal it was.  Bridgwater got a throw on their left which was intercepted by Bauza.  He got it back to Prosser who slipped it inside to Traylor who ran into the area and sent in a right footed shot high into the Bridgwater net from about 8 yards and John had no chance and Merthyr were 1 up.    
 
That goal really rattled Bridgy and their defenders were now under pressure and their clearances were not as effective as they were.  From one, which went out of play, Davies threw the ball to Prosser.  He held it up and gave it back to Patten who pushed it inside to Green who sent it wide right, where Summerfield chested it down and held it before giving it back to Leek who gave it to Patten and he pushed it forward towards Traylor.  Allward nipped in and headed it clear but only as far as Leek and from the right hand edge of the area, Leek sent in a superb right footed shot which whistled past John and hit the back of the net like an exocet and 4 minutes after Traylor’s excellent goal, Leek had trumped it and Merthyr were now 2 to the good.
 
Merthyr continued to press with Bridgy defending desperately and their clearances were being intercepted on the halfway line and forward we went again testing the defenders at every opportunity.  Wright was rugby tackled by a Bridgy defender on the right and Patten took the kick which was hoiked clear.  Prosser picked up a clearance from Green on the halfway line and he sent a great ball through to Traylor who tried to get past Allan on the edge of the area who got it back to John who picked it up but the referee didn’t see the ball back to John as a back pass.
 
Summerfield took a throw on the right into Traylor who chested it back to Summerfield who gave it back to Traylor who was now in a bit of space and he sent in a good low cross which was put out of play by Allward and Merthyr had gained the first corner of the game.  Patten took it towards Wright but Rudge got there first and headed it clear wide to Griffiths who got it up to Knighton near the halfway line who fell over under a challenge from Davies and the pressure was released with a Bridgy free kick.  From the kick, Green cleared long into the Bridgy half where it was picked up by Prosser who did well to get past Grimshaw but to his credit, Grimshaw got back and he managed to get out for the second corner of the game on the Merthyr left. 
 
Just before the break Patten took the corner, high into the area towards the far post and Prosser rose highest to send a header towards goal which hit the bar and came back out to Prosser and John saved his follow up effort and it bounced back out to McLaggon but it came off his shins and away for a goal kick.  After more attacks from Merthyr, the referee brought the half to the end with Merthyr winning 2-0 and deserved more.
 
Bridgwater kicked off at the start of the half and were easily repelled and Merthyr went back on the offensive but Bridgy had obviously regrouped at half time and had regained their shape and were defending well again.  They did manage one break forward when Allward got the ball forward which Green tried to intercept but Tooze got in and ran towards our area on the right and sent it further right to Grimshaw who came inside and put in a shot which went wide of Bradley’s left hand post.  The goal kick from Bradley was headed on by Prosser to Traylor who gave it back to Leek who pushed it over the top back towards Traylor but Allward got in and it looped up off his foot towards Prosser who headed it down to Traylor but his right footed shot went wide of John’s left hand post.  Traylor and Prosser continued to link well testing the Bridgy defence but had no luck and Prosser received a long ball down the right and was pushed in the back by Allan in front of the lino, Durkin junior, and the ball came off Prosser and out of play and a throw to Bridgy was given.
 
Patten was playing well in front of the back 4 and he won the ball well in the middle and sent it left towards Davies who sent it up towards McLaggon who held it up and looked inside and as he tried to get it across he was caught by Grimshaw after the ball had gone but Mr Derrien waved play on and Tooze broke forward and tried to get it inside but Traylor intercepted and sent it long towards Prosser who ran down the right hand side of the area and he was penalised for an innocuous push on Allan and a free kick was awarded to Bridgwater.  That passage of play rather sums up the performance of the officials as a tackle after the ball had gone was left unpunished whereas a slight resulted in a free kick.
 
