Wimborne v MERTHYR

Take a draw now boz

Leek hits the bar with 5minutes to go.

Cirencester winning by 5 - likely 3 points behind with 3 games in hand...

Solihull Martyr wrote:Cirencester winning by 5 - likely 3 points behind with 3 games in hand...

squeaky bum time for the Martyrs.
Just got to try keep on winning and hope cirencester lose at least 2 of their 3 games in hand

F/t lost 2-1

Testicles....Boz

testicles Boz indeed.
ah well thanks for the match updates lads.
back to winning ways and hope Cirencester drop points

I did say by the law of averages, it was unlikely that Wimborne would lose a fifth successive home game. Merthyr v Cirencester on Saturday promises to be a BIG game.

Not good - three away defeats in a row. We really need to win at Shortwood on Tuesday night.

no other words for it that,s a crap result Thanks for updates big test next week.

This was our sixth league defeat of the season. Last season we lost seven.
Shortwood won't be easy!!
Today was always going to be a hard game. Merthyr don't have a divine right to win every game. And not every team we play are Guildford City.

You're a right bundle of laughs aren't you Mystic Meg. Go and put on a couple of your vast Leonard Cohen selection to cheer us all up!!

Nobody said they have a right to win but these are the games we have got to win if we are to achieve our title aspirations.

Cirencester beat Guildford 6-1

We need to pick up points now as Cirencester have a lot of easy games coming up after they play us.They do I think have a harder end of season run ithan us . what concerns me the line up today only shows us having three subs .perhaps shep is keeping the majority for tuesday

it seems there was a mixup en route that resulted in us being three players short at wimbourne.Things like this should not happen lets hope it will not result in us losing the title at the end of the season

Wimbourne Town 2 Merthyr Town 1
Wales on Line

Merthyr lost ground in the race for the Southern League South and West league title with defeat at Wimborne as closest challengers Cirencester predictably overcame the challenge of league whipping boys Guildford City with ease.

A mix up en-route meant Merthyr travelled to Dorset without Ryan Newman, Ryan Laville and Aaron Cornwall but they still fashioned an early opportunity when Gavin Williams was fouled in the box by James Stokoe but Williams spot kick was comfortably saved by Jason Harvell.

Merthyr goalkeeper Lee Idzi saved a header from Mark Gamble on 20 minutes before Merthyr went close again five minutes later after Gary Colbourne headed down a Williams corner only for Jamie Rewbury's shot to be blocked on the line by George Webb.

The second 45 minutes saw little between the sides but just as the game seemed to be heading for a goalless draw Stokoe played a fine ball into Gamble on 72 minutes and he cut inside Jarrad Wright before finding the net from 18 yards.

However, Merthyr were level five minutes later as Kris Leek's 25 yard drive caught out goalkeeper Harvell albeit with a hint of a deflection.

But, with eight minutes remaining, Sam Griffin struck what turned out to be the winner with a fine 20 yard shot after cutting inside Marcus Griffiths and despite Leek striking the Wimborne woodwork just three minutes later, it was the home side who hung on for the three points.

Our next 2 games are MASSIVE! Lets hope we can get a good crowd up the Park on Saturday to support them!

Magpies 2 Merthyr 1

22nd February 2014
Wimborne Town put in another strong home performance in a thoroughly entertaining game this afternoon, and this time they claimed the points too, toppling league leaders and title favourites Merthyr Town, John Ingleson writes.

Mark Gamble's brilliant opening effort was cancelled out by Kris Leek\'s equaliser, but Sam Griffin restored the lead, to set up a nail-biting finish.

Steve Cuss opted for almost exactly the same team that put in a such a spirited performance against Cirencester last week, the only change being the fit again Jamie Davidson taking to the field in place of Matt Kemble, who dropped to the bench.

The first half was played at a breath-taking pace, with both sides working exceptionally hard to close down their opposite numbers. There was little in the way of goal-mouth action however, until James Stokoe was adjudged to have tripped Gavin Williams in the area, just before the quarter hour mark. The same player stepped up to take the penalty, and he opted for power, driving the ball towards the centre of the goal. Fortunately for home fans, Jason Harvell made an excellent save, actually managing to catch the ball!

Wimborne had a couple of half-chances, with Scott Arnold driving a swerving shot wide and Jon Blake failing to get sufficient power on a header, and at the other end Jamie Davidson made a critical goal-line block, just inside the post.

Merthyr kept trying to play Ian Traylor in over the top, but the Wimborne offside trap did its job, and Harvell reacted sharply to get off his line quickly on a couple of occasions.

Half-time arrived with the sides still deadlocked, and although the game had been pleasing on the eye, there were relatively few clear chances in the opening period. For the most part the sides had cancelled each other out.

It was obvious the frenetic pace of the game would result in it becoming far more stretched in the second period, and straight from the restart the game was far more open.

A Gavin Williams free-kick hit the Wimborne wall, before looping just wide of the far post, with Harvell wrong-footed and scrambling desperately to cover the ground.

The game became end to end, but the home side looked slightly more likely to open the scoring. George Webb almost scored directly from a corner, and Ian Oliver flashed a header just wide. The goal was coming, but it took a moment of genius to crack the Merthyr defence. A scintillating diagonal ball from James Stokoe sent Mark Gamble sprinting down the right wing. Gamble still had plenty to do, but he cut back inside the last defender and sold the keeper a dummy, before dribbling round him to tap the ball into the empty net. It was yet another wonder-goal for his burgeoning collection of goal of the season contenders.

