MERTHYR v Bradford

A largely inept 2nd half performance cost us dearly today. There were free headers in both boxes unfortunately they were all Bradford ones. We never got to grips in midfield with Tariq having a very quiet game for him and Leekie not seeing too much of the ball although he did very well in the 1st half. With only those 2 there we were overrun and as a result created few chances until the last 5 or 10 minutes of the game when it was already lost.

It was a different story in the 1st half when after Pross scored with a very good shot into the corner in the 2nd minute which gave the keeper no chance. Unfortunately for us for the rest of the half his excellent goalkeeping plus wasteful finishing meant we went in 2-1 down - undeservedly in my opinion. They had 2 chances - the first as the result of a howler by Tubbsy and the 2nd a cracking shot from 20 odd yards although there was a distinct lack of closing down. We were poor in the 2nd half creating little and allowing them to score a couple of goals and there wasn't a lot of cover for Joe. In saying that we did come back into it towards the end and if Scotty's penalty had gone in or even the rebound hit well by Andy Jenkins and saved brilliantly by their keeper, who knows? He went on to make 2 or 3 really good saves after Leigh had beaten him with a an excellent shot which he passed wide of the keeper into the far corner and we could easily have scraped a draw which maybe on the 2nd half performance we didn't deserve. My MOTM for us today was Willo whilst Mr Quelch gave the usual excellent performance by an opposition goalkeeper. Do they always save their best performances when they play us?

A bad day at the office for a few of our players and we're lucky Bridport's & Oldland's results went with us. We need to be on our toes next week - and not our heels as we were today - against Shepton Mallett. Both Oldlands & Bridport have midweek games so they could both be a bit closer to us the next time we play.

And next Saturday Oldland play Devizes. In terms of us finishing in the top 2 probably a win for Oldland would be best for us.

Merthyr Imp wrote:And next Saturday Oldland play Devizes. In terms of us finishing in the top 2 probably a win for Oldland would be best for us.

I'm not so sure. If Devizes beat Oldland they'll still be a minimum of 8 points behind us with the same games played. If Oldland win they'll be that much closer to us and will represent a real danger. Of course if we win our games it'll be immaterial anyway!

Shocking 2nd half performance cost us dear yesterday, we looked flat and like it has been said we looked on our heels with little prospect of pulling the game around when Bradford got the better of us, by a distance at times as they cut us to shreads 2nd half.

First half we were much the better, but chance after chance was not converted and this almost costs us last week against Calne, and it certainly costs us this week.

This is a stark reminder that the championship isnt going to be handed to us on a plate, and says to me that we still need strenghthening, defensinvley in particular... at the back and in midfield.

We gave away soft goals through poor tracking marking and gave numerous unchallenged free headers away particularly in the attacking box after good crosses, training Tuesday & Thursday next week maybe, to try and sort this out...

Thankfully results went our way however so no much harm done, but a win would have put daylight between us and the other sides

that penalty miss was a first class save i thought scott hit it really well.

CF48 MARTYR wrote:This is a stark reminder that the championship isnt going to be handed to us on a plate, and says to me that we still need strenghthening, defensinvley in particular... at the back and in midfield.

We'll have Cortez Belle available again after the next game. Playing him at the back would give us options there and in midfield (freeing Matthew Harris to play there).

Old Sod wrote:

Merthyr Imp wrote:And next Saturday Oldland play Devizes. In terms of us finishing in the top 2 probably a win for Oldland would be best for us.

I'm not so sure. If Devizes beat Oldland they'll still be a minimum of 8 points behind us with the same games played. If Oldland win they'll be that much closer to us and will represent a real danger. Of course if we win our games it'll be immaterial anyway!

What about a draw ? I'm sure you would be satisfied with that.

Old Sod wrote:

Merthyr Imp wrote:And next Saturday Oldland play Devizes. In terms of us finishing in the top 2 probably a win for Oldland would be best for us.

I'm not so sure. If Devizes beat Oldland they'll still be a minimum of 8 points behind us with the same games played. If Oldland win they'll be that much closer to us and will represent a real danger. Of course if we win our games it'll be immaterial anyway!

But if Devizes lose they'll be 11 points behind us and reduce their chances of catching us, I'm thinking in terms of promotion rather than the championship. It's teams outside the top two we need to drop points. It would look good to finish as champions, but I'd be quite happy to finish second to Oldland.

Word is Imp Cortez Belle has been released...

I just think in readyness for next season we need another out and out centre half to go with Tubbs, so Steve Williams and Matthew Harris can go back to their original positions, and a defensive midfielder and leader as at times we are very quiet, which gets higlighted when we lose..

No problem with the front line, 2 goals against Bradford should have been more than enough to gain 3 points..

'Tez gone to Caerleon, is that right?

we really need a centre back,all the talk was tez had gone but with the amount of games he misses will he really be missed.

rustic wrote:we really need a centre back,all the talk was tez had gone but with the amount of games he misses will he really be missed.

Well I think it's true to say that thanks to Ryan Prosser's efforts Belle has not been missed up front.

Do people think Dean Clarke is still fit and capable enough to be the defensive midfielder and leader that CF48 mentions?

Regarding needing a centre back, as was being said earlier in the season (by me at any rate) we could do with Jamie Rewbury back (and Paul Keddle)! Rewbury, at this level, could also do a job in midfield.

Hello all,
This is my first post on this new forum,which i'm mighty glad to have found again,so I will choose my words very carefully.
This has nothing to do with the team performance,which everyone who was there agrees was a below par standard.Bradford sussed our game strategy very early on,and hit us on the break every time our attack broke up inside their box, when we insisted in crossing balls to the back post against a much taller team,in a swirling wind.

