MERTHYR v Barry

Updates here.

Ley, Newall, Pena, J.Thomas, Howe, Carpenter, Marsh, Leek
Prosser, Leahy, Smith

1 down 13mins not clever keeping

2 down 40mins carved open

2-0 down half time poor

55th min. 3 subs: Steve Williams, Armitage and Marcus Griffiths on. Smith, Marsh and Newall off

0-3. 61mins. Poor defending again. Game over.

Final score: lost 0-3. Message I've recieved " Team owe the fans an apology for that shambles" !

Could it be a case of not being bothered with a Micky Mouse cup! ?

f/t 0-3 very poor

Its not the case of it being a Micky Mouse cup, we were invited to play in it and the least the management could have done was show some respect for the fans who payed good money thinking that they were going to see at least the majority of the first team playing, not the shamblesthat represented us out on the park today. Lets hope the welsh FA do not take action against us for fielding a very weak side. I hope that this result wont cost us money or support after a display like that. Good luck to Barry who took their opartunities against the worse display I have ever witnessed up the park.

Bigbri wrote: Lets hope the welsh FA do not take action against us for fielding a very weak side.

It was an even weaker side in the previous round against Caerau and there's been no mention of any action being taken. Maybe it was thought we could do the same against Barry and still get a good result. Well it didn't work

100% endorse BigBri's views. I'm just glad I didn't manage to persuade the wife to drive the 200-odd mile return trip for this.

What hurt most was the crowd of 435 started walking out before the end of the game how many will make the effort to come back after a display like that.

Walk in the Park for Barry.

Absolutely awful performance today, really disappointed. Haven't left a game as gutted in a while. Calling it a "Mickey Mouse" cup is extremely disrespectful, I think, especially considering one of the club's most thought of achievement came from winning it!

Ah well, more impetus now - hopefully a bloody kick in the backside! - to get stuck in in the league.

Meanwhile back in the Toolstation Premier, Larkhall won 3-0 at Longwell Green and Willand beat Odd Down 3-2 at home.

that team selection showed total direspect for both the welsh cup and barry town,who the hell do we think we are putting out such a under strenght team and then be humiliated.the only positive the management team may get out of the game is the fact that our squad is very weak and urgently need replacements for those who played today.apparently those barry players paid thier own expenses to get to the game today,congratulations on your win you deserved it and you could have had more,thats my rant over.

Today's team:

Ley;
Newall,J.Thomas, Pena,Howe;
Leek,Marsh,Carpenter;
Leahy,Prosser,Smith:

Subs: Armitage for Smith after 53 minutes
M.Griffiths for Marsh after about 53 minutes
Williams for Newall after about 53 minutes
A.Griffiths
Traylor

As expected, the fringe players were given starts again as with the match against Caerau, although unlike that game all 5 players on the bench were current first choice players.

Barry, managed by former Martyr Gavin Chesterfield, had the experienced former Cardiff player Damon Searle in defence and ex-Martyrs Tom Ramasut at left back and Brendan Cropley on the bench.

The first opening fell to Barry when Mike Ley put a goal kick straight to one of their players midway in our half. He ran into the area but Ley was able to come out and grab the ball at his feet.

Barry had made the brighter start and took the lead after about 12 minutes. A corner from the right was palmed away by Mike Ley but fell for Barry's Lewis Cosslett to put it high into the net from 10 yards.

About 4 minutes later a Barry player beat 3 men on a dribble into the box but put a rather weak shot a yard wide when he might have done better.

It was about 26 minutes before we had anything like an opening ourselves. Ryan Prosser on the left put a ball into the middle but Joe Leahy couldn't get anything on it.

A couple of minutes later we were glad to see a Barry shot go over the bar from 12 yards when a player got the better of Jack Howe following a left wing cross.

After about 31 minutes our first good move of the match saw a crossfield ball find Jack Howe. He set up Laurie Marsh for a 20-yard shot but it went wide. Then Adam Carpenter got in another long range shot, which was fielded by the keeper - and I think this was our only effort on target all match.

A couple of minutes later Tom Ramasut almost got on the scoresheet for Barry, with a good 25-yard shot which went just wide of the far post. After about 38 minutes it was no more than Barry deserved when they went two up. From an attack down the left the ball wsa played hard and low beyond the far post for Barry's Michael Hartley to step inside Jack Howe to shoot home.

A 2-0 lead at half time did not flatter Barry as we'd been second best in all parts of the field.

Everyone was wondering when the substitutions were going to be made, and it must have been difficult to decide what changes to make as we could really have done with all 5 on.

But about 8 minutes into the second half, Steve Williams came on to play in the middle of the defence with Jon Newall going off and Jason Pena moving to right back. Scott Armitage replaced Leigh Smith up front, and Marcus Griffiths came on for Laurie Marsh as we changed to 4-2-4.

But about 7 minutes later it was 3-0 to Barry after Adam Carpenter lost the ball in midfield. Barry broke through the middle and the ball was put high into the net.

Mike Ley, for the second time in the match put a goal kick straight to a Barry player, but we managed to crowd him out.

Two minutes from the end was the nearest we came to scoring all game when Steve Williams put a far post header from a corner inches over the bar.

I felt in the game against Caerau that few of the 'fringe' players had done themselves any favours, even though we won the game 5-1. That was even more the case today, and we paid the penalty of underestimating a good Barry side by including too many of them. Jason Pena didn't look like a central defender to me, and looked more use at right back.