Wimborne almost doubled the advantage immediately, with Davison poking just over after a rapid exchange of passes with Griffin. The lead was not destined to last long however. Oliver made a brilliant block to deny Kayne McLaggon, but the ball rebounded to Kris Leek, some 25 yards out. Despite a crowded penalty area, his swerving drive managed to evade everybody, before bouncing past an unsighted Harvell into the Wimborne net.

If the Martyrs expected Wimborne to crumble following the equaliser, they were soon to be disappointed. The home side regained the initiative with the next meaningful attack of the game. Sam Griffin picked up the ball with his back to goal, just outside the Merthyr box. There didn\'t seem to be much on, but he managed to turn and create a yard of space, before unleashing a low shot. Bizarrely, Lee Idzi in the Merthyr goal did not react at all, and he watched helplessly as the ball bounced into the net, just inside the left post.

The last ten minutes were agonising to watch. Merthyr pushed for an equaliser, but the Magpies\' defence held firm. Oliver and Adam Costello were immense, winning some vital headers against much bigger opponents, and Jon Blake was well-placed to head a goal-bound effort off the line.

At the death however, it was the home side that had the best opportunity to kill the game off. George Webb showed great skill to go round two defenders, but his angled drive came back off the foot of the post.

Wimborne Town: Harvell, Arnold (capt), Oliver, Maybury, Costello, Blake, Griffin (Kemble 90), Davidson (Phillipson-Masters 85), Stokoe, Gamble, Webb.

Unused Subs:

Burton-Hemmings, Roast, Grose.

Merthyr Imp wrote:Not good - three away defeats in a row. We really need to win at Shortwood on Tuesday night.

This has got to be a cause for concern, we still have NINE away games to play, no such thing as an easy game away we only beat Guildford 3-2 at their place!

Can't really improve on what's been reported already about yesterday's game other than to say we didn't really play well on a cloying surface which is hardly surprising, considering the rain we've had. There also seemed to be an element of rustiness in our play, not having played a competitive game on grass since before Christmas. We still tried to pass the ball to feet, particularly to McLaggon but it just didn't come off and we didn't seen to have a Plan B.

We played better uphill in the first half and did create chances notably the penalty which was correctly given. However the kick itself by Gavin was poor and the keeper saved easily going down to his right. We could have had another when Traylor's shot, after the ball came out to him on the 18 yard line following a corner, was blocked on the line by a Wimborne player seemingly with the help of his left arm but nothing was given. Wimborne had a few chances themselves, one a shot from the corner of the 18 yard area which went over the top and also a cushion header from a good cross from the left which nestled easily in the arms of Idzi. Apart from that it was really a case of defences being on top at both ends of the pitch and although we created a few half chances the Wimborne defence held firm.

Wimborne played it well particularly in the second half. They held a very high line when they were defending and closed us down in midfield not allowing us time on the ball. Even though we were playing with a back 3 and 2 wingbacks, at times we were playing with a flat back 5 which left us short in the middle. However to me, it seemed ripe for the ball over the top for our quicker forwards to run onto it but that never seemed to happen. We managed to get a few crosses in which were easily dealt with by the Wimborne defence. Leekie was fouled about 25 yards out and Gavin took the kick, which went through the wall but was deflected wide for a corner which came to nothing. Wimborne got a few corners, one of which had to be put over his own bar by Idzi under pressure from Gamble. Shortly afterwards, a rather out of sorts Traylor was replaced by Prosser. Summerfield got in a good tackle on the Merthyr left and he pushed it forward to Matthew who put it inside to Gavin who in turn pushed it out wide to McLaggon and his cross was well headed by Prosser but Harvell made a good save. Idzi also had to make a smart save at his near post when a corner was headed on by Stokoe. Wimborne's first was a good goal and showed the quality of Gamble when he got into our area and did really well to get around Idzi before slotting it home. At that stage Wimborne looked the most likely and were putting us under pressure and Davidson broke into our area and toe-poked the ball just over our bar. Kerry replaced Summerfield and we reverted to a back 4 with Wright moving to left back. Almost immediately he sent in a cross and Kayne's shot was deflected wide for a corner. Kerry took the corner which was headed clear to Gavin who put it back into the area. Maybury cleared the ball but only as far as Kris Leek who sent in a superb right footed shot from about 30 yards which bounced in front of Harvell and over his despairing hands and into the right hand corner of his net. We had our best period of play after the goal but created little and Wimborne came back into it putting us under pressure and Griffin robbed Marcus just outside our area and he swung his left foot and the ball found its way into the right hand corner of our goal past a surprised Idzi. We retaliated and when Kayne was fouled on the right hand touchline, Kerry sent in a free kick which was cleared by a Wimborne defender but only as far a Leekie, roughly in the same position as he was for his goal, but this time his well struck shot came off the cross bar and over with Harvell well beaten. Then Wright was fouled on our left and from the resulting free kick, taken by Gavin, which was punched clear by Harvell but only as far as Wright who sent it back in and Kayne got in a header which was cleared off the line by a Wimborne defender. There followed a bit of end to end play with nothing really created by either side and the game ended with a 2-1 win to the home side.

If that penalty had been scored, who knows what would have happened and when you take that into account, plus the 2 cleared off the line and Leekie's effort which hit the bar I suppose a draw may have been a fair result but Wimborne played well, particularly in the second half, and good luck to them, they held on for a win.

It makes our next game at Shortwood on Tuesday very important - if it goes ahead with the forecast. We've had a bit of luck against them in recent times and we did pick up a few injuries yesterday and there will be some player unavailability so we'll probably need a bit more of that luck. It may also make our game next Saturday as a "must win" and hopefully we'll get a good crowd to cheer the lads on.

Perhaps we may hear something about the "missing players" scenario. It seems to me that the background which was meant to help players and club is one difficult to negotiate in practice.