Media Watch - Biggleswade Town

So far Steve Jenkins tenure at Penydarren Park can be divided into a season of unparallel league success compared to a relatively few short weeks of mild heart snapping traumas. If we all thought that the defeat last weekend and with it elimination from the FA Cup would further dent the Martyrs psychological welfare then we were all hopelessly wrong. It could be a story of confidence destroyed but very quickly repaired. Hopefully, the reaction to the crushing, narrow, single goal defeats against Cirencester, Chippenham, Chesham and Hartley Wintney will only help to make the team metaphorically stronger.

We know now that the Martyrs are capable of grinding out a result, even if they’re not making passionate, sweet love to the football. Thankfully, we appear to have had more than enough left in the tank to return from Dorchester on Tuesday with a very hard earned point, which will turn out to be a very valuable one in the scale of events.

It was good to see some flexibility. Against Dorchester we reverted to a stereotypical type basic security blanket to cut out any mistakes and we appear to have found the missing 10% as an attacking force. The return of Ashley Evans must have had a positive affect on his teammates and Chris Hugh was given his long awaited debut with Adam switched to right back.

I think what we have recently seen is a relatively small group of players who have been struggling for a few games, show good character to possibly turn things around against strong opposition.

So, it was a point. Perhaps, not what we hoped for when we took the lead, but it’s an extremely good one nevertheless. Now we go again with Cory Jenkins suspended for this weekend, hoping that nobody else gets injured in the next couple of weeks, then it’s into an extremely busy and very testing spell of games.

We have some big engagements ahead. In October we’re treated to a run of games that includes this across three competitions: top of the league Leamington (a), Cinderford (a) in the Red Insure Cup, Dunstable (h), Paulton Rovers (a), St Neots Town (a), Hungerford (h), then Poole (h) in the FA Trophy.

How we emerge from this spell will tell us a great deal about our prospects this season and the teams character. As well as coping with long term injuries and player departures, we will also be hit with further suspensions to Rhys Baggridge and Ryan Prosser. With Kayne injured we will need to cope with the future loss of Ryan for three games, after he has become so pivotal to the way that we play. Hopefully, Ryan will make the most of the next few games before he starts his enforced sabbatical.

Steve Jenkins didn’t have any of these multiple problems to deal with last season!

I suspect that SJ has been working on our recovery plan on a match to match basis, so desperate is he to find a workable solution to this mini-wobble. We will possibly see the pace and dynamism of our wide players providing some impetus, as it appears that this is where the Martyrs may be able to experience some joy as the next few weeks unfold.

Ultimately, any worried Merthyr supporters don’t need to panic. There’s plenty of time left to resolve the problems with only 24% of the season played. Expect plenty of trial and error in the next month because this is a complex equation that will take time to settle down during a demanding run of games.

Sorry I've had to use this section to post this topic,seems I'm unable to post new topics in the normal why???

Can anyone's shed some light on the bideford game, just picked up a copy of the Merthyr Tydfil times (October issue) it shows we have a home game Tuesday October 6th to Bideford???? Also the football page website as the same fixture, I've checked the forum (league and cup fixtures) it's showing the home game Tuesday 10\11,nothing in the September news letter, checked the club website nothing (and I mean nothing) so do we have a game this Tuesday?????? If no then where did the Merthyr Tydfil times and the football web pages UK get this information????.

douggolfer wrote:Sorry I've had to use this section to post this topic,seems I'm unable to post new topics in the normal why???

Can anyone's shed some light on the bideford game, just picked up a copy of the Merthyr Tydfil times (October issue) it shows we have a home game Tuesday October 6th to Bideford???? Also the football page website as the same fixture, I've checked the forum (league and cup fixtures) it's showing the home game Tuesday 10\11,nothing in the September news letter, checked the club website nothing (and I mean nothing) so do we have a game this Tuesday?????? If no then where did the Merthyr Tydfil times and the football web pages UK get this information????.

