Martyrs at Bracknell

Six defenders in  starting line-up; no Hill, Thomas or Angel. One  striker, Under 19's player on bench.
Handley put through by Rees to make it 1-0 on 12 mins but Bracknell level three minutes later.
49  mins and Bracknell go ahead. Same pattern lately, Handley scores first but............Walton and Hersham are winning atm...

52  mins Rees makes it 2-2. Joe Grant second yellow sent off for the home team. Both sides stepping up the play.90 plus 6 Bracknell score pen  3-2 to them
FT Bracknell 3  Merthyr 2. One win in eight games now.
With a much re-shuffled side, the players appeared to do well but they tend to take the lead and go on to lose. And Bracknell had 10 players for the last 17 minutes. Salisbury away on Saturday and they beat Chesham today. So.................

A pathetic spell from the management. Both stubborn and naïve for weeks on end. 2 weeks since our last outing and today’s squad even more threadbare. Desperation, recalling a player that’s been loaned to two clubs, (and we only knew of his return on today’s team announcement) and selection of an under 19’s player to make up the numbers on the bench. I understand every club has a blip throughout a season, but this horrendous run has been self inflicted. I have no doubt that Paul Michael will hold his hand up and take responsibility, but that’s wearing thin now. Learning curve? Since what game was that? We’ve gone backwards at an alarming rate of knots. It was a lot to ask of Gethyn Hill to naturally fit in to the fold, after being sidelined for such a long period and with him only playing a handful of games, he’s back on the treatment table. There’s not been a thought, never mind a mention of a loan player as cover. If it wasn’t for Ricardo Rees, we’d be mid table at best. The manager even admitted that, without Tom Handley’s contribution, he didn’t know where the next goal will come from. If that is of concern, do something about it. (Unless he doesn’t want to?) To make it worse, we lost to 10 men, (for the last 20 mins,) ….. and what was on the bench to take advantage of our extra man?……. Nothing. We are just hanging on to our aim of a play off spot, but if the club/management are serious, they should act immediately and get some new faces on the pitch.

No disrespect to the players who turned out, but it seemed a  question  of whoever was available- six defenders in the startiing line-up, and still another three goals conceded. Six wins from six in August and four out of four in December. Otherwise the other five months yielded six victories from 22 games.
One win now from eight matches, one win from four games: not play-off forms. The side are hanging on to  play-off spot by default. And Salisbury away to come next Saturday;  they dispatched Chesham today. To be honest, I just can't see the side making end of season play-offs!
Today fans reported some players looked unfit or not very sharp.
Tom Handley, one of the best players, usually gives Merthyr an early lead- and they go on to lose..Same pattern all the time.
A key game and just one acknowledged striker [on display. I don't know if the club tried to stengthen the squad and failed but there is still time to get some players on loan before March 31. Is the season going to fizzle out  with lots of games left? The next home game is with Walton and Hersham who threaten to push Merthyr out of the top five...

Some people have short memories this time last season we were looking relegation in the face and by the end we were relegated only for an act of god
We has a club and our team have come a long way since then so as far as not reaching the playoffs I for one will not lose any sleep over it

To be fair, the result was a bit of a rip-off.

I was fairly close