MERTHYR v Bishops Sutton

Martyrs stay 5th. Bristol Manor Farm beat Longwell Green 2-1 and Bitton win 3-1 at Sherborne Town. still waiting to hear the Larkhall v Willand score.

That game was postponed

Ah! cheers mate. I didn't know that!!

Today's team:

Perry;
J.Thomas,A.Thomas,Welsh;
Williams,Hartshorn,Traylor,Dorrian,A.Griffiths;
Shephard,Prosser;

Subs:M.Griffiths for Hartshorn (half time)
Newall for J.Thomas after about 59 minutes
Harris for Shephard after about 77 minutes
Howe
Ley

Ian Traylor was playing behind the front two. Bishop Sutton had a lone striker supported by two players breaking forward.

Play was confined to midfield until about the 9th minute when Lee Hartshorn put a good ball to Ian Traylor on the left. He squared the ball to Garry Shephard, but with an open goal his shot was cleared by a defender who got across well.

After about 15 minutes a ball past Andrew Thomas put a Bishop Sutton player clean through. Joe Perry came out to force the player wide, but brought him down as he took the ball past him. He seemed fortunate not to be sent off, but I suppose it was possible that Andrew Thomas had got back by then and so would have been a covering defender. Anyway, it was a relief to see only a yellow card. However, the penalty was slotted past him with no trouble.

We were second best from then on, and it was 30 minutes before the Bishop Sutton keeper had to make a save - a very routine one from a Ryan Dorrian shot. But 4 minutes later Jason Welsh hit a 25-yard shot from out on the left and was unlucky to see it hit the angle of bar and post.

Joe Perry then had to make a good save to push away a shot from the edge of the area after Ryan Prosser had failed to get the ball away following a corner.

At 0-1 there could be no complaints about the scoreline at half time as we'd looked very lacklustre with too many unforced errors. Ian Traylor had looked generally ineffective in that forward midfield position.

Not surprisingly there was a change for the second half, with Marcus Griffiths on for Lee Hartshorn. He went to right wing back with Steve Williams on the left. Alun Griffiths moving into midfield. But it made very little difference, with Joe Perry having to come out well to make a block after about 48 minutes.

We did come close after about 59 minutes when Ryan Prosser put a header inches past the far post. We made more changes then, with Jamie Thomas going off and Jon Newall coming on to play right back, Marcus Griffiths moving forward as we changed to 4-4-2.

There were a string of bookings then for both sides, including Garry Shephard for protesting after a Bishop Sutton player failed to be shown a second yellow card after he deliberately handled the ball.

We were given a chance when the referee awarded a penalty for handball after a long throw into the area wasn't cleared by Bishop Sutton. But Marcus Griffiths' penalty was well pushed away by the goalkeeper.

Matthew Harris came on for Garry Shephard about 15 minutes from the end as we threw men forward, with Jason Welsh in the front line.

We put Bishop Sutton under pressure then, whilst being able to deal with any threat of a breakaway by them, but it looked as if it was going to be one of those games when whatever we did we were never going to score, when Matthew Harris put in a left-foot shot from 20 yards which hit the bar and went over.

But the pressure paid off when a throw in was laid back to Jon Newall on the right. He swung a cross over and Andrew Thomas headed in from close range.

We had some half chances in the time remaining, but I think to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat was enough to settle for in the end. To be honest, we hardly deserved to get a point from the match as we'd been second best for most of it. I thought Jason Welsh was our best player - certainly our best defender. Up front, Garry Shephard, Ryan Prosser and Ian Traylor all had disappointing games, and the missed penalty from Marcus Griffiths summed up how little went right for him. It was a good performance from Bishop Sutton, they only really slipped up by not making the most of the opportunities they had to grab a second goal and finish us off. That was partly due to some finishing just off target, some good defending by us, and good work from Joe Perry, who they might have felt shouldn't still have been on the pitch. I thought Jon Newall did well in the half hour he was on.

Not a good result today. What I find most disappointing and frustrating is the lack of consistency in Merthyr's results. It really is quite bizzare and am not sure why this is so.
Well, at the risk of being accused again of being harsh, one reason is Joe's rashness. He gives away a penalty and is lucky to stay on the pitch. I've commented about discipline before. This is not the first time.
We miss our penalty -- shouldn't miss really. The opposition didn't.
One positive comment -- the boys kept plugging away until the 91st minute and final whistle. Showed resilience but we should really be winning these games guys.

joan of ark wrote: Well, at the risk of being accused again of being harsh, one reason is Joe's rashness. He gives away a penalty and is lucky to stay on the pitch.
We miss our penalty -- shouldn't miss really. The opposition didn't.

I'm not sure what else Joe Perry could have done - apart from successfully grabbing the ball at the player's feet of course! But it was hardly his fault he was left exposed to a player clean through, and he had to make an ATTEMPT to get the ball rather than just allow the player to waltz round him, so I wouldn't call it a rash challenge.

After awarding the penalty the referee went across to talk to the linesman, so I'm guessing the latter told him that a covering defender was back, hence the card wasn't red. But I didn't notice, myself.

It's easy to say no penalty should be missed. It was disappointing, to say the least, but even the best players in the world miss sometimes.

The makeup of the team was wrong for me in the first half .Jamie at full back could not cope with the pace of their winger.Hartshone is not really a mid field player but a defender.Dorrian was out of sorts with is passimg and corners in his first game back for a while.When mathew came on he provided us with a bit more quality in this area.Just goes to show how we missed the boys who have gone back to newport they were beginning to blend nicely into our team.This result could very well mean us staying in this league again next year i am afraid

With 16 games left, I'd say we've really got to to win 13 to be thinking of the title. That should give us 73 points, which should be enough to win the league.