Merthyr seemed now content to allow Bridgwater to have the ball in the middle as the back 4 were coping easily with what little Bridgy had to throw at us but we were still pushing forward at every opportunity.  Green broke up an attack just outside our area and hooked it to Summerfield who got past Grimshaw and pushed it down the line towards Prosser who held it up and tried to get past Allan and Robertson and was brought down but the referee gave nothing and the ball went out of play for a throw.  Later, Davies took a throw on the left and found Leek who ran back towards the Merthyr half and he pushed it left towards Green on the halfway line.  Green looked up and held it and sent the ball forward when he was clattered by Chamberlain after the ball had gone leaving Green on the floor.  The referee was surrounded by Bridgwater players and then he went to speak to Green for some reason and then called Chamberlain towards him with everyone expecting a yellow card to be given as a minimum but all Mr Derrien gave was the free kick and no doubt said to the Bridgy player “don’t do it again!”  Bridgy cleared the resulting free kick away for a throw. 
 
The game was now end to end and both defences were looking comfortable, particularly Merthyr’s and moves were being dealt with.  However when Allan cleared the ball out of play halfway inside his own half Summerfield sent his throw towards Traylor.  Traylor came inside and got to the right hand edge of the area and sent in a powerful right footed shot and John got down well to his right to parry the ball away and a Bridgwater defender completed the clearance. 
 
McLaggon was being well marshalled by the Bridgy defence and had seen little of the ball and was replaced by Jenkins.
 
The game was getting a bit scrappy with free kicks being given regularly and now neither attack were able to create anything in the final third – not that Bridgwater had created much anyway – and the ball was out of play regularly.  Bridgy were again showing flexible interpretation of the rules and were gaining several yards at throw ins, particularly Allward but neither official felt the need to pull them up. 
 
One long ball into the Merthyr half, hoiked there by Rudge, approached our area and Bradley came out to clear but missed it and Wright had to be sharp to get it out of play for a throw.  From the throw the ball found Tooze on the edge of the area and Bradley redeemed himself by going down well to his left to make a safe catch.   
 
Later, Green broke up yet another ineffective Bridgy attack and headed it clear to Traylor who gave it to Summerfield who pushed it up the line on the right towards Prosser.  Prosser hooked the ball over his head towards Bauza further down the right and he held the ball and broke inside completely bamboozling Allan & Rudge and sent in a ball across the area where Jenkins was waiting but Allward got there first and cleared. 
 
Patten then sent a really good ball long into the Bridgy half and Prosser chased after it but was adjudged offside halfway inside the opposition half.  Allward tried to take the kick from the halfway line and was sent back by the referee a few yards but whilst the ref’s back was turned Allward threw the ball forward close to halfway and took the kick with the lino looking on uninterestedly. 
 
Shortly afterwards, Morgan replaced Traylor. 
 
Just before the end, Bridgwater gained their first corner of the game when a speculative shot, going wide, was deflected wider still and over the byline.  The corner came in high into the area and Bushin had a free header from about 6 yards making the score 2-1 to the Martyrs. 
 
With Fey signalling to the referee that there was 6 minutes of stoppage time the Mr Derrien brought the game to an end with Merthyr deservedly winning 2-1.  
 
It was a good win against a combative Bridgwater side whose style of play is reflected in the attendances they are getting.  They push the rules to their limits and have little flair and rely largely on aimless long balls into their opponents half.  Their centre half, Rudge, may as well have worn a black shirt as he tried to referee the game throughout.  In the programme there were 3 articles, including one from their manager, Fey, all berating officials and pleading innocence and one wonders whether or not that had an effect on the performance of the officials last night as they did not have the best of games, seemingly not willing to punish poorish tackles with cards.
 
Rant over and let’s concentrate on us.  Apart from conceding another set piece goal we defended really well and made the Bridgy strikers look ineffective.  In midfield, Patten had his best game for us and looked more than useful in front of the back 4.  Leek & Bauza provided the creativity and Leek’s goal was outstanding.  Traylor also played well and his goal was excellent too and this time Prosser couldn’t get anywhere near it!  As said McLaggon was well looked after by the Bridgy defenders but that left room for Prosser to exploit and he did it well and was very unlucky to see his first half header come off the bar.  My MOTM for last night is Kyle Patten for his overall play but Wright & Green weren’t far behind.


The only downside at the moment is Rewbury's injury and it seems he has broken a bone in his foot.  He's in fracture clinic tomorrow so we should know more after that but it could be a season ending injury for him.

 
Onwards and upwards to Tivvy at the Park on Saturday.  Sod the rugby and come to see a winning side!

