MERTHYR v Bishops Cleeve

Team: Bradley, Summerfield, Davies, Matty Harris, Wright, Green, Prosser, Williams, McLaggon, Leek, Traylor, Subs: Rewbs, Evans, Jenkins, Morgan, Jake Harris

no Bauza?

1-0 up, Prosser 11th min

2-0 up, Traylor 16th min

3-0 Traylor 30th min

4-0 Prosser 35th min

4-0 half time

5-0 McClaggon in the 50th min. Tremendous header.

6-0 McClaggon in the 52nd min. Farcical defending!

60th min subs. McClaggon and Taylor off. C Jenkins and Morgan on

7-0 Harris in the 75th min after a great run from Jenkins.
Then Prosser hits the bar!

8-0 Summerfield in the 86th min.
Think we might be safe to celebrate now!

9-0 Kerry Morgan in the 90th min

F/t 9-0.
CHAMPIONS!

Congratulations to all involved with the Club. Manager, Coaches, Players and Trust Board

MAGNIFICENT LADS!!!!!!!! WELL DONE EVERY ONE OF YOU & TO JENKS OF COURSE!!!!!!

Congratulations & well done to the Players, Management & the Trust Board for this superb achievement, But a great big thank you to Steve Jenkins who has built on the platform created by Shep & Dan (a big thank you to both of you also) and turned us into a Professional Team both on & off the Pitch, playing with Style at Home but with a resolute determination Away from Home that has enabled us to WIN this league with games to spare.

Today's team:

Bradley;
Summerfield,Green,Wright,Davies;
Leek,Williams,M.Harris;
Traylor,Prosser,McLaggon;

Subs:
Morgan for Traylor after about 58 minutes
Jenkins for McLaggon after about 58 minutes
Evans for Leek after about 62 minutes
Rewbury
J.Harris

With Guillermo Bauza not available today Matthew Harris kept his place in midfield following Saturday's game. Jamie Rewbury was fit enough to be on the bench.

Early on there were corners at both ends, and it was on about 4 minutes when we had our first chance when a shot from Dan Summerfield on the right of the area was beaten away by the keeper.

After about 10 minutes Ian Traylor intercepted a clearance on the right and gave the ball to Ryan Prosser. He went for glory and put a shot well over the bar. But the first goal arrived a minute later. Ian Traylor, in the centre of the field, and Kayne McLaggon combined to play Ryan Prosser in and he scored with a left-foot shot from the left of the area.

About a couple of minutes after that Gavin Williams played a long ball forward to Prosser and he fired in a shot which drew a flying save from the keeper. The second goal arrived a couple of minutes later from the latest of a series of corners. Taken on the left by Gavin Williams it was met by Jarrad Wright with a header across goal that was going in before Ian Traylor claimed a touch on it.

Well in control now, we made it 3-0 after about 29 minutes when Dan Summerfield on the right played a ball forward for Ian Traylor. He went on a long run into the area before easily slotting a shot past the keeper. About 3 minutes after that Ryan Prosser and Kayne McLaggon combined to play in Traylor but he put his shot too close to the keeper.

It was noticeable how often Kayne McLaggon and Ian Traylor were coming off the wings into the centre, and Bishops Cleeve couldn't cope with it. But the 4th goal arrived when Kayne McLaggon was on the wing, and he took the ball into the area, beating a defender close to the by-line to put the ball across for Ryan Prosser to tap into the net at the far post.

I don't think we can have had an easier first half all season. The only threat of any kind came with two of three crosses from the right, but they never caused us any problems, and a catch from one of them was just about all Tom Bradley had to do all half.

We continued to score almost at will just about 3 minutes into the second half, when a Gavin Williams corner on the left was met at the near post by Kayne McLaggon to glance a header inside the far post. Two minutes later it was 6-0 when Ian Traylor intercepted a back pass on the edge of the area and squared the ball across the 6-yard area for Kayne McLaggon to tap in.

