MERTHYR v Hengrove

May struggle for updates today...

Perry, Williams, Thomas, Leek, Armitage, Steins, Dorrian, Prosser, kalil,badger,griffiths subs smith, jenkins and jamie thomas! Jack daniels is ref! Shepard not here, clarke in blue coaches gear!

good start - 1 up on 10mins: Steins

Unfortunately didn't last - equaliser for Hengrove on 16mins. 1-1.

H/t 1-1

Solihull Martyr wrote:May struggle for updates today...

You're doing OK................so far!!

2-1 up 65mins. Confusion if it was Marcus Griffiths or Scott Armitage

Solihull Martyr wrote:2-1 up 65mins. Confusion if it was Marcus Griffiths or Scott Armitage

Twoz Armitage. Now 3-1 Prosser.
Prosser again to make it 4-1.
Sol if you get the goal times can u post em so I can use it for the match and player stats plz.
J Newall off for 2 yellows, 4-2 6' left.

3-1 Prosser. breathing space!

Latest score 4-2 up.

Final score 4-2 win, let's hope other results went our way.

cliffyboy wrote:Final score 4-2 win, let's hope other results went our way.

Oldland game off, Bridport won 4-1

soz - seem to have lost connectivity.

3rd (Prosser) around 65', with his brace on c75mins. Badger then sent of shortly after for a second yellow card (1st harsh). Visitors then pulled a goal back with around 10 mins to go; howevr we hold on for an invaluable win against one of our title rivals.

Well done the lads & Danny Carter!

Cheers Sol, Jamie came up with gud's, Bridport sneeking up quietly. Big 6 pointer at their place next Saturday.
Jamies secretary's note from the match proggy now a feature on the site (for those who can't get to game)
http://merthyrtownfc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=39&Itemid=72

Today's team:-

Perry;
Newall,Williams,Thomas,Dorrian;
Griffiths,Leek,Khalil,Armitage;
Prosser,Steins;

Subs: Jenkins for Prosser after about 74 minutes
Smith for Stiens after about 78 minutes
J.Thomas

With Matthew Harris presumably injured Tareq Khalil partnered Kris Leek in midfield with Ryan Dorrian at left back,Jonathan Newall moving across to the right and Steve Williams back in central defence.

After the play being mostly with Merthyr for the first 10 minutes Hengrove came close to scoring following a break down the right. When the ball came across a header went just wide. But a couple of minutes later we came close ourselves when the Hengrove keeper had to make a good save when Ryan Prosser got in a shot on the right of the area.

We took the lead after about 14 minutes when Tareq Khalil won the ball in midfield and gave it to Scott Armitage who was in-field. He slotted a pass through to put Craig Stiens clear and hold off a defender to score with a cross-shot past the keeper. But the lead didn't last long as about 3 minutes later after Hengrove worked the ball across the field Danny Barwood (not sure if he's the ex-Merthyr player) struck a looping shot from 25 yards which dipped just under the bar for the best goal of the game.

Marcus Griffiths and Scott Armitage then switched wings for a time, and after about 21 minutes the latter turned the ball wide of the far post when the ball came to him from Jonathan Newall on the right.

After about 26 minutes Craig Stiens was fouled and something of a free-for-all ensued, as a result of which Stiens and either one or two Hengrove players were booked.

A couple of minutes before the break we put a good move together when Ryan Prosser laid the ball out to Scott Armitage back on the left. He put it across to Craig Stiens to turn on it and put a shot just over the bar.

It had not been an easy half, as whilst we had created more chances than Hengrove we'd not always really tested their keeper. Otherwise Hengrove were often a bit too sharp for us in defence and midfield.

It continued to be a hard-fought game in the second half, but we regained the lead after about 60 minutes with our first real chance of the half. Craig Stiens got away down the right, lobbed the ball across into the Hengrove goalmouth where Ryan Prosser challenged for it, and the ball fell for Scott Armitage to turn it into the net from 5 yards.

