MERTHYR v Mangotsfield

Team: Bradley, Summerfield, Davies, Leek, Wright, Green, Prosser, Williams, McLaggon, Bauza, Traylor

Subs: Evans, Matthew Harris, Jenkins, Morgan, Jake Harris

2-0 up

Stratford 1-0 up

1 up Bauza lovely curler to top corner 8mins.

2-0. Bauza with his brace. 11mins

3-0! Traylor on the stroke of half time

3-0 Traylor

Other HT scores

Stratford 1 Sholing 0
Evesham 1 Cinderford 0
Taunton 2 Bridgewater 0 (2nd goal from a ringer Rodney Marsh!)

Half Time 3-0.
Stratford 1 up h/t with Sholing playing well.

65th min sub. Bauza off and Harris on. Hope he got a standing ovation!
Sholing equaliser at Stratford!

4-0 Leek with a great strike 74mins.
Before the restart Kanye off Morgan on

75th min sub: McGlaggon off and Morgan on

85th min sub. J Harris on and Prosser off

Attendance 1013. Magnificent!
I'm there as far as tickets go!

F/t 4-0!

Stratford 2-1 Sholing F/t.
Need a point Monday to be mathematically certain.

All the goals were good but leekies fourth was brilliant, roll on Monday.

Today's team:

Bradley;
Summerfield,Green,Wright,Davies;
Leek,G.Williams,Bauza;
Traylor,Prosser,McLaggon;

Subs:
M. Harris for Bauza after about 65 minutes
Morgan for McLaggon after about 73 minutes
J.Harris for Prosser after about 81 minutes
Evans
Jenkins

With Kris Leek available again he took the place of the departed Kyle Patten as the only change. Jamie Rewbury was evidently fit enough to join in part of the pre-match warm-up and the half time kick-about but wasn't in the squad.

After a promising start we took the lead after about 7 minutes with a great goal from Guillermo Bauza. The ball reached him 25 yards out and he was able to take his time and curl a left foot shot into the top corner of the goal to give Joe Perry no chance.

About 3 minutes later it was nearly 2-0 when Ryan Prosser headed the ball on to Kayne McLaggon on the left of the area, and it took a great save from Joe Perry to tip the ball over the bar from his shot. But the second goal soon arrived, as from the corner, taken on the right by Gavin Williams the ball reached Guillermo Bauza at the far post and he was able to tap it into the net from close range.

After about 19 minutes Gavin Williams played in Ian Traylor but some good defending resulted in his shot being blocked.

Mangotsfield were not really troubling us in defence, but did manage to win a few corners, from one of which Tom Bradley had to make his only serious contribution in the first half when he dropped on the ball from a header.

We looked well in control of the game, with Ryan Prosser lively up front, on the ground as well as in the air, and Jarrad Wright winning everything in the air at the back.

In time added on at the end of the first half we made it 3-0 when the ball reached Ian Traylor about 40 yards out. He took it on into the area and finished with a fine shot across Joe Perry and into the net.

3-0 at half time was a fair reflection of the half, with Mangotsfield, while not exactly looking like a side going through the motions at the end of the season didn't really look as if they thought they still had a chance of a play-off slot. They did put us under some pressure at the start of the second half though, and after a rebound gave an attacker a chance of a shot from the left of the area Tom Bradley did well to scoop the ball away.

On the hour mark Ian Traylor created an opening for himself inside the area, but could only put a weak shot straight at Perry. A couple of minutes after that Tom Bradley had to make another good save to a shot from the right of the area. That was basically it as far as any further threat from Mangotsfield went and it was just a question of whether we could add to our lead.

After about 65 minutes Matthew Harris replaced Guillermo Bauza, and about 7 minutes after that the 4th goal did arrive following some good team play with a ball in from the left finding Ryan Prosser, and Kris Leek being set up on the edge of the area. He turned on the ball and crashed a shot over Joe Perry and in off the bar.

Kerry Morgan then immediately replaced Kayne McLaggon.

With about 10 minutes to go Jake Harris made his debut in a straight swap for Ryan Prosser.

A couple of minutes later Kerry Morgan floated the ball in from the left towards the far top corner but saw it come back off the bar.

Jake Harris then could have scored on his debut after Ian Traylor set him up to run across the area, but he turned too much on the ball and put his shot just wide of the far post.

