MERTHYR v Kings Langley

Team:
Davies
Davies Tancock McDonald Barrow
Wright Evans Reffell
Traylor Prosser McLaggon.
Subs
Jones Garner Williams Watkins Jenkins

1-0 up Prosser header 10mins

2 up McLaggon 30mins

3 up McLaggon brace 40mins

H/t 3-0

Prosser misses a pen

4 up Traylor hat-trick at the death!

5 Ben Watkins really at the death!

F/t 5-0. Great win!

Solihull Martyr wrote:3 up McLaggon brace 40mins

I thought it was an OG. I was behind the goal when the 3rd one went in (on my way to the bar) and to me it looked like their No 5 was the last to touch the ball.

Today’s team:

O.Davies;
A.Davies,Tancock,McDonald,Barrow;
Evans;
Traylor,Reffell,Wright,McLaggon;
Prosser;

Subs:
Williams for Tancock after about 51 minutes
Jenkins for McLaggon at the same time
Watkins for Evans after about 85 minutes
Jones
Garner

With Jarrad Wright back from suspension he replaced the unavailable Eliot Richards in midfield for this game. Scott Tancock replaced Rhys Baggridge in defence, with Gethin Jones on the bench. Oliver Davies kept his place in goal.

After about 4 minutes there was a pinpoint ball from Ashley Evans to Ian Traylor down the right, but when he stepped inside he put his shot straight at the keeper.

Kings Langley were playing a very defensive formation with 5 at the back and 4 in midfield.

With about 8 minutes gone a poor kick out by Oliver Davies went straight to an attacker no more than 30 yards out but he put his shot wide, and this was just about the best of the few chances the visitors had to score in the whole match. A couple of minutes later we took the lead when a free kick from out on the left was headed away but only as far as Ian Traylor, and he floated the ball across for Ryan Prosser to rise and head it over the keeper and into the net.

After about 18 minutes we had a shout for a penalty when a clever dummy by Keyon Reffell allowed Ryan Prosser to run into the area on the right. Although it appeared as if he was tripped nothing was given.

Both sides then were guilty of wasting possession for a spell before we went further ahead after about 29 minutes. Kings Langley gave the ball away to Adam Davies to run clear down the right and put it across the area for the unmarked Kayne McLaggon to pick his spot from 10 yards.

Kings had an opportunity from a free kick just outside the area after an Ashley Evans foul, but it was put straight into the wall.

We made it 3-0 after about 41 minutes when Kayne McLaggon was fouled in midfield, for which Kings’ Jack Pattison was booked. We made them doubly pay when the kick was played to Curtis McDonald on the left and he sent a dangerous ball into the goalmouth where Kayne McLaggon touched it past the keeper. We came close again a couple of minutes later when Ryan Prosser robbed a defender to the right of the area. He put the ball inside to Keyon Reffell but his shot was blocked by the keeper.

Just before the break Scott Tancock was booked for a foul 25 yards out, but Kings Langley’s lone striker Immanuelson Duku put the kick over the bar.

It seemed as if we had almost scored at will in the first half, dominating possession in the Kings Langley half, with the visitors not helping themselves by some rather loose play.

A couple of minutes after the break we had our first corner of the game. It came back out to Ian Traylor on the left and he slipped past a defender but put his shot into the side netting.

We made a double substitution with about 51 minutes gone, Gavin Williams coming on for Scott Tancock, with Jarrad Wright dropping back into defence, and Corey Jenkins for Kayne McLaggon who may have been limping slightly as he went off.

We had a chance about 3 minutes after the substitutions with a free kick given for a push on Corey Jenkins. When Gavin Williams put the ball across it was met by Ryan Prosser in front of goal but he could only put it over the bar. Prosser had an even better chance about 7 minutes later when Ian Traylor broke down the right. He put the ball inside to Ashley Evans who went down just inside the area for which, from where I was (not in my usual place) looked a rather soft penalty. But the usually reliable Prosser saw his spot kick pushed away by the diving Xavi Comas in the Kings goal. I suppose if you’re going to miss a penalty it’s not a bad time to do so when you’re already 3-0 up.

Although Kings Langley were now being forced to push more men forward we were in more or less complete control of the match, keeping the ball for long periods at a time.

Ryan Prosser thought he’d scored after about 79 minutes when he headed in a cross from the right but he was given offside. He may or may not have also been offside about 6 minutes later when after a break down the right the ball came across to him at the far post but he somehow put it wide of the goal. Ben Watkins then replaced Ashley Evans for the remaining minutes.

Ian Traylor for me was man of the match, tormenting the Kings Langley defence down the right for the whole match, and he sealed his performance with a goal after about 88 minutes. Turning up in the centre he robbed a defender to run clear but saw his shot blocked by the keeper. However, he was able to get a foot to the rebound to lob it over the keeper and into the net.

There was still time for the scoreline to be made a fair reflection of the game overall when another mistake by a Kings defender allowed Corey Jenkins to run clear down the left and put a good ball across where it was headed down for Ben Watkins to slide it into the net for his first Merthyr goal.

So, a great end to the run of 4 games without a win, albeit against one of the most ineffective sides seen at Penydarren Park this season. We could, and maybe should have had a bigger win, but you can’t complain at 5-0. I suspect it won’t be as easy against Chippenham on Tuesday night! Given all the circumstances it was a surprisingly good attendance of 478.

We open up a 4 point gap over the side below us.

Don't miss tomorrow's Non-League Paper, as today's match was chosen by them for extended coverage with a longer match report than usually appears there, plus all the match statistics you could wish for.

A couple of my pics also in Non League Paper. Just uploaded some pictures from yesterday's game onto club website. Sorry about the quality under lights and rain, not a good combination.

Nubs wrote:

Solihull Martyr wrote:3 up McLaggon brace 40mins

I thought it was an OG. I was behind the goal when the 3rd one went in (on my way to the bar) and to me it looked like their No 5 was the last to touch the ball.

You're right, having seen it on YouTube.