It's a big ask...

Can I just say a big Thank You to everyone who made me feel welcome yesterday. I have not been back for a season but it was like I had never been away. Thanks again and see you the rest of the season! Thanks again.

Thomas on target to net a point
Wales On Sunday

AN Andrew Thomas goal one minute into added time at Penydarren Park saved the Martyrs blushes against a lively Bishop Sutton outfit who had led from the 16th minute.

Garry Shephard looked set to give Merthyr an early lead after Ian Traylor had been released down the left only for Bishop Sutton defender Nathan Loader to make a last-ditch tackle. But, when Darren Hawkins was set free on 15 minutes Merthyr goalkeeper Joe Perry appeared to bring the striker down and after pointing to the penalty spot referee Kevin Morris surprised home fans by producing only a yellow card. Nevertheless, Liam Farmer converted the spot-kick with ease.

After the break Merthyr went on the offensive and Ryan Prosser was just wide with a header before Sutton’s Sam Payne was penalised for handball and Merthyr were awarded a penalty on 73 minutes. Marcus Griffiths saw his attempt saved by visiting goalkeeper Ashley Clarke and when Matthew Harris struck the crossbar for a second time from 25 yards it looked as if it may not be Merthyr's day.

But, more pressure finally told when Jon Newell's in-swinging cross was met by Thomas at the far post and he made no mistake.

As has already been said we were lucky to get a point yesterday. Bishop Sutton were better than us in every department and had their finishing been better they would have stuffed us. Too many of our players seemed to have a bad day at the office and our midfield was woeful. Dozza probably had his worst ever game for us and I wonder if he was fully fit. To be fair to him though he was fighting a lone battle. We really missed Newman & Greening and we only really perked up when Badger & Matthew came on and Matthew must start our next game as he can put his foot on the ball and pass - something that was sadly lacking yesterday.

Joe was lucky to stay on but he did what he had to do. Had the BS forward got past him he would have had an open goal. Mind you so did Sheppy after our best move of the game and he missed! I had a bad feeling when Marcus took the penalty. He didn't look confident and I was not suprised he didn't put it away and that's not with hindsight.

One positive is that we didn't play well but battled on and got an undeserved point. We could even have nicked it which would have been a travesty. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that we played the wrong way first half and I'm sure that contributed to our performance! We definately now have to rely on other results going with us and if Larkhall's result in Corsham is anything to go by hopefully they will.

Three draws out of the last four home games have left us strugggling somewhat.
I think an improvement is needed if Merthyr are to be in with a realistic chance of promotion.
Third or fourth place look more realistic at present. But, of course, it depends on results when top teams meet each other and Merthyr have to host Willand and Larkhall, two "six pointers."
Merthyr are still in with a chance but we are certainly not the favourites now.
Another season at this level will not harm if we can strengthen our challenge.

A dissapointing result but a good one considering the circumstances.

We missed the 2 lads from Newport massivley during the game as they give us the edge and threat, their inclusion last week also allowed us to play Tralior up front last week which basically won us the game as he was outstanding last week.

We were sluggish and took ages to get going, but we were also far too static up front and carried little creative threat from midfield (until Harris came on), having said all that we hit the 3 times and committed the cardinal sin of missing a penalty which would have seen us grab all three points. The game was chalk and cheese at what happened last week which is a bit disappointing.

Harris for me has to be in line for a start now, and I would certainly look at playing Trailor upfront, even with Welsh or Sheppherd as it seems nothing is happening for Prosser at the moment.

Tubbs really attached the cross for the goal and the recent spaight of non centre forwards or strikers scoring our goals is very welcome but it also highlights our problem, we have just not replaced the goals lost when Craig Steins left, we need a poacher.

4 Training sessions and a friendly before our next game is a must so we can face Street at home on the 21st buzzing looking to where we left off against Bristol Manor Farm..

Damnit, thought we had a game on the 14th. Looks like that's only one home game in January for me, away for the games on the 21st and 28th

When is the friendly and who are we facing?

A465 Martyr wrote:Damnit, thought we had a game on the 14th. Looks like that's only one home game in January for me, away for the games on the 21st and 28th

When is the friendly and who are we facing?

I believe it's Ton Pentre on Friday night (13th).

CF48 MARTYR wrote:I would certainly look at playing Trailor upfront, even with Welsh or Sheppherd as it seems nothing is happening for Prosser at the moment.

we have just not replaced the goals lost when Craig Steins left, we need a poacher.

I thought we might have done better with Traylor up front and Shephard playing behind the front two. He's played in that position before, although I can't remember if it was under his own management.

For a poacher - well, we've got Marcus Griffiths. But he seems, ever since last season, to be looked on these days as a winger, or now wing back.

I think, what with Prosser, Traylor, Marcus Griffiths, Shephard and Welsh (not to mention Leahy, now out on loan) we've got enough there to sort out a strike force. I think our trouble this season has been in getting a settled midfield - mainly due to injuries. If we'd been able to field Tareq Kalil, Matthew Harris and Kris Leek,as well as Ryan Dorrian, throughout the season so far we might have been better placed at this stage. But of course we're by no means out of it yet, and it could be that a top two place rather than the championship itself may yet be enough for promotion.

Merthyr Imp wrote:I believe it's Ton Pentre on Friday night (13th).

Thanks Imp.