MERTHYR v Wimborne

Updates here!

Team: Morris Willo Summerfield Rewbs Tubbs Harris Newman leek Prosser Griffiths Traylor. Subs MOrgan Cutlan McLaggon leek Colborne

Addendum: Cornwall #8, Leek on bench

Good a minutes silence held for Nelson Mandela

1-0 to Wimborne in the 4th min. Our keeper completely missed an attempted kick and their striker walked the ball into the net

come on boys its early day yet, come on the town you can do it

1-1! Harris from the edge of the box in the 45th min!

2-1 to Wimborne now!

H/t 1-2

Sub at half time. Newman off and McClaggon on

66th min sub. Williams off and Morgan on

2-2! McClaggon in the 67th min

90th min sub. Summerfield off injured and Colbourne on

3-2 93rd minute! Prosser header from Traylor corner.

F/t 3-2! Another late winner!

Up to 2nd with a game in hand on leaders Cirencester!

2,000 posts up! How much guff is it possible for a single individual to post!

the curse of leaving early!!!

Tonight was the greatest comeback since Bobby Ewing appeared in that Dallas shower, I thought the Wimbourne side were a decent enough side and gave us a stern test...in fairness they didn't come to park the bus...principally because they made the 3 hour trip by car....their 7 looked a decent player and their keeper pulled off a number of saves in our 'escape to victory ' that Sly Stallone would have been proud of....I had my doubts after the early Morris howler that it want going to be our night as the ball didn't seem to run for us....hitting post , bar , and shots cleared off the line...I checked halftime to make sure there wasn't an albatross tied to their goal we were that unlucky...but the change of formation reaped dividends and our seven attackers eventually found the net through McClaggon for another crucial score....he does make it a habit of scoring the vital ones....our new Andy Goal .......and there at the death just before Christmas was the Prossiah once again hanging up for a superb cross ....I thought it was Marcus not Traylor who put it on a plate for the bearded wonder...but whoever it was it was a beauty as was the glancing header which gave their superb keeper no chance....great three points...five goals ....great football from both sides and a fine entertainment.....that is why I watch non league football....a great advert for our grass roots game and the Town up to second.....Boz

Great write up Boz.


fantastic win tonight lads. well done indeed. I love hearing of comebacks.

up the Martyrs

yes i agree first team iv seen for a while who attacked and at pace , which lead to a frantic game pity leek couldn't play i believe we would have controlled the game better

the whole team played really well tonight cornwall played ok but myself a liliablity an the weak part to out side i believe he does have a good touch and pass but that s it .
was leek injured ?
Dan is turninmg out to be a suoerb player for the team

Tonight's team:-

Morris;
Summerfield,Rewbury,Thomas,Williams;
Newman,Harris,Cornwall;
M.Griffiths,Prosser,Traylor;

Subs:-
McLaggon for Newman at half time
Morgan for Williams after about 61 minutes
Colborne for Summerfield (injured) after about 90 minutes
Leek
Cutlan

With Ryan Charles injured Ryan Prosser came into the side. Although Kris Leek was on the bench he took no part in the warm-up, so it seemed unlikely he'd be playing any part in the match due to his injury.

After about 5 minutes we gave Wimborne a goal start. A long ball was played forward and as Craig Morris came out of his area he completely missed his kick to leave the division's leading scorer Mark Gamble on his own to walk the ball into the net.

We were close to a penalty when Ryan Newman was held back inches outside the area. The free kick was parried away by the keeper.

After about 15 minutes Ian Traylor was put through on the left of the area by Aaron Cornwall and put in a shot which hit the near post About 3 minutes later, Traylor again, this time on the right of the area had a shot blocked. When the ball came back to him he got in an effort with his left foot which went over the keeper but was headed off the line.

We continued to attack, and on about 26 minutes Marcus Griffiths hammered in a shot from 25 yards out on the right which was heading under the bar until it was parried away by the keeper who was beginning to look unbeatable. A couple of minutes before half time Griffiths again had a shot blocked from about 10 yards. It was Marcus Griffiths who was involved in the equaliser when it eventually came, holding the ball up well down the left wing before playing it inside to Matthew Harris who hammered in a shot that went a yard inside the near post.

With the equaliser to the gift goal for Wimborne finally coming it was if we could then more or less start the match again, but almost from the restart Wimborne went down the left and when the cross came in it was headed into the net to give them the lead again.

We certainly didn't deserve to be behind at the interval having put plenty of pressure on the Wimborne defence, but good goalkeeping and good defending had kept us to the one goal.

Ryan Newman had seemed a little out of sorts at times in the first half, so I don't know if he was carrying an injury, but he was replaced by Kayne McLaggon for the second half as we switched to 4-2-4.

About 5 minutes after the break a ball from the right found Ian Traylor inside the area. He got in a lob and the ball bounced off the top of the bar.

On the hour mark a long throw led to the Wimborne keeper tipping the ball over the bar from almost underneath it. We made another substitution about a minute later. Presumably Steve Williams was also carrying an injury as he went off to be replaced by Kerry Morgan. Marcus Griffiths moved to right back with Dan Summerfield going across the left.