I'm sure that I read somewhere on the forum, that Bideford game postponed due to a cup match for them. Can't seem to find it at the moment.

Bideford are at home to Witheride in the Devon St Lukes Bowl on the 6th.

There was a posting about this on here on 30th August:

https://mtfcforum.forumotion.com/t3120-merthyr-v-bideford-tues-oct-6

'This game is postponed due to Bideford playing Witheridge in the Devon St. Lukes Bowl 1st Round on Oct 6th'

This is the club website page showing October fixtures:

http://www.merthyrtownfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/fixtures/

The fixture is shown as taking place on Tuesday 10th November in:

1. The centre pages of the match programme for the last two games.
2. The above-mentioned thread on this Forum
3. The club website page showing November fixtures:

http://www.merthyrtownfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/fixtures/#horizontalTab2

4. The Southern League website:

https://www.southern-football-league.co.uk/premier-division/fixtures?club=3224

Just saying what is posted in a free paper with a large ordnance,

Manager Steve Jenkins believes his young Martyrs can challenge for a Southern League play-offs finish this season
Wales On Line

Manager Steve Jenkins believes his young Merthyr Town team can start climbing the EvoStik Southern League Premier table over the next few weeks.

The Martyrs are mid-table after a disappointing run of results, including a 1-0 FA Cup exit against Hartley Wintney, but they battled to a 1-1 League draw at Dorchester Town in midweek.

They take on Biggleswade Town at their Penydarren Park home on Saturday (3pm) and Jenkins says; “We have an extremely young group and the average age against Biggleswade is likely to be around 22-years-old. We have players just out of development football. They are talented, but we have to be patient with them at times as they adapt to Southern League football. Our team performances have been good, but we have suffered several single goal defeats and that has been frustrating. The opposition haven’t played through us, but we’ve had penalties awarded against us or an individual error has proved costly. We earned a draw at Dorchester, but I felt we should have won that game. We were 1-0 up and looking comfortable when we had a penalty awarded against us for handball before Ryan Prosser was sent off on a straight red card.

“From being in front and looking comfortable we were down to 10 players. I felt it was a harsh dismissal because it was simply a challenge between two big lads. Ryan isn’t the sort of player to use his elbow and was really unlucky to be sent off. Indeed, if he had a touch more devil in him he would be playing at an even higher level. We are in mid-table, but not too far off the pace. A couple of wins and we’ll start looking at the play-offs again. We have been unlucky and I believe we have a team who should be in the play-off positions. Our job is to show that is the case by putting a solid run of results together.”

Merthyr will be without Guillermo Bauza, who is back at home in Spain this weekend, while Corey Jenkins serves a one-match suspension after being sent off for two bookable offences against Chippenham. Kayne McLaggon is ruled out by injury, but Prosser is still available because his suspension doesn’t kick in yet.

Merthyr have one of the highest average attendances in Southern League football and will have big support at Penydarren Park.

douggolfer wrote:Just saying what is posted in a free paper with a large ordnance,

It seems that the Merthyr Times used the original fixture list as opposed to the revised one.

I hope the Merthyr Times doesn't have large ordnance as they'll be firing bullets everywhere!

Marsh moves from Dunstable to Biggleswade
Biggleswade Today

The attacker completed the switch between Bedfordshire’s two Southern League Premier clubs this week. He leaves after a second spell at Dunstable - his previous clubs include Arlesey Town and Hemel Hempstead.

Delighted Biggleswade Town manager Chris Nunn said “He’s a good Level 3 player, and I’ve tried to sign him on three occasions. He will be available for our FA Cup game against Wealdstone, but he’s had a slight ankle injury so he may not start.”

Marsh scored twice for Dunstable in the opening few games of the Southern league season.

Large fingers and small buttons  don't work Old sod lol  !!! Late get back to pen and paper

douggolfer wrote:Large fingers and small buttons  don't work Old sod lol  !!! Late get back to pen and paper

I prefer P & P as well but my writing is so poor a chemist would probably give medication!

Get youself a prescription book make a fortune