Chippenham v MERTHYR

Team:
Davies
Wright Tancock McDonald
Davies Evans Patten Traylor
Jenkins McLaggon Compton

Subs:
Bowen Richards Copp

Just 3 subs...

prynhawn da pawb

come on Martyrs

Richard's sub??Must be carrying a injury

Solihull Martyr wrote:
Just 3 subs...

Three players suspended and one injured (although Gavin Williams could count as both).

I wonder if we're playing three at the back (Wright, McDonald,Tancock) with Compton as a wing-back?

0-0 at half time.

Banbury 2-0 up at Chesham.

0-0 HT tight and tense game

Hitchin 1-0 up at Redditch.
Slough 2-0 up at home to Cinderford
Leamington 3-0 up at home to Dunstable.

Only Merthyr and Chippenham in the top six not winning so far!

1-0 down just after half-time.

2-0 Chippenham. Penalty around 75mins.

According to Twitter, Jack Compton has pulled a goal back - now 2-1 but not much time left.

2-0 Chippenham. Penalty around 75mins.

2-1 Bowen with minutes to go.

3-1 Chippenham penalty

3-1 F)t

Banbury won 4-0 at Chesham
Hitchin won 2-1 at Redditch.
Slough beat Cinderford 4-1.
Leamington beat Dunstable 5-0

Still ahead of Banbury on goal difference, with the last six games being crucial.

Goals are here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFZZVxz6O-0&feature=youtu.be

Ours looked as if it went in off Compton.

With an unlucky first goal conceded and 2 penalties, Merthyr went down to a 3-1 defeat at the home of the current table toppers but retain a foothold in the play off positions albeit as a result of superior goal difference.

Missing the suspended Barrow and Reffell as well as the injured Prosser, Merthyr went with 3 at the back with Tancock, McDonald and Wright playing in front of Ollie Davies. Adam Davies was right wingback and Traylor on the left and Evans, Patten and Compton in midfield and Jenkins and McLaggon played upfront. On the bench was Richards, with a heavily strapped knee, Copp and Bowen.

Chippenham kicked off playing down the slope with a considerable breeze at their backs and sent the ball long into the Merthyr half which ran straight out of play for a throw. With the elements in their favour, Chippenham had the bulk of the play early in the first half playing long balls through but never really threatened as Merthyr were defending well. Merthyr were playing very much on the break and when McLaggon was fouled on the halfway line, Compton sent the kick towards the edge of the area where it was headed on by Wright but the ball ran out of play for a goal kick. Merthyr were struggling to get a foothold in the game with the home side having the bulk of possession and from a free kick on the halfway line taken by Tindle, Andrews sent a header high over the Merthyr bar. Pratt was proving to be a handful and gained a corner when McDonald managed to charge down an attempted cross from the right and the kick came in but Tancock did well to clear the danger up to the halfway line and Bowman sent a long ball forward into the Merthyr area and the ball bounced up of the surface but Davies made a good safe catch on his line.

A few minutes later, Traylor on the left sent a thoughtful long ball into the Chippenham half which held up in the wind and McLaggon beat the defence to try and get to it, but Chitty, in the Chippenham goal game out of his area to head it to a fellow defender who cleared. McLaggon got into the Chippenham area and a Chippenham defender managed to get in and clear away for a corner. Compton’s kick failed to beat the first man and it was cleared but only as far as Traylor who tried to chip Chitty but it screwed wide for the keeper to catch. Chippenham returned to the offensive and gained a corner on their right but just like Compton, Jones failed to beat the first man and Evans got it clear to Traylor who set Jenkins free but he was fouled on the halfway line by Bowman who earned himself a yellow card. The kick was cleared by the home defence. Compton had the first of a longish throw and it came in but was cleared back to Compton and he sent in a cross towards the 6 yard area but the ball glanced off Jenkins’s head and went wide of the keeper’s right hand post. A few minutes later, McLaggon picked up a loose ball near the edge of the Chippenham 18 yard area and he turned and sent in a good shot and Chitty did well to get down low to smother the ball near his right hand post. Almost immediately Chitty, who seemed to be treading very carefully during the warm up left the field to be replaced by Rae in the Chippenham goal.

Merthyr, despite being against the elements were having a fair share of the play at this time and after a McDonald free kick was headed on by Compton, Jenkins sent it wide right to Davies who sent a good ball into the area which was headed backwards by McLaggon towards Traylor but the ball seemed to take a bobble as he shot and the ball ballooned high over Rae’s bar. As the half wore on Chippenham did have the bulk of the play but Tancock, Wright and McDonald were holding firm and anything that did get through was dealt with confidently by Ollie Davies. The half ended with the score 0-0 with neither side creating a clear opportunity on goal.

Merthyr kicked off at the start of the second half playing down the slope but the breeze seemed now to be blowing across the pitch. Merthyr got an early corner when a Traylor free kick, given after Evans was in receipt of another poor tackle on the halfway line, this time by Smith, was sent towards the Chippenham area and it was headed on by Compton and it deflected off a Chippenham defender towards the byline and despite the best efforts of Rae the linesman raised his flag. Traylor’s corner was headed clear by Tindle, under pressure from McDonald. Three minutes after the break Jones made a good run up the Merthyr right and he sent a high ball into the Merthyr 6 yard area. Ollie looked to have it covered but he seemed to collide with McDonald and could only palm it out and Pratt, from roughly by the penalty spot shot it into the Merthyr net despite the efforts of Tancock on the line and Chippenham were 1 up.

