MERTHYR v Wells

We were never in any danger today. We started off like a train and could have scored before Willo's excellently placed header which he watched all the way onto his head and into the net! Prosser scored a really good poacher's goal after superb work by Traylor on the right who made the full back look a right clown. The first have rather died after that but was brought back to life again with an excellent goal by Alun Griffiths after great work by Sheppy & Traylor. It was really good football which would have graced any game. Prosser slotted home the penalty well after Traylor again did the bizzo. It was a shame to see us concede a late goal but that's football.

It was a strange game which seemed to come to life in patches which coincided with the goals but there were periods of play where nothing seemed to happen. Wells didn't offer much and that may have been the reason. It was a more than deserved victory and we are on a roll. We have some difficult away games coming up in February particularly in Bitton and if we can carry on our good form we should be OK. Bishop Sutton seem to be on a roll as well which maybe puts our 2 draws against them this season into perspective.

Nice to see Traylor getting (a well deserved) man of the match. He has come on hell of a lot this season.

Just to say I'm a Cardiff supporter who took advantage of our day off to pop up to Penydarren Park yesterday. That's my first visit since you returned to the ground, but I always try and take in a couple of games a season. It's funny I'm a Pontypridd boy and have been making occasional visits to Penydarren Park since 1974 (Banbury Town my first game), but when you played just down the road at Taffs Well I didn't get to see a game. The reason being I can drop my missus off at Cyfartha Retail Park ( or just Merthyr Town Centre in the old days), but she didn't fancy 2 hours shopping in the Co-op in Taffs Well at all!

Anyway, enough of my pre-ambling. Enjoyed the game yesterday. Martyrs looked far too strong for Wells. Traylor I thought was superb on the wing. Let's hope there's a second successive promotion come April and a return to the Southern League.

Hopefully I'll get to fit another game in before the end of the the season.

C'mon you Martyrs.

Billy

ps. It's definitley colder at Penydarren Park than it is at the CCS. Was bloody freezing for the rest of the evening last night.

Merthyr Imp wrote:It doesn't seem long since people were saying on here that we needed to sign a striker, but we seem to be managing OK, with 14 goals in the last 4 matches.

Ryan Prosser has now scored twelve goals so far this season and it looks as though he could improve on his twenty goal return from last season.

There can't be any complaints or criticism about his current scoring form of four goals in four games in January. I think it's helped that we have certainly been creating more chances for the strikers. Shep in particular could have scored a few yesterday.

This made yesterday's substitutions seem a little strange.

Merthyr Imp wrote:
Subs:
Dorrian for Howe after about 59 minutes
M.Griffiths for Prosser after about 73 minutes
Adams for Leek after about 84 minutes

For me the side has a better balance with Jack Howe at left back and although we were 3-0 up at the time we may not have conceded the late consolation goals if Jack had still been on the field.

I thought that Prosser deserved the opportunity to score a hat-trick, that would have increased his confidence levels and he seemed quite disappointed to be taken off with about twenty minutes left.

It was also good to see Leeky back to his best yesterday and he could probably have benefited from completing the ninety minutes.

In the early months of the season Ian Traylor looked a good individual performer who wasted too many opportunities through poor decision making, he has now developed into a player who contributes to the team ethic and is causing defenders some horrendous problems!! It was noticeable yesterday how often he tracked back to help the full backs.

There's always a welcome at PP. And I can see the point of the comment re shopping at Merthyr as opposed to Taff's Well (no disrespect to the latter).
Lots of folk from Pontypridd now shop in Merthyr whereas years ago, it was vice versa.
Good to see the attendance get a boost.
But cold yesterday?? We are used to it at The Heads of The Valleys!!
When I worked in Cardiff for 12 years, office colleagues would ask every morning if it was snowing in Merthyr. Even in summer!
I also worked in Pontypridd and there it was a touch warmer than Merthyr, especially in the lunch hour ar The Maltsters, The Greyhound etc!!
Re the game, it wasn't the best for excitement in that the Martyrs were well in control.I agree that Prosser is regaining his scoring touch. But I suppose the substitutions were made because the game was virually won and the other players needed to get some action. Football is very much a squad game now and players who don't play very often are tempted to go elsewhere!
Jamie Adams was given only six minutes which wasn't really enough. He is a bustling type of player but I think seems more of a midfielder than a front runner.
There were lots of scoring chances created but really there should have been many more than four goals.
But it kept the run going with some of the rivals dropping points. It makes the Bitton trip important.
And with Leeek back, even if Greening and Newman do not return, I think the squad is fairly strong.

Wandering wrote:
In the early months of the season Ian Traylor looked a good individual performer who wasted too many opportunities through poor decision making,.

Yes - he was like the Theo Walcott of the Western League!

Tim Drummond wrote:I wonder if there is any information on how many Cardiff City fans were present to take advantage of the admission discount. I saw two for certain as I went in, one who is also a Merthyr supporter anyway! And I saw a number of people I didn't know who may have been Cardiff fans.
I don't know if there is any feedback on the scheme.
I think the gate could have been higher still but I noticed quite a number of regular supporters were not there. On the other hand, there were a number of fans at the game who were regulars years ago, which was encouraging.
So, altogether good to see the attendance figure.
Merthyr played all the football and it was really a one-sided encounter

I can say there were at least 50 Cardiff supporters because I was on the turnstile and saw 25, and
Phil on the gate said there were at least that number that came through the gate.

An extra 50 at the gate is an achievement. At a discounted price, yes, but I am sure they would have spent additional money at the ground on 50/50 tickets, progs, food and drink!
The more income the better in the club's bid to keep going and progressing!

Merthyr Imp wrote:

Wandering wrote:
In the early months of the season Ian Traylor looked a good individual performer who wasted too many opportunities through poor decision making,.

Yes - he was like the Theo Walcott of the Western League!

With the exception that he plays for a decent team!!!