Slough v MERTHYR

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Not for me cannot make it

Slough bundled the Martyrs out of the FA Trophy in a fairly even game but the home team’s clinical finishing was the difference between the 2 sides.

With Yorwerth recalled by Crawley, Merthyr had to shuffle the pack with McDonald having served his 1 match suspension taking a place in the middle of the back 4 which allowed Wright to move into midfield. There was one other change with Tancock replacing Watkins at right back.
On a 3G pitch in the partially completed council owned Arbour Park, Slough kicked off and McDonald did well to head clear 2 balls into the Merthyr area, the second of which went for a corner. McDonald was there again to head clear but only as far as Hollis whose shot from about 20 yards deflected off Wright for a second corner and this time Nisbet got his head to it but the ball went high over the Merthyr bar. After that frenetic opening by the home side Merthyr retaliated when Davies sent a long ball into the Slough half which was picked up on the left by Barrow who sent it into the box and found Richards who slipped a Slough defender but his shot from about 10 yards hit the feet of the Slough keeper, Scott and rebounded out to McLaggon but he dwelt too long on the ball and it was cleared. Another long ball into the Slough half was fielded by McLaggon who found Reffell who turned and slipped it left towards Wright whose shot came off Scott and away for a throw which came to nothing.

At this early stage Merthyr were marginally in the driving seat but Slough’s Putman made a good run into the Merthyr half and found Dobson on the left and after his initial cross was cleared back to him, his second effort found the arms of Davies in the Merthyr goal. Then McLaggon was fouled about 30 yards out and Barrow’s kick came off the wall to Traylor who sent in a shot from just over 20 yards which screamed just wide of Scott’s right hand post. A few minutes later Wright sent a header just wide of the post from a Richards cross but Mr Johnson spotted an offence and awarded Slough a free kick. Merthyr gained another corner when Evans’s cross brushed off Stonehouse’s head at the far post getting in in front of Richards and away for another corner which Barrow sent high into the area and Adebayo managed to head it behind, under pressure from McDonald for another corner but this time it went over everyone and away for a goal kick.

Slough looked dangerous on the break and after a foul by Richards near the halfway line Dobson sent the resulting free kick towards the Merthyr area and he sent it towards the Merthyr area where it was headed clear by Jones and the ball made its way to Putman on the Merthyr left and he got past Barrow near the byline and sent in a low near post cross which was met by Moone who flicked it home giving Davies little chance and with 16 minutes gone, rather against the run of play, Slough were a goal to the good.

Buoyed by the goal Slough were now pushing forward more but made little headway with McDonald defending well against the lanky Adebayo but the likes of Putman on the right and Dobson on the left were looking dangerous but Merthyr gradually got back into it and really should have equalised just before the half hour when McLaggon got hold of the ball on the halfway line and slipped a ball through which beat a square Slough defence and Reffell, in the clear, latched onto it but unusually, his first touch let him down and he prodded the ball forward too far which enabled Scott to block the ball on the edge of the area and he required lengthy treatment after his challenge on Reffell. Slough were passing the ball around well and after one move, Dunn sent in a shot which went just wide of Davies’s right hand post but Merthyr also got a good cross in which was cleared well by Nisbet.

Both sides were trying to press forward in an end to end game but both defences were coping but Reffell used his pace well to break into the Slough half when he picked up a Wright clearance after a Slough corner was cleared. He got over the halfway line and ran strongly through the Slough defence towards the edge of the area but under pressure, he rather scuffed his shot and Scott got down well to his right to save. Just before halftime Slough doubled their lead when Nisbet sent a long free kick from the halfway line towards the Merthyr goal and Richards headed it clear and it was picked up by Fraser who got it inside to Dunn who pushed it forward to Adebayo who sent it right towards Fraser who sent in yet another good cross into the Merthyr 6 yard area and Dunn was on hand to side foot a powerful shot home and Slough went into half time leading 2-0.

Merthyr started the 2nd half on a mission to get back into the game and after a period of pressure the ball was cleared but it was picked up by Reffell who returned the favour to McLaggon by slipping the ball through the Slough defence but the linesman flagged for offside but McLaggon looked onside when the pass was hit. Just as Saturday the away side were on top but were unable to get the breakthrough and the lino’s arm was working overtime in waving his flag for offside – some of which were right. After Fraser did well to clear a McDonald ball it was given away by Stonehouse to Wright and he charged forward deep into the Slough half beating a couple of defenders in the process but his shot from the edge of the area was charged down and cleared. Slough then gained a free kick on their left which was sent high into the Merthyr area and Davies made a good save from Adebayo but his clearance was intercepted by Togwell who shot towards what looked like an unguarded goal but it looped up and Davies did really well to get back and stretched up to claw the ball away for a corner. That kick was cleared by Wright but only at the expense of another corner which came into the near post and McDonald partially cleared but the ball found its way to Hollis whose shot was deflected behind for another corner by Jones. This time the ball fell to Dunn but he screwed his shot wide.
A few minutes later, Reffell did well to pick up a long clearance from Davies and he gave it left towards Richards who ran in towards the edge of the area and sent in a powerful shot which seemed to dip and swerve which almost defeated Scott but the ball hit his arm and away for a corner. Traylor’s kick was headed down by Tancock across goal and away behind off a Slough defender for another corner. This time, Traylor’s corner was met by Wright but Slough cleared and Merthyr gained the ball again and continued to press and Reffell did well to head down a cross towards McDonald but he just couldn’t get to it and the chance was lost.

Merthyr continued to press, penning Slough back and to freshen things up with just under 20 minutes to go, Richards was replaced by Jenkins to see if he could prise open a resolute Slough defence. Not for the first time, Evans was fouled and Tancock’s kick towards the area was cleared by Hollis under pressure from Wright and the referee stopped the game as Hollis was left on the ground holding his face but quickly got up without needing treatment and the game restarted with a drop ball which was booted up to Davies. He returned it downfield and Reffell got up well to head the ball forward towards Traylor but from a good position about 10 yards out he made a hash of his shot sending it tamely over the bar. At the other end Adebayo did well to get the ball forward to Dobson who got away a good shot which Davies did well to save getting down well to his right. Traylor had another half chance when Tancock broke down the right and sent in a good cross but Traylor could only hook the ball up and over the bar. That was his last touch as with a minute or so left he was replaced by Hutson. Slough saw the game out easily and look forward to a home game against Wingate and Finchley and good luck to them.

It was largely an entertaining end to end game and Slough took their chances and we didn’t. In reality the replay should not have been necessary as we should have sewn it up on Saturday and it was always going to be a difficult task to go to Slough and win particularly without Yorwerth who was a big miss. In saying that, we did enough to get something out of the game but couldn’t finish.