Merthyr Town v Bridport

Hopefully updates here on todays game.

Martyrs 1-0 DOWN!

Martyrs 2-1 up.
Marcus and Jason

2-2 now, Come on Martyrs.

3-2 Joe Leahy

Bridport at it again. 3-3
Nearly time up

3-3 last minute equaliser!

well not a good performance i thought a few players struggled today,but well done to bridport their second half performance deserved a point the centre forward gave the back four a hell of a game.my m.o.m.today jack howe.

Today's team:

Perry;
A.Griffiths,Williams,A.Thomas,Howe;
Leek,Newman,Dorrian;
M.Griffiths,Welsh,Traylor;

Subs:
Leahy for Newman after about 69 minutes
Hartshorn for Dorrian after about 75 minutes
Greening
J.Thomas
Prosser

We started with a 4-3-3 formation, with Ryan Newman playing ahead of the other two in midfield.

After an uneventful opening we came close after about 5 minutes when a Ryan Dorrian corner from the right was headed inches wide of the far post by Andrew Thomas.

But about 4 minutes later we fell behind after Steve Williams was somehow left to cope with two attackers. The ball was played out to the Bridport right where the attacker took the ball past Jack Howe and put a shot across Joe Perry and inside the far post.

A couple of minutes later Ryan Newman ran into the area and had a shot blocked by the keeper near the post.

We equalised after about 15 minutes when good persistence by Ryan Newman down the left saw him get to the ball ahead of a slow-moving defender. He took the ball to the line and clipped it across past Ian Traylor at the near post for Marcus Griffiths to knock it into the net from close in.

Just a couple of minutes later a curling shot from Alun Griffiths was headed off the line.

By now Merthyr had made a change in formation, more or less playing 3-4-3 with Alun Griffiths pushing forward into midfield allowing Steve Williams space to make some runs down the right.

We came close again after about 30 minutes following a break out from a corner. Marcus Griffiths down the left found Ryan Newman in the area and he put a shot just wide of the far post. But about 4 minutes later it was 2-1 after Marcus Griffiths did well to win the ball and put it out to Ian Traylor on the left. He delivered a perfect ball across the goalmouth for Jason Welsh to tap in at the far post.

We deserved to be in the lead at half time, and could have been further ahead. Bridport had seemed to have the beating of us in the air in defence and attack, but the change in formation earlier in the first half had put us in control.

Our efforts at increasing the lead both towards the end of the first half and early in the second had been mainly confined to long range shots, which were all fairly well off target. We were made to pay for that when Bridport equalised with a good goal after about 55 minutes. Their no 11 managed to get past Steve Williams on the edge of the area and fired a great shot over Joe Perry and into the net.

Ryan Newman had been just about our best player in the early stages of the match, but was rather fading out of the game and Joe Leahy replaced him about 20 minutes from the end as we went for the win. 5 minutes later Lee Hartshorn came on for Ryan Dorrian, playing in defence as we perhaps tried to make sure we didn't lose!

Ten minutes from the end it looked as if we'd got the winner when Ian Traylor on the right played a ball in to Jason Welsh inside the area. He let the ball do some of the work before taking it to the line and cutting it back for Joe Leahy to slam into the net.

It seemed as if we'd done enough, but Bridport kept going, sending their goalkeeper forward for a couple of late corners. From the second these, a minute from the end, the ball was headed on for a Bridport player to turn it into the net by the far post.

So a disappointing result to a game we ought to have won. I think Bridport only had 3 or 4 efforts on target and they scored from 3 of them. Judging by today's game they're in a false position near the foot of the table - but it's 2 points lost in one of our games in hand. A pretty good attendance of 420, but with a tough game against Longwell Green coming up next week (although I see they lost 1-4 at home today) we needed 3 points today - and also need to pick up a win or two away from home.

quite enjoyed parts of the game, especially when we tried to keep it low and pass. Although far too often the final ball was atrocious. Passing/Crossing/Throw Ins/ Goal Kicks

Dissapointing result yesterday where our defensive wobbles returned.

We scored 3 goals at home against a side that had scored 1 goal and conceded 16 in the past 4 matches and still didn't win which pritty much sums it up.

After a clean sheet against Wells last week this was a bit of a defensive horror show as we gave away 2 soft soft goals which sandwiched a screamer, we need to get tougher in that respect.

Going forward apart from wasting 4 or 5 good crossing opportunities by always hitting the first man, there was some excellent attacks and 3 goals who have been enough to win the game.

We are going to face far tougher tests from now until the end of the season, hope we learn and kick on from here.

Mom for me again Jason Welsh by some distance, although Ryan Newman looked lively but faded in the second half.

