MERTHYR v Chesham

Team:
Davies
Davies Tancock McDonald Barrow
Copp Evans Reffell
Traylor Prosser McLaggon

Subs:
Wright Williams Watkins Patten Jenkins

Chesham pen saved by Olly 16mins

H/t 0-0

Jenkins on for Traylor 69mins

Wright and Patten on for Prosser and Copp 77mins.

1 up! Wright with his first touch!!

Chesham down to 10

F/t 1-0. Keep the run going lads!

Excellent and resolute performance by the Martyrs, in an absorbing, exciting game that provided great entertainment value.

Today’s team:

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

Subs:
Jenkins for Traylor after about 60 minutes
Wright for Prosser after about 71 minutes
Patten for Copp at the same time
Watkins
Williams

With Eliot Richards missing due to injury Kyle Copp took his place for his first start in the side, with Gavin Williams coming into the squad as substitute.
A first opening for us came after about 4 minutes when Ashley Evans was fouled on the right of midfield in the Chesham half. Scott Barrow swung in the free kick for Kayne McLaggon to have a free header which was kept out by the keeper. There was an almost identical situation about 5 minutes later, this time Barrow’s free kick was met by McLaggon with a diving header across goal but past the far post.
On 15 minutes Chesham were awarded a penalty which came following a throw out by Oliver Davies to Curtis McDonald on the left. However, he mis-controlled the ball and was robbed by an attacker who ran into the area where he was brought down by Ashley Evans. But for the second time in three home games Oliver Davies went down full length to his left to push away the spot kick which was heading just inside the post, and was an even better save than the one against Banbury.
After about 20 minutes Oliver Davies had to make a good save, and when the ball reached a Chesham player Scott Tancock rescued the situation with a good tackle.
The game was ebbing and flowing, with Ryan Prosser winning nearly everything in the air up front, and on about 27 minutes a break out from a Chesham long throw-in led by Ian Traylor ended when he played the ball on to Scott Barrow but it was just too far in front of him allowing the keeper to come out and collect.
We were sloppy in defence after about 38 minutes, playing the ball across our own area until Curtis McDonald again mis-controlled it allowing an attacker to get the ball and Oliver Davies had to come out quickly to dive at his feet.
Then at the other end about 4 minutes later Keyon Reffell, on his own on the right of the area, squared the ball across for Ryan Prosser to get in a shot from close to the penalty spot which was headed away by a defender.
The half ended with a scoreline that reflected the balance of play as we’d had two of three good chances and more scoring efforts than Chesham to set against their penalty.
There was early pressure by Chesham after the break as they looked for a breakthrough, and on about 54 minutes Oliver Davis missed a ball that went over him from the right leading to Adam Davies having to head the ball off the line. About a minute later it was close at the other end after Kyle Copp and Ryan Prosser combined in the Chesham area to play in Ashley Evans for a close range effort which was scrambled away for a corner.
With an hour gone Corey Jenkins came on for Ian Traylor, and a minute after that, following a corner on the left the ball came to Kyle Copp on the right of the area but his shot was cleared off the line.
With about 71 minutes gone we made a double substitution, with Kyle Copp and Ryan Prosser going off to be replaced by Jarrad Wright and Kyle Patten (the latter’s first appearance in a home game since October 2015). The substitution paid off immediately as we attacked down the right and Jarrad Wright’s first involvement in the game saw him run into the area and slot the ball past the keeper.
A couple of minutes after the goal Chesham’s hope of getting something from the game more or less ended when midfielder Adam Martin saw a second yellow card after a foul on Kayne McLaggon.
With McLaggon more or less playing a lone role up front, supported by Corey Jenkins and Keyon Reffell behind him we then had a midfield three of Ashley Evans, Kyle Patten and Jarrad Wright that was well suited to seeing the game out safely, and were not afraid to take the ball into the corners to do so in the last 10 minutes. Chesham brought on the 44-year-old Barry Hayles but he did little apart from getting booked for dissent.
So, as with Banbury, a very good three points, with Oliver Davies the hero again, although with it being so early in the game there’s no telling how it would have turned out if the penalty had gone in. It was a very close game, with good defending from both sides, but with us having more scoring opportunities than Chesham it was a deserved win.
A pity there was some rugby match on as it was probably the main factor in keeping the attendance down to just over 400.
Difficult to choose a man of the match. Apart, obviously from Oliver Davies for his penalty save, there were good performances from Scott Barrow (as usual) who had the quality to always do the right thing at the right time, Scott Tancock again, Ryan Prosser and Keyon Reffell after a slow start.
We’re now 11 points clear of 6th place, and it will be a disappointment if we don’t at least finish in a play-off place this season.
We’ve now beaten last season’s points total with 12 games still to go.

Just uploaded some photos onto club website. I got both the penalty save and the goal. definitely improving.

That's a great view of the penalty save.

Yes I get it right sometimes.

PeterHarman wrote:Yes I get it right sometimes.

Most of the times, Pete!