Excellent report, the midfield trio all played well. Don't think we need to sign anyone else!! There were a few candidates for MOTM last night, for me it was Mr Traylor his work rate was immense dropping back to help the midfield and scoring one brilliant goal. The scoreline flattered Bridgwater really we were much the better team on the night

Excellent report OS, pleased that kyle Patten had a good game as our defensive Midfielder  & look forward to see him playing there Saturday.

Hope also that it's better news regarding Jamie Rewbury as he has really started to play well since starting regularly at centre back & wish him a speedy recovery.

I'm with you OS, sod the egg-chasers, let's get a good crowd at PP on Saturday to see a winning side.

Thank you Aged Turbary, your match reports are a great read for us fans unable to attend midweek matches and your contemporaneous reports reflect the game as it is - balanced and weighted from the eyes of a true Martyr....I always read them twice to get a true flavour of the game...regrettably beyond my control I can't attend the Tiverton game ( traitor that I am I have tickets for a different beer tasting event in the Capital with jerseys more suited to my build) but whilst my gut will be at the soon to be second best sporting stadium in Wales, my heart will be at the CiggE....Free pints for me....but three POINTS for the Town.....Boz

Old Sod wrote:  
 Green looked up and held it and sent the ball forward when he was clattered by Chamberlain after the ball had gone leaving Green on the floor.  The referee was surrounded by Bridgwater players and then he went to speak to Green for some reason and then called Chamberlain towards him with everyone expecting a yellow card to be given as a minimum but all Mr Derrien gave was the free kick and no doubt said to the Bridgy player “don’t do it again!” 

Compare and contrast with the Bridgwater view of the same incident:

'...this game was well refereed by Mark Derrien. He wasn’t cajoled into giving Chamberlain a yellow card after he fouled skipper Ryan Green. We saw the crowd of enraged players around the refereeing wanting Town’s midfielder to be punished. It was a foul, no more than that. Mr Derrien knew that and after speaking to Green and Chamberlain everyone got on with the game without any cards shown. It was the correct call, it was common sense, well done Mr. Derrien.'

http://bridgwatertownfc-1984.co.uk/?fixture_and_result=bridgwater-town-v-merthyr-town

Merthyr Imp wrote:

Old Sod wrote:     
 Green looked up and held it and sent the ball forward when he was clattered by Chamberlain after the ball had gone leaving Green on the floor.  The referee was surrounded by Bridgwater players and then he went to speak to Green for some reason and then called Chamberlain towards him with everyone expecting a yellow card to be given as a minimum but all Mr Derrien gave was the free kick and no doubt said to the Bridgy player “don’t do it again!” 

Compare and contrast with the Bridgwater view of the same incident:

'...this game was well refereed by Mark Derrien. He wasn’t cajoled into giving Chamberlain a yellow card after he fouled skipper Ryan Green. We saw the crowd of enraged players around the refereeing wanting Town’s midfielder to be punished. It was a foul, no more than that. Mr Derrien knew that and after speaking to Green and Chamberlain everyone got on with the game without any cards shown. It was the correct call, it was common sense, well done Mr. Derrien.'

http://bridgwatertownfc-1984.co.uk/?fixture_and_result=bridgwater-town-v-merthyr-town

Well, they would say that, wouldn't they! 

It was a poor tackle and deserved a yellow and it was similar to the tackle Leek made in the first half for which he was booked.  Usually any tackle which makes contact with a player after the ball has gone does usually lead to a yellow.  As I said the programme notes were very critical of referees at Bridgy so maybe Mr Derrien didn't want to upset Mr Fey any more.  If there were Merthyr players surrounding the ref there were certainly more Bridgy players there trying to camouflage Chamberlain who did disappear behind them.

We know from watching Merthyr on occasions they are too nice and don't whinge like spoilt brats when they are tackled which is precisely what Bridgwater do, no doubt under orders from above.

At the end of the day the better footballing side won on the night and they were graceful enough to admit that.

Boz1964 wrote:... contemporaneous reports ...

!

Solihull Martyr wrote:

Boz1964 wrote:... contemporaneous reports ...

!

As it happens, matey.  They may be late going on the forum but are written as it happens during the game.

The last time I heard someone accused of contemporaneous reporting was in an ET! (I was defending the organisation btw)!