Just before the hour mark we made a double substitution, with Kerry Morgan and Corey Jenkins on for Ian Traylor and Kayne McLaggon. Soon afterwards the Cleeve left back had to go off with what looked like a groin strain, and although a substitute came on, for the rest of the game they seemed not to realise the left back wasn't there any more, and there were frequently wide open spaces for our players to exploit down our right. Kerry Morgan was the first of these, after about 62 minutes when he cut inside and put a shot inches wide of the far post.

Richard Evans was then given a bit of game time in place of Kris Leek.

About minute later Corey Jenkins used his pace down the left to get the ball across to Kerry Morgan in the middle, but his volley into the ground bounced up for the keeper to tip the ball over the bar.

It was almost 7-0 after about 68 minutes from yet another dangerous Gavin Williams corner. Jarrad Wright got in a header which hit the bar and bounced down to be headed away right on the line by a defender.

Soon after that Cleeve had their only chance of the game when a ball down the middle caught out Ryan Green to leave an attacker clear, but as Tom Bradley came out he put his lob over the bar.

The 7th goal arrived after about 74 minutes. Corey Jenkins broke into the open spaces down the right, took the ball to the line and cut it back for Matthew Harris to flick into the net. A couple of minutes later Ryan Prosser ran through the middle to give himself an opening, but when his first shot was blocked by the keeper he hit the bar with his follow-up effort. About 6 minutes after that it was Gavin Williams's turn to hit the bar with a shot from the right of the area as we really turned up the pressure. Kerry Morgan had another chance when Ryan Prosser set him up with a ball across the area, but his first time shot was well saved.

But the 8th goal arrived with about 5 minutes to go following good work by Corey Jenkins down the right. He set up Dan Summerfield, who had earlier put a good chance wide, to get his first home goal when he fired in a shot which was half saved by the keeper but with the ball looping up and dropping inside the far post. Jenkins injured himself in the buildup and had to go off to leave us to finish the game with 10 men, but it made no difference as Kerry Morgan finally got on the scoresheet to make it 9-0. This time it was Richard Evans making use of the space down the right. He lost the ball at first, close to the line, but then won it back and put it across to the far post for Kerry Morgan to squeeze it into the net off a defender and a post.

And that was that, with 3 games to spare, and it doesn't come much better than today.

Impossible to choose a man of the match - maybe Ian Traylor in the first half and Matthew Harris overall. It's not often a team scores nine goals without any player getting a hat-trick, but it was good to see all the main strikers getting two each, backed up by another for Kerry Morgan. We could really have had double figures, with the number of times we hit the frame of the goal and the number of good saves the keeper made, so it it's a good thing we didn't have to worry about improving our goal difference. Bishops Cleeve were outclassed, and never looked like a team who thought they could get anything out of the game, showing no urgency to get on with things even at just two or three down. The few shots at goal they did manage were all off target.

A great season - and we've still got two more home games to come!

Kettering lost today leaving them 7 points less than us, one more win for the town and we are home to them for championship, Could be another bumper crowd.

Just uploaded some images from yesterday's game onto club website.

An absolutely stunning victory and proof that this team is far too good for this league. It's been a pleasure watching the team play this season. Roll on next season! Still 2 home fictures left to take in too

PeterHarman wrote:Just uploaded some images from yesterday's game onto club website.

Some good ones there of the incident in the second half when Jarrad Wright's header hit the bar and bounced down and off a defender.

jeffh wrote:Kettering lost today leaving them 7 points less than us, one more win for the town and we are home to them for championship, Could be another bumper crowd.

What is the date for that game - Sat May 2nd ?

cliffyboy wrote:

jeffh wrote:Kettering lost today leaving them 7 points less than us, one more win for the town and we are home to them for championship, Could be another bumper crowd.

What is the date for that game - Sat May 2nd ?

Yes, 2/5

Thanks