Great crowd, good to see our friends from Bridport who like me was expecting a resounding home win.

UP THE TOWN

CF48 MARTYR wrote:Great crowd, good to see our friends from Bridport who like me was expecting a resounding home win.

It appears that Trevor Senior and his players were the only one's inside PP who had failed to read the script!!

They were one of the first teams this season not to park the bus in front of goal and to actually try to match our open style of play and in the end they got what they deserved from the game. As disappointing as this may have been for our home supporters!

Pleased for Joe Leahy to have grabbed his first league goal of the season that looked to have won the game for us, but to be fair to Bridport they must have sensed with the late pressure that they could snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat and the 18-year old goalkeeper Sam Filkins added his extra height to a last minute corner kick that created the problems which resulted in the late, late equaliser.

Our three goals all came through the width and pace provided by Marcus and Ian Traylor after low balls driven across the six yard box - a strikers dream. So although some of our final delivery could have been better it wasn't as bad as most of the critics may have thought at the time.

They say the league table doesn't lie but I'm afraid that yesterday it appears that it did!

Merthyr draw with Bridport after a last-minute equaliser
Wales On Sunday

MERTHYR trudged off Penydarren Park disappointed after Bridport's last minute equaliser cost them a valuable two points.

Merthyr started sluggishly and found themselves a goal down after just 11 minutes. They caught the home side out whilst re-shuffling their defence and Jamie Morgan took full advantage to rifle home into the bottom corner.

Marcus Griffiths equalised after Ryan Newman had provided the pass.

Merthyr's best move of the game ended with a Steve Williams cross being headed over by Jason Welsh, who then slid in at the far post, with Kris Leek the provider. A save from Sam Filkins denied a Marcus Griffiths header.

At the re-start Morgan equalised again for Bridport with a strike from 25 yards. Joe Leahy slammed home a Welsh cross but a corner in injury-time was won in the air by Filkins and he found Sam Charles who scored.

So now we have five games in hand over leaders Willand but 15 points behind.
And we have yet to play Willand.
Everyone assumed pre-match that Merthyr were going to win judging on the league table. But you can't go by that as lowly clubs don't lose every match and top teams don't always win.
Bridport's celebrations were as if they had won promotion so eager were they to get a "result" against fancied Merthyr. And it was noticeable at the end that the Merthyr fans didn't really give their team much of an ovation, so disappointed were they. I think players should be applauded off the field whatever the result, if they have done their best!
And if you judge the game as a game, there was plenty of action.But people usually go to watch their team rather than football, I suppose, so are unhappy when results go against them. Bridport pulled out all the stops, levelling late on when everyone thought the points were Merthyr's.
It was disappointing to concede three goals as three scored at home should be enough to win most games.
We seemed to bypass the midfield too often and some of our crossing was, I thought, poor, hopeful rather than creative.Some of the Merthyr players seemed to fade late in the match. And Bridport probably defended better than we did.
We need a home win over Longwell and three points at lowly Radstock. Then on Dec 17 there's Willand away!

Disappointing that a so-called Merthyr fan was having a very audible go at Joe Perry. I didn't think Joe could be faulted for any of the goals - and even if he could, mindless barracking isn't going to help.

Can anybody make any sense of the fourth paragraph in the Wales on Sunday report?
Apparently, Welsh headed over and then slid in at the far post!!!!!
Was that all in the same move??? Or should it have said later......
And was it Leek who provided the pass for Welsh's goal???? I thought it was Traylor from where I was!!

I suppose it all depends on what is meant by the word 'then'. They were probably trying to be concise. I'm fairly sure as well that it was Ian Traylor who put the ball across for Welsh to score.

Also, other sources - including myself - thought it was their no. 8 (Dan Wise) who scored Bridport's first goal.

Yes, DAN WISE scored from, I think, a pass by the No 9. It's confirmed on the Bridport FC website.

hirwaunman wrote:Disappointing that a so-called Merthyr fan was having a very audible go at Joe Perry. I didn't think Joe could be faulted for any of the goals - and even if he could, mindless barracking isn't going to help.

Nothings changed sinced the 60's/70's then!!

I get a bit nervous sometimes when he wanders a bit far up the field.But the second goal they scored was a beauty not even a premier goal keeper would have saved it

I don't like it when Joe wanders too far and have told him I will attach him to the goal with a piece of elastic. He laughed.

cliffyboy wrote:

hirwaunman wrote:Disappointing that a so-called Merthyr fan was having a very audible go at Joe Perry. I didn't think Joe could be faulted for any of the goals - and even if he could, mindless barracking isn't going to help.

Nothings changed sinced the 60's/70's then!!

And - if you are Wanderin - thats the 1860's!