This is specifically about the behaviour and demeanor of the small band of Bradford fans who were gathered around the stand side barrier at the changing roon end. Suprisingly they were of all age groups,so you can't blame the lack of maturity in their ranks to explain the way they behaved,which was appalling.

They constantly barracked the officials, the Merthyr players & fans with the most foul and abusive language i've heard in a long time from any visiting fans,and that includes the worst excesses encountered at Penydarren Park. They were without doubt the most racist ,obnoxious, and stereotypically 1970's yobs element I have had the misfortune to have to endure in a long time.
If you need corroboration of their antics,then feel free to contact the match officials assessor who was standing along side us,who when asked if he was anything to do with their club ,very quickly denied it.
We've been given a code of conduct to abide by at the club from the on set of this season, set out in the front of our club programme,and as far as i've seen,we abide by it.
So when a bunch of so - called fans turn up determined to spoil the game by howling blatantly racist comments such as," Ref are you a f**king Welsh sheep sha**ing C**t too", when a decison goes against them, is not going to endear you too much with the local populace......not me anyway.
I hope their management and fans get an opportunity to read this. Put your house in order because you are way out of step with the modern era!!!

i think tez is too good a player to lose,he has been playing at the back but has been always a forward.Most of his bookings have been when he is in defence.we need him because of his height and strength.A lot of our players are lacking in physical stature something which will be needed should we get promoted to the other division.we are crying out for centre backs who are mobile i see tubbs has being much to over weight when he goes up to the opposing area it takes him ages to get back defending again.We play some great football but there are times when we need that extra bit of a physical presence in the side some thing which tez can give us

I was stood near the stand with several Bradford fans and there was a lot of good natured ribbing between us but nothing bad. I heard 1 of their fans using the f word etc and said to the guy next to me "Can you tell your mate we are not allowed to use naughty words please?" (hoping the humour would prevent any offence) and the guy did cut back on his language. Towards the end of the game a lad stood next to me turned round and said "Oh my god." When I looked to see what he was referring to there was a man urinating against the bushes behind us. I dont know which team he supported. I did mention to him there is a toilet in the clubhouse and he replied "I didnt want to miss any of the game."

scamp wrote: i think tez is too good a player to lose,he has been playing at the back but has been always a forward.

He's usually been a forward for us, and we all know what his qualities are as a striker, but I think that at most of the other clubs he's played for - and at a higher level - he's mostly been used as a defender (e.g. Halifax, Northwich, Chippenham, Newport).

But I agree, we could do with him in the squad.

Has anybody any definite news.Has he gone or not?oh and are we looking/can we afford another defender.On the question of Bradford fans one came on to me with 4 fingers up(not 1 or 2) and started shouting about his team,he told me he was their regular centre back but was out of the team.He'd had quite a drink but was not threatening or anything.We did speak to some of their fans who were ok but stated we were looked on in the league as"Big Spenders"..........IF ONLY!!!!!

Welcome Alan J.Iff what you say is true and i have no nead to doubt it as we have encountered this kind of racist abuse in the past ( Bradford is not far from Chippenham), the 2 fans from Bradford that i spoke to were perfect gentlemen who although pleased to have won did not gloat but wished us well and backed us to win promotion this season

Royston Rogers wrote: On the question of Bradford fans one came on to me with 4 fingers up(not 1 or 2) and started shouting about his team,he told me he was their regular centre back but was out of the team.He'd had quite a drink but was not threatening or anything.

Could be the one who stood next to me in the second half (to the left of the goal). I think he had a pal with him and they were both a bit the worse for drink. He was calling out to members of the Bradford team who were responding, so could have been a fellow player. I just found him annoying rather than anything else. He had plenty to shout about some of our players, but nothing racist.

[Could be the one who stood next to me in the second half (to the left of the goal). I think he had a pal with him and they were both a bit the worse for drink. He was calling out to members of the Bradford team who were responding, so could have been a fellow player. I just found him annoying rather than anything else. He had plenty to shout about some of our players, but nothing racist.

[/quote]

If these were the 2 lads standing to the left of the goal with a pint in their hands watching the match,then they were just noisy,but otherwise ok.
The real nasties were around the corner,and they were going for it bigtime.No one minds the odd F word now and again as an expression of frustration or disapointment,or a bit of banter,but this particular bunch were well over the top.
Having said that,they would have had every right to gloat and shout the odds at the end of the game,as their team obviously did their homework on us,and turned us over on the day.Their keeper had the game of his life,and looked as if he could stop bullets!!

i also spoke to the guy who said he played for them and he had a drop to drink,but in all fairness he was o.k.and just asked who we thought was the best side we had seen he rated cadbury heath highly.

CF48 MARTYR wrote:Word is Imp Cortez Belle has been released...

It's now confirmed he has gone to Caerleon - see website:

http://www.merthyrtownfc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=196:shepton-mallet-match-preview&catid=38:previews&Itemid=67

Well there we are.

It does weaken the squad though.

Also sorry to see that things have not seemed to work out for Gavin Meacham, as I was quite impressed with him in the one game he played for us (home v Chard).

Agree with imp very dissapointed to see cortz go particularly to a club like caerleon.O n the day he is one of our best players..I was also very impressed by meecham particularly as we need to improve our defence.A backward step with the loss of these calibre of players though i accept that perhaps the club might not have had any control in them leaving.perhaps a statement may be made shortly by the team management??