Especially on today's evidence I don't think we can get away with having both Adam Carpenter and Laurie Marsh in the same midfield. I think either of them could have been taken off and it was just Marsh who drew the short straw. I must say that from what I've seen of Marsh (home games only) he's not lived up the good reports he had when he came here. There was nothing happening for us up front in the first half, and although Scott Armitage made a little improvement Marcus Griffiths was disappointing. But of course we really needed the 3 subs - and the other 2 who were on the bench - in the starting eleven.

I wouldn't argue with it being the poorest home perforamance for a long while - certainly the worst by Merthyr Town. At least in the home defeat by Bradford last season you could say the 2-4 scoreline flattered the visitors - but not today as Barry were easily 3 goals better than us.

By my reckoning this was the first time the Martyrs had failed to score in a home game since December 2009 (39 games ago).

I agree calling the Welsh Cup a Mickey Mouse cup is way out of order and not exceptable, but it was an awful show today. Good luck to Barry they deserved it we deserved NOTHING.

It was this "Mickey Mouse Cup" which revived Merthyr Tydfil's fortunes, took them into Europe and resulted in a transformed P Park, leadiing to them reaching the Conference.
Merthyr Town were not obliged to enter it (I think the entry fee is £100) but as they did, one would have thought they would have shown an interest.
I am sure if Merthyr had got to the final, they would have had a big following.
The publicity guns were out for this encounter and there was a reasonable crowd on a glorious day. Unfortunately, they had paraded before them a weak side with, I think, only four among the starting line-up who played against Bitton on Tuesday.
I understand the club's board are likely to quiz the management team on Monday on the team selection.
Some fans had not seen Merthyr for a number of years and might have thought that was the first choice 11! Several left at 2-0 and more at 3-0.
I think that display has set back the club's cause a great deal when folk are working hard to progress.Barry Town fans chanted:Are you watching, S4C!
To my knowledge, Barry Town do not pay their players, they lost four games in a row this season and were nearly shut down in the summer.
All very well to make a few changes but the team selection proved a disaster. The defence was weak. The goals given away were horrendous. There was virtually just one shot at goal, (from
Adam Carpenter) where the Barry Town goalkeeper was diminutive. Carpenter and Marsh were poor. Pena was ineffective. And up front Ryan Prosser, one of Merthyr's few tall players, never looked like winning a ball in the air.
Three substitutions after 55 minutes was too little, too late. The chosen side never looked good enough. Players couldn't tackle or pass and the side was ineffective in all departments.
What was the point of wholesale changes? Resting players? From what and for what? Just to give a match to fringe players?Barry Town were very much up for the clash!!
FAW members were present. The FAW decided to restore the English pyramid sides back into the Cup and were repaid by Merthyr not seeming to take the match seriously, fielding a weak side.
A win would have helped boost Merthyr Town's finances. Now the club have been dumped out of the three major Cups in two weeks!
Just waiting for someone to say:Now we can concentrate on the league.

Agree 100% with Bigbri. The town were disraceful and did in 90 mins, what the media have been trying to do for years, 'make you ashamed to be a Merthyr Boy ( or man ) Think the Management sopuld be made by the Board ' TO APPOLOGISE TO THE PAYING PUBLIC '

I believe our fans could learn something from the Barry supporters today, they were behind their team throughout the 90 minutes and I've witnessed the same display when they themselves were on the end of a hammering last season at Bryntirion, that's committment from fans at their best.
Our fans today didn't really get behind our boys at all and were very critical throughout where I was sitting and that can have a effect on the players on the field whom let's be fair haven't played a great deal of football this season and yet are still expected to turn on the magic at will without match fitness can be difficult as well. I think we should be more supportive to these players and any others who join the club otherwise you'll never have a successful team. I think we underestimated Barry Town today thinking it would be similar to Caerau, not so on their day Barry can play some good stuff. We had chances but didn't capitalise on them. Three corner went begging for a head to connect and a goal would have been certain had that happened. It's a shame we have no reserve team and the fitness levels would be higher and players much sharper steeping in for games like these including the league. Fringe players need encouragement not get slated all the time. We have to look towards the future and get behind the team whoever plays.

Tim Drummond wrote: Unfortunately, they had paraded before them a weak side with, I think, only four among the starting line-up who played against Bitton on Tuesday.

Just waiting for someone to say:Now we can concentrate on the league.

There were only Jamie Thomas, Marsh and Leek from the eleven that started against Bitton. Carpenter and Leahy both came on as subs against Bitton.

Well, we're still in the Les Phillips Cup...

photographer wrote:I Fringe players need encouragement not get slated all the time.

I think most people's complaints would be that due to the team selection there were just too many of the fringe players in the side.

time to take the black and white lens off i think all the comments made on here seem legitimate to me,dont forget we all want to see the team doing well,if you dont rate the welsh cup then dont enter it.

Photographer is quite right in that the supporters dished out a barrage of criticism from early on. I think some of the fans don't really know some of the players and just see it as being a Merthyr team which they can praise or attack at will, regardless who is wearing the Merthyr colours.
Without a reserve team, we do have a large number of fringe players but I think the best way to give them a game would be to organise more midweek friendlies, against perhaps Welsh League sides. However, the side which started should have done a lot better against the opposition.
Yes, thanks, Imp, I hadn't checked on the team against Bitton.I was probably thinking that Leah had started the match!