Chippenham were largely in the ascendancy now and McDonald did well to tidy up a goalmouth scramble after a corner and Merthyr broke forward but that foray was easily dealt with and as Chippenham came back, Wright fouled Andrews and a free kick was given by Mr Gill. The kick was sent high into the Merthyr area and Pratt headed it back across goal for Richards to head it wide of the Merthyr goal. Merthyr were trying to get on the scoresheet with little success and Evans failed to match his excellent goal last Saturday when his shot from about 25 yards went wide of Rae’s left hand post and at the other end Pratt went close when he got his foot to a Ferguson cross but luckily for the Martyrs, Pratt’s overhead bounced off the top of the bar and away to safety. McLaggon was receiving some rough treatment and Richards received a yellow card for a poor tackle but Traylor’s kick went low towards the edge of the area and partially cleared to Davies who made progress down the right but his cross beat everyone and went away for a goal kick. Merthyr gained another free kick on their left which Compton took to McLaggon who was on his own but Mr Gill called them back as he was having a word with Bowman and also called the Chippenham captain across for a chat presumably issuing a final warning to Bowman who was on a yellow. Compton’s second attempt was sent towards the Chippenham area but again it failed to beat the first man and Chippenham cleared easily. Merthyr’s best chance of the half so far came shortly afterwards when Davies was caught late near the halfway line. Compton’s kick was sent high into the area just over Jenkins’s head and was headed away by the Chippenham defence and it eventually went out for a Merthyr throw. Compton’s long throws had so far been ineffective so this time he threw it short to Traylor who gave it back and Compton sent in a good cross which was headed just wide of Rae’s right hand post by McLaggon. Shortly afterwards, Jenkins was replaced by Copp and rejigged the side with Wright moving to left back in a back 4 and Traylor was pushed further forward. Shortly afterwards, Compton earned himself a yellow card when after he was adjudged to have fouled Smith he sent the ball towards the prone Chippenham player.

Just after the 70 minute mark Chippenham doubled their lead. A Chippenham throw found Andrews on the right hand edge of the Merthyr area and he was tackled by Evans (I think) and over he went and Mr Gill awarded a spot kick. Davies has been on good form saving penalties in recent weeks but this time, Andrews sent his left footed effort to the keeper’s left whilst Davies went to his right. Straight from the kick off McLaggon ran towards the Chippenham area but he was fouled by Tindle about 30 yards out and Merthyr gained a free kick and Tindle received a yellow card. Compton’s free kick went up and over the Chippenham defence but unfortunately for Merthyr it went up and over the Chippenham bar as well. Patten was replaced by Richards and almost immediately Jones picked up a loose ball in the Merthyr half and from the edge of the Merthyr area he sent in a shot which went just over Davies’s bar.

Merthyr were showing a bit more bite and Compton and Evans combined to release Traylor on the right and his cross came off the Chippenham bar where it fell to Compton who sent in a downwards header which Rae scrambled clear and grasped the ball before it went out for a corner. Bowen replaced Tancock to give a bit more upfront but Chippenham were still getting forward. However with about 6 minutes left, Evans sent a good ball forward to McLaggon on the edge of the area. He held it up and came inside into the area, lost his footing but got up and sent it right to Traylor and his cross was met by Bowen about 6 yards out, beating Baggridge to the ball and his shot seemed to deflect off Compton into the net and the Martyrs were back in the game with just a 1 goal deficit.

A grandstand finish had been set up and Merthyr pressed and gained a corner which was taken by Compton and Richards did well to head it over his own bar. This time, the corner was met by Wright but his downward header bounced up off the surface into the grateful hands of Rae. Then the home side sealed the game when they broke up their right into the Merthyr half and Pratt ran into the Merthyr area and fell over Adam Davies’s outstretched leg and Mr Gill pointed to the spot again. Davies guessed correctly this time as Andrews again put the ball to his left and just out of reach and Chippenham were 3-1 up with very little time left and saw the game out easily.

We didn’t really do enough to win the game. Missing players the likes of Prosser, Barrow and Reffell was always going to make it tough and it showed. Chippenham were well organised defensively and broke quickly and even without Sandell, the likes of Pratt and Andrews made up for him. Difficult to name an MOTM but as ever Evans was everywhere and gets my vote. I was the opposite end to the Merthyr goal so I can’t comment on either penalty decision although Davies looked particularly aggrieved at the decision against him. There was also talk of a push on McDonald which caused him to collide with Davies for the first goal but again I could not see that from my position. The equation is now simple. Win all our remaining games and Banbury will not overtake us and who knows there may be some teams above us having a similar blip to ours which might lift us further up the table.

Onwards and Upwards!

https://vimeo.com/212653410

dial m tv #4

Great to see the video.

Even better to see some of our supporters North of Hadrians Wall.

Another great advertisement for our Club.

Keep up the good work.

Boz