About a minute later we deservedly equalised when Aaron Cornwall won the ball in a crunching challenge and put it out to Marcus Griffiths. His ball across somehow evaded players at the near post and Kayne McLaggon turned it into the net from close range for his first goal in home matches.

We continued to have most of the play but couldn't break Wimborne down. On about 90 minutes Dan Summerfield was fouled by Mark Gamble and had to go off, Gary Colborne coming to play the remaining time (about 9 minutes of it!) at left back.

About 5 minutes after the 90 Kayne McLaggon put the ball out to Ian Traylor on the right. He put over a great cross and Ryan Prosser rose to head it into the net to complete a great come back.

Well, in the end this was a tremendous performance against a good side. Of course we made it difficult by giving them a goal start, but overall we were well worth the win, hitting the woodwork twice and forcing numerous good saves from the keeper and desperate clearances. In the second half Wimborne didn't really look like scoring, I wonder if they'd settled for the draw, as by the end both their main strikers had been substituted.

After coming back from the early goal and then the second one by Wimborne I would have been happy with a point, although we'd looked more likely to win it than Wimborne. But another late winner, and another win, and great resilience from the squad - especially when you think we finished the game with Marcus Griffiths at right back and Gary Colborne at left back.

I made Matthew Harris man of the match - I can't remember him ever giving the ball away, and of course he got the first equaliser. Whenever he moved forward from his deeper midfield role it caused Wimborne trouble. Aaron Cornwall did well, and the second equaliser was down to him with as solid a challenge to win the ball as you'll ever see. Ryan Prosser was winning most things in the air up front, and so was Andrew Thomas at the back. I have to confess that after seeing one or two of his performances in the games at Cinderford I'd written Andrew Thomas off, and even considered that we'd have done better to have let him go in the close season and kept Jon Newall instead! But he's been consistently proving me wrong in the way he's been playing since returning to the side at the beginning of November.

The attendance was actually 19 fewer than saw the win over Bridgwater last Tuesday. Just what have the team got to do to make people come? Well, those who stay away are really missing out.

good right up

Dan Summerfield has broken his  nose. Steve Williams could be doubtful for Saturday.
Wimborne were a good team but we made it hard for ourselves with the goals we conceded. Still, they were the first let in in six matches.
All credit to The Martyrs for fighting back after trailing twice and then actually taking all three points to go second in the table.It was an exciting game for the "crowd" (Tuesday night disappointing attendances have been well aired lately).
Kris Leek was not fully fit and so was on  the  bench. Gary Colborne returned and was a substitute late in  the match. So, hopefully, he will be all-right for the Thatcham clash.
Matthew Harris had a fine game and scored a well-taken goal. Ian Traylor sent in some penetraing crosses into the box and Merthyr were thwarted many times. The Wimborne 'keeper also pulled off some brilliant stops.
Ryan Prosser gave a solid performance.
Wimborne, on  a six-hour round trip by cars, went home very disappointed.
The Merthyr fans didn't seem to want to celebrate, the Candac Suite again  being very sparse after what had been a first-class match. AND MERTHYR ARE SECOND!!!!
It must be disheartening for the Club's board, management, players and fans when the gates are so disappointing. I shudder to think what they would be like if we were near the bottom of the table!!!

Boz1964 wrote:Tonight was the greatest comeback since Bobby Ewing appeared in that Dallas shower, I thought the Wimbourne side were a decent enough side and gave us a stern test...in fairness they didn't come to park the bus...principally because they made the 3 hour trip by car....their 7 looked a decent player and their keeper pulled off a number of saves in our 'escape to victory ' that Sly Stallone would have been proud of....I had my doubts after the early Morris howler that it want going to be our night as the ball didn't seem to run for us....hitting post , bar , and shots cleared off the line...I checked halftime to make sure there wasn't an albatross tied to their goal we were that unlucky...but the change of formation reaped dividends and our seven attackers eventually found the net through McClaggon for another crucial score....he does make it a habit of scoring the vital ones....our new Andy Goal .......and there at the death just before Christmas was the Prossiah once again hanging up for a superb cross ....I thought it was Marcus not Traylor who put it on a plate for the bearded wonder...but whoever it was it was a beauty as was the glancing header which gave their superb keeper no chance....great three points...five goals ....great football from both sides and a fine entertainment.....that is why I watch non league football....a great advert for our grass roots game and the Town up to second.....Boz

Spot on assessment re- the run of the ball.Everytime it was out of hand or feet it went to one of their players,who immediately broke at speed toward our goal.
Not the normal run of events ,but everyone who was there can vouch that we did not get the rub of the green,and they looked to be a very useful side.
Regardless , what we saw was a fired up response in the 2nd half and the lads did us proud.
Congratulations to Matty,Kayne,and Ryan,they all showed how much it means to score in a game like this.
A cracking  night's football. 2nd in the league and justifiably so.

"I'm so disappointed for the players because they deserved more from the game. They've been magnificent." That was the comment of Wimborne manager Steve Cuss.