Stratford v MERTHYR

Team:
Davies
Davies Tancock Wright Pring
Richards R Patten Copp
Traylor Fleetwood Jenkins.
Subs
Watkins Harris Evans Bowen Morgan

Twitter says Jarrad Wright Header puts Martyrs one-up

Boz

Yep uv got it in one

1 up Wright header 32mins. From corner. We have been on top for most of the first half hour.

2-0. Tancock with another great header 38mins

The Swansea Chieftain gets the second.

2-O

Boz

1. 2 tancock

Tancock's first goal for the club after over 70 appearances.

2-1 40mins poor defending

Luckie goal before half-time....I understand...

A trifle unfortunate.

Boz

2-2 52mins. Possible deflection, thought keeper should have done better.
We've looked second best since going 2 up.

Level pegging in Shakespeare Country.

2-2

Boz

Both teams down to 10. 22 man "brawl". Traylor off for us. On the hour.

Sounds like a feisty contest.

Traylor off with someone called Stephens.

Surely not Shakin?

Boz

Penalty awarded to Merthyr then referee changes mind.

Boz

2. 2

Desmond Tutu.

Final score.


Still undefeated for the season.

Boz

F/t 2-2

Taken off the Stratford Town web site

This was a hard earned draw for Town against a classy Merthyr outfit who were physically strong, quick and played a neat, incisive passing game. Right from the kick off Town were nearly undone when Kyle Copp cut in from the left and fired narrowly wide. Town’s cause was not helped when on 2 minutes Summerfield was caught out of position and tripped the dangerous Correy Jenkins earning himself a yellow card.
The Martyrs bossed the early exchanges and both Gallinagh and Connor had to be on their toes to deny the visitors. The best Town could muster was a flashing free kick on 18 minutes from Grocott following a foul on Ahenkorah. There was a growing sense of frustration as passing movements from Town broke down with one pass from the usually reliable Francis going straight into touch.
It was no surprise when Merthyr took the lead on 27 minutes. Under pressure, Summerfield conceded a corner, and, Ian Traylor’s pinpoint cross was headed into Connor’s net by Jarrad Wright. Luckie then did win a corner for Town but this was easily cleared and Merthyr broke at speed as Traylor shot into the side netting with many Merthyr fans thinking their lead had been doubled.
Merthyr continued to dominate and a second goal was the inevitable conclusion. An Eliot Richard’s free kick from the far touch-line was hammered in and Scott Tancock rose at the far post to beat the luckless Connor.
With Town ‘under the cosh’ a goal for the home side was manufactured out of nothing when on 40 minutes Ahenkorah found himself free in the inside right channel. His shot seemed weak but it turned into a telling pass that Jazz Luckie seized on to fire in from 6 yards.
At 1-2 at half time Town might have thought themselves lucky to be still in the game.
Almost immediately after the break Gallinagh strode forward and fed Ahenkorah on the edge of the box. Making something out of nothing Ahenkorah turned and sent a swirling left shot beyond Oliver Davies who seemed deceived by the flight of the ball. This was in the 49th minute and from the kick off Recci lost possession in a dangerous area and only desperate defending prevented Merthyr regaining the lead.
The game took a dramatic turn on 54 minutes when Stevens seemed to be taken out by Traylor on the far touch-line. A brawl ensued and both Stevens and Traylor were dispatched. Calm and effective captaincy from Town captain, Jimmy Fry, helped to restore order.
The game now became stretched and Clark and Taylor replaced Francis and Ahenkorah. Although Town battled well Merthyr were having the better of things and Louis Connor pulled off a string of important saves to keep Town in the game. Town’s best effort came from a Grocutt corner in the 90th minute that was headed over by Clark.
The crowd of 258 at the MoodChimp certainly had their money’s worth in a high octane match which drew appreciation from both sets of fans at the final whistle.

Of course frustrated to draw 2-2 after being 2-0 up but wasn't overly disappointed leaving the ground last night. We were the better side for the majority of the game apart from 10-15 mins in the second-half. Special mention to Robbie Patten, Jarrad Wright and Cameron Pring who were all superb during the game. Disappointing to lose Traylor to a red card especially with Hereford coming up.

But overall another game that Gav can take plenty of positives from.

Pretty accurate report I'd say.

Solihull Martyr wrote:Pretty accurate report I'd say.

And another one is here with apologies for the delay but at the request of our Cornish correspondent I've been concentrating on other things. Hope it's not too interminable!

Merthyr dropped 2 points at Stratford when they allowed the home side to recover from a 2 goal deficit although the Martyrs were denied a clear penalty which would have seen them come out on top. The Martyrs fielded the same squad as the previous Saturday with the keeper and full backs consisting of that well known firm of solicitors Davies, Davies and Pring. Wright and Tancock played in the middle of the defence with Patten, Richards and Copp in midfield with Traylor and Jenkins supporting Fleetwood upfront. Watkins, Harris, Evans, Bowen and Morgan were on the bench.

