MERTHYR v St Neots

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

1-0 up. Traylor 34th min

1-0 half time

2-0 McClaggon 49th min

3-0! Richards in the 82nd min, not long after he'd come on

Full time 3-0. A routine win!!

Today’s team:

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

Subs:
Jenkins for Prosser after about 69 minutes
Richards for Barrow (injured) after about 75 minutes
Watkins for Traylor at the same time
Jones
Garner

An unchanged squad from Tuesday night.

In the first minute Ian Traylor combined with Adam Davies down the right, and the latter put a cross to the near post which the keeper put behind for a corner.

With only about 4 minutes gone an Ian Traylor shot was blocked at the near post after Keyon Reffell had got to a ball down the left. Then a minute later Traylor shot just wide after he again turned up on the left of the area.

Ryan Prosser perhaps ought to have scored with about 11 minutes gone when a move started by Keyon Reffell led to a ball in from the left by Kayne McLaggon, but his shot was blocked on the line by the keeper going full length.

After about 19 minutes, St Neots had their first opportunity to score (and which turned out to be practically their only one, apart from corners, in the whole match) when a ball came in from the left but the attacker’s shot went well over the bar.

With Merthyr being well on top early on the game then quietened down for a spell. Perhaps worthy of mention was the St Neots player with the memorable surname of L’Ghoul (the no. 7, Boz) and who must be one of the few players around with hair longer than Ryan Prosser’s beard.

With about 30 minutes gone Keyon Reffell beat a man close to the line on the right of the area but his ball to the near post was defended well. A minute later there was a remarkable double save by the St Neots keeper, when Ryan Prosser hammered in a shot at the second attempt. With this saved, the keeper then blocked at close range the follow-up effort from Kayne McLaggon.

But the breakthrough finally came after about 38 minutes and the keeper beaten at last, when a corner came out to Ian Traylor on the left of the area. He turned one way then the other to beat two men in the area before firing the ball into the net.

We had more or less dominated the first half, with St Neots having their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in the game.

A couple of minutes into the second half Ryan Prosser broke down the left and got the ball across the area where it fell to Ian Traylor but his shot swerved a yard wide of the post. But the second goal came a couple of minutes later. From a corner the St Neots keeper somehow clawed the ball away from under the bar, but with it not being cleared it came out to Keyon Reffell on the right. He crossed from the byline for Kayne McLaggon to head in from close range.

After about 51 minutes there was a shot over the bar by Ryan Prosser from the edge of the area after Kayne McLaggon had won the ball on the left. A minute later Oliver Davies had something to do for a change, but a header from a corner was straight at him. A further minute later there was another great save from the St Neots keeper to keep out a deflected shot from Ashley Evans.

With about 69 minutes gone Corey Jenkins replaced Ryan Prosser, Kayne McLaggon moving into the middle.

After a spell when we had been turning on the style the game then quietened down again. We made two more substitutions after about 75 minutes, with Ben Watkins given some game time in place of Ian Traylor, and Eliot Richards on for Scott Barrow who had been in the wars with a couple of knocks. That meant Jarrad Wright dropping back into defence with Wakins in midfield, Richards wide on the right and Scott Tancock at left back.

It was Richards who made it 3-0 after about 82 minutes. He ran forward from midfield, beat a defender and fired in a left-foot shot from the edge of the area which the keeper somehow got a hand to but was unable to prevent going into the top corner.

A minute after the goal St Neots put a header past the far post from a corner.

So a comfortable win to send us into Christmas in good spirits. We were generally untroubled by St Neots who were lightweight in midfield, and with two similarly lightweight strikers who were never going to win the ball in the air against Scott Tancock and Curtis McDonald. In fact, the only height they had in the team was in defence, and while they weren’t as poor a side as Kings Langley we could easily have registered another five-goal haul if it hadn’t been for the goalkeeper. He was clearly man of the match, but for us it could have been any one of Ashley Evans, Keyon Reffell, Ian Traylor or Kayne McLaggon. I’d possibly choose Reffell.

We move up to 4th place, and it was another decent attendance of just under 500 on Christmas Shopping Saturday. Let’s hope for a really good crowd on Boxing Day.

Merthyr Imp wrote:Today’s team:

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

Subs:
Jenkins for Prosser after about 69 minutes
Richards for Barrow (injured) after about 75 minutes
Watkins for Traylor at the same time
Jones
Garner

An unchanged squad from Tuesday night.

In the first minute Ian Traylor combined with Adam Davies down the right, and the latter put a cross to the near post which the keeper put behind for a corner.