About three minutes later we increased the lead with a fine goal, again initiated by Craig Stiens when he won the ball close to the touchline just inside the Hengrove half. He played the ball forward to Ryan Prosser who ran about 30 yards, beating a defender to slot the ball past the goalkeeper from inside the area.

After about 73 minutes we went further ahead. Kris Leek won the ball well and put it out to Craig Stiens in space on the left. He fired in a shot which the keeper could only parry for Ryan Prosser to put into the net from 6 yards. That was his last involvement, as he had taken a knock earlier, and Andrew Jenkins came on in his place, for some reason playing on the left, with Marcus Griffiths (who had earlier switched wings again) moving into the middle. But with the next substitution, about 5 minutes later, he moved to the right when Leigh Smith replaced Craig Stiens, playing on the left with Scott Armitage in the centre.

Those goals, coming failrly close together, seemed to knock the spirit out of Hengrove, but about 10 minutes from time Jonathan Newall was sent off for a second booking and they pulled a goal back about 4 minutes later. A cross came over from the right for a Hengrove player to stoop and head the ball in at the near post. But although they created a little bit of late pressure, with Joe Perry having to make a good save on the line, we held on for the 4-2 win reasonably comfortably.

In some ways this was our best home win this season, as Hengrove were certainly one of the better teams we've played at home. At half time it looked as if we'd do well to scrape a 2-1 scoreline, but we raised our game in midfield and up front for the second half.

Difficult to choose a man of the match as several players had good games - Steve Williams, who I think we need to keep in central defence, Tareq Khalil, Scott Armitage, who scored one and made one, and Craig Stiens, who scored one goal and had a hand in two others. And how well Ryan Prosser is doing - now with a record of 7 goals in 8 games for Merthyr.

251 was our lowest attendance of the season, but I suppose the fair-weather supporters would have looked at the rain in Merthyr and stayed away (although it was dry in Taffs Well).

We did well today against probably one of the best teams we've played @ TW this season. I also thought that we'd scrape a 2-1 win after an even 1st half and to score 4 was excellent with Steino & Pross having good games. Steins did very well for our first goal running with great determination with the ball at his feet through the defence. I thought at one stage he may have touched the ball on a bit too far but he stroked it well past the keeper. Scotty was in the right place at the right time to notch our second and Pross did really well for his first - like Steino taking on their defence through the middle and putting it wide of the keeper. Like Scotty he was also in the right place at the right time slotting it past the keeper who had made a good save from Steino's shot. They did put us under pressure a bit after they got their second but we were in no real danger.

Badger - who was very unfortunate to be sent off - and Willo did well at the back and Taz and Leekie combined well in midfield and personally I think Taz was MOTM after a really dogged display in midfield and showed a lot of skill as well as determination. I'm sure if he had played in Melksham last week we would not have lost and would probably have won.

A real 6 pointer next week in Bridport and we need to show the same style and determination we demonstrated this week to come away with a result.

Thanks for the reports, hope we see one in WOS tomorrow!

Old Sod wrote:Steins did very well for our first goal running ...

Blimey - seeing that must have been worth the entry fee alone!

stieno for me m.o.m.he put in a lot of graft and took his goal well.

Solihull Martyr wrote:

Old Sod wrote:Steins did very well for our first goal running ...

Blimey - seeing that must have been worth the entry fee alone!

I must admit I was a bit surprised as well especially as it was uphill! He did have a really good game - held the ball up well and getting into some good positions. He & Ryan Prosser played well together and bodes well for the future.

Images from Saturday's game on the Toolstation Western league site under photo galleries

Does anyone know if the Danny Barwood who scored for Hengrove on Saturday is the former Merthyr player of that name?

Think its the same one Malc., see:

http://playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=87157

Chances are, if he played for Paulton last season, its the same guy who's now with Hengrove.

Thanks. He WAS previously with Paulton so it must be him - although no longer playing on the wing.