Merthyr attacked from the off and kept Stratford on the back foot for most of the half. Within a minute, Traylor did well to get the ball into the Stratford area which was missed by Jenkins but Copp was on hand to have a shot which went across goal and wide of Connor’s right hand post. A few minutes later Pring made an excellent run down the left and seemed to be felled by Recci but the referee gave nothing and the ball ran through to Connor. After another good passage of play down the left, Jenkins’s cross was headed just over the bar by Richards. More good play on the left involving Pring who received a throw from Jenkins and cut inside into the area and sent in a low cross which was well saved by Connor and it rebounded out to Fleetwood who seemed to be brought down but Mr Pratt waved play on.

Merthyr continued their attacking intent particularly on the left with Jenkins and Pring combining well which led to a free kick on the left which was taken by Copp but Summerfield did well to get the ball out of play for a corner. Traylor took it and sent it towards the far post and Wright met it with a powerful header which zoomed past Connor and into the net and after 27 minutes, Merthyr were deservedly leading 1-0. Merthyr almost doubled their lead when they broke quickly after a Stratford corner was cleared to Jenkins on the left and he sent the ball down the line to the overlapping Pring and he got to the byline and cut inside Thomas and sent the ball into the area and Traylor turned on it and sent his shot into the side netting for a goal kick.

Merthyr’s attacking play justifiably resulted in a second goal in the 38th minute and it came from an unusual source. Merthyr gained a free kick on their left and Richards sent a powerful kick into the Stratford area which was met by the head of Tancock who sent his header wide of Connor and into the back of the net to give Merthyr a 2 goal lead. It was Tancock’s first goal for the Martyrs in his 70th appearance.

Merthyr appeared to be cruising to a win but 2 goals in a 10 minute spell either side of half time undid all the good work. In the 40th minute of the 1st half just after Fleetwood had a good shot well saved by Connor, Stratford broke up their right and the ball came into the Merthyr area and found Ahenkorah and his fluffed shot was sent under the body of Davies by Luckie to give Stratford underserved hope when the half time whistle was blown.

Jenkins, who was the victim of a heavy tackle was replaced by Evans at the start of the second half but he could do nothing as Stratford’s second came after 5 minutes of the 2nd half. Stratford, no doubt buoyed by their late first half strike were looking more dangerous and scored their second in the 50th minute of the game. A long ball in from the Stratford left was helped onto Ahenkorah by Gallinagh and Ahenkorah turned on it and shot high towards the Merthyr goal and it may have taken a slight deflection which sent the ball over Davies and into the back of the Merthyr goal and parity was restored.

Shortly afterwards, just in front of the dugouts, Stevens seemed to be fouled by Traylor. Both players reacted and a melee involving most of the players led to the sending off of both of them and the game was restarted with a throw to Stratford. With both sides down to 10 men, the game opened up and it could have been anyone’s game although it was Merthyr who looked more dangerous. Davies after good work on the left was found by Richards on the right hand edge of the Stratford area sent in a good shot towards goal which was palmed away by Connor for a corner to Merthyr which was taken by Richards but Stratford defence cleared well. Merthyr were keeping the Stratford attack at bay whilst continuing to cause problems at the other end with Wright heading a Richards corner just wide of Connor’s right hand post and Summerfield had to do well to put another Richards cross away for another corner which was met by Tancock but his header across to Fleetwood went over his head and was well cleared by Stratford.

With about 15 minutes left, Morgan replaced Copp as Merthyr went for it and he was in the action immediately and when a good ball came into the Stratford area, Richards helped it on towards Morgan but he just failed to get to it. Evans sent in a good shot after good work by Pring but Conner did well to get down to his right to keep it out. Merthyr again did well in midfield and released Davies on the right and his cross came off Thomas and looped up in the air only for Connor to make another good save.

Then came the moment which possibly stopped Merthyr winning the game. After Morgan made a good tackle in midfield, Evans did well to get the ball to Patten who sent it right to Davies who got the ball back inside to the onrushing Richards who was brought down by Gallinagh about 4 yards inside the Stratford 18 yard area and Mr Pratt immediately pointed to the penalty spot. However he consulted his assistant on the right and changed his decision to a free kick on the edge of the area in line where Richards had been felled but not where the offence occurred. Stratford cleared the resulting free kick but Patten managed to get hold of it and sent in a good cross which was headed towards goal by Richards and again, Connor did well to get it behind for a corner. This time Stratford cleared Richards’s corner well.

Merthyr were still pressing but despite their best efforts they could not get the winner and the game ended 2-2.