With only about 4 minutes gone an Ian Traylor shot was blocked at the near post after Keyon Reffell had got to a ball down the left. Then a minute later Traylor shot just wide after he again turned up on the left of the area.

Ryan Prosser perhaps ought to have scored with about 11 minutes gone when a move started by Keyon Reffell led to a ball in from the left by Kayne McLaggon, but his shot was blocked on the line by the keeper going full length.

After about 19 minutes, St Neots had their first opportunity to score (and which turned out to be practically their only one, apart from corners, in the whole match) when a ball came in from the left but the attacker’s shot went well over the bar.

With Merthyr being well on top early on the game then quietened down for a spell. Perhaps worthy of mention was the St Neots player with the memorable surname of L’Ghoul (the no. 7, Boz) and who must be one of the few players around with hair longer than Ryan Prosser’s beard.

With about 30 minutes gone Keyon Reffell beat a man close to the line on the right of the area but his ball to the near post was defended well. A minute later there was a remarkable double save by the St Neots keeper, when Ryan Prosser hammered in a shot at the second attempt. With this saved, the keeper then blocked at close range the follow-up effort from Kayne McLaggon.

But the breakthrough finally came after about 38 minutes and the keeper beaten at last, when a corner came out to Ian Traylor on the left of the area. He turned one way then the other to beat two men in the area before firing the ball into the net.

We had more or less dominated the first half, with St Neots having their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in the game.

A couple of minutes into the second half Ryan Prosser broke down the left and got the ball across the area where it fell to Ian Traylor but his shot swerved a yard wide of the post.  But the second goal came a couple of minutes later. From a corner the St Neots keeper somehow clawed the ball away from under the bar, but with it not being cleared it came out to Keyon Reffell on the right. He crossed from the byline for Kayne McLaggon to head in from close range.

After about 51 minutes there was a shot over the bar by Ryan Prosser from the edge of the area after Kayne McLaggon had won the ball on the left. A minute later Oliver Davies had something to do for a change, but a header from a corner was straight at him. A further minute later there was another great save from the St Neots keeper to keep out a deflected shot from Ashley Evans.

With about 69 minutes gone Corey Jenkins replaced Ryan Prosser, Kayne McLaggon moving into the middle.

After a spell when we had been turning on the style the game then quietened down again. We made two more substitutions after about 75 minutes, with Ben Watkins given some game time in place of Ian Traylor, and Eliot Richards on for Scott Barrow who had been in the wars with a couple of knocks. That meant Jarrad Wright dropping back into defence with Wakins in midfield, Richards wide on the right and Scott Tancock at left back.

It was Richards who made it 3-0 after about 82 minutes. He ran forward from midfield, beat a defender and fired in a left-foot shot from the edge of the area which the keeper somehow got a hand to but was unable to prevent going into the top corner.

A minute after the goal St Neots put a header past the far post from a corner.

So a comfortable win to send us into Christmas in good spirits. We were generally untroubled by St Neots who were lightweight in midfield, and with two similarly lightweight strikers who were never going to win the ball in the air against Scott Tancock and Curtis McDonald. In fact, the only height they had in the team was in defence, and while they weren’t as poor a side as Kings Langley we could easily have registered another five-goal haul if it hadn’t been for the goalkeeper. He was clearly man of the match, but for us it could have been any one of Ashley Evans, Keyon Reffell, Ian Traylor or Kayne McLaggon. I’d possibly choose Reffell.

We move up to 4th place, and it was another decent attendance of just under 500 on Christmas Shopping Saturday. Let’s hope for a really good crowd on Boxing Day.

An excellent all round team performance today.There were some  fast & flowing moves,showing that we're back to our best playing style It was gratifying to watch the commitment of our lads,so give full credit where it's due.
Also,I have to give their keeper due plaudits for keeping a scoreline below 7-0 at least,and I'm being cautious here! He was exceptional for a big bloke,which is why he got a well deserved ovation at the end.The last time I saw a keeper do so well against us,and still lose was probably Elmore FC at Taffs Well.
We're up to 4th  for Xmas so well done lads,lets keep the impetus going.

Just uploaded some photos from yesterday's game onto club website and a Merry Christmas to you all.

Great photos Pete ( as usual)

My favourites were the Traylor celebration and the Prossiah peeling his Christmas Satsuma.

Boz

Thanks Phil, no rain, it makes a difference.

I cannot remember a visiting team where the Manager. coaches and everybody else just sat on the bench and offer no encouragement to their team. We didn't hear that familiar shout "GET BACK IN YOUR BOX" as they were never in it.

St Neots Manager Andy Davies resigns,not at all surprised as Ownes1 said he did not get off the bench all game Saturday and left Penydarren Park before the St Neots player had time to have a shower.