So a well-deserved win, and we were at our best today, being just too good for Mangotsfield in all areas of the pitch. I'd choose Guillermo Bauza as man of the match for his two goals - especially the first one - which set up the win. Gavin Williams pulled the strings as usual in his deep-lying role, and Ryan Prosser did everything you could ask of him up front. Ryan Green and Jarrad Wright were dominant in defence, but it's not really fair to single out any one player.

The celebrations seemed a little low key at the end, but of course it's true we do need a further point to make the championship definite. Only Stratford could mathematically catch us now, but I think they, Evesham and Taunton are more concerned with the battle for runners-up. Larkhall need to avoid any slip-ups to keep Didcot at bay.

I think the only question for us now is whether we can finish with more points with Kettering (who are in a similar situation of only needing a point to be mathematically certain of promotion) and so be at home to them in the challenge match against the Central Division champions.

evening chaps.

Three of us went up today and had a ruddy good time.
Brilliant football played, Martyrs looked in total control throughout the game. At 3-0 I watched and thought this game could be played for 4 or 5 hours and I don't think the Mangoes would score against us.
Superbly set up in defence Martyrs were I thought, and took our goals well.

We stood directly behind that small contingent of Mangotsfield fans, there were only 5 of them and they were quite comical with their singing.

Me and my old man and nephew are Swans fans, but with tickets costing £40 a game and that is if you are lucky to get your hands on a ticket we feel a little disillusioned with the sky high prices, even though we love seeing them do so well. We are big on football in our family and wish all Welsh teams to do well, and I can safely say we will be visiting more often next season. I used to live near Chippenham and Camridge and Frome, so that is the connections I have with the teams in the next league, so I would love to see Martyrs smash them and also dish out a bit of justice on Hungerford, Paulton and Cirencester.

You have a great set up there at Penydarren and we really enjoyed.

Im trying to get away from work Monday so I can go watch that game aswel.

Onwards and Upwards,

UP THE MARTYRS!!!!

Expected much more from Mangotsfield but after our whirlwind start it seemed to knock nearly all the fight out of them, well apart from Lewis Powell who screamed at his colleagues in frustration following his first half booking!

To be honest we were probably too good on the day and the game was over as a contest by half time.

Ryan Prosser put in a massive shift this afternoon without any personal reward, winning almost every aerial dual with his markers.

It was certainly great entertainment before another excellent crowd including good enthusiastic away support.

So no Wyndham then Jack.?

Never mind - maybe next time.

Glad you enjoyed the day - our Club are grateful to you and others for helping supporting and keeping good football in the Valleys.

All genuine football fans are assured of a warm welcome in the hillsides and especially at our Community Club.

Boz

Wandering wrote:Expected much more from Mangotsfield...

Me to!

Wandering wrote:Ryan Prosser put in a massive shift this afternoon ....almost every aerial dual with his markers.

As I asked Spike - were we playing pigmies?!!
To be fair Pross had a blinder at Sholing. Perhaps the signing of Jake Harris has been just the spur he needs. Always felt he's had it - provided he himself had the motivation.

Anyhow - what a day!

A very good win today and Mangos looked a beaten side before the game started. 

Bauza's first goal was an excellent shot from 20 odd yards which left Perry grasping at thin air but the room he was given was poor from a Mangos point of view.  Bauza was then neatly positioned at the far post to latch onto a Prosser flick on from a Williams corner and Traylor was later given oceans of space to enable him to approach the area and send in a good shot which was going somewhere close before it was deflected past the bewildered Joe.

Bauza's first was excellent but Leekies was better thanks to the build up play involving Traylor & Prosser.  Leekie slammed it towards goal from about 18 yards and Perry may have got a touch but he could only deflect it onto the bar and in.  We could have had more but 4 is certainly good enough and although Bradley wasn't troubled unduly thanks to the defence which kept the Mangos largely at arms length but he did make one really good save we deserved our clean sheet.

They did have a bit more of the game in the second half but didn't threaten and with their recent record I expected more of them - but that, on the other hand, could be down to the way we played.  Prosser was again superb and the run of games he's had in the side has done him the world of good.

Onwards and upwards to Easter Monday and Bishops Cleeve and hopefully they are quaking in their boots already.  An early goal, similar to today, should set us on our way nicely.

Excellent display from our boys today, I can only endorse the previous posts. There was some concern from a few fans earlier in the season that we couldn't keep a clean sheet, we have now kept a clean sheet in the last three games (First time this season) and conceded just 31 goals in 38 league games, only Evesham (29) have conceded less.

Lots of photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/deebumblebee/sets/72157651346913298/

Just uploaded some images from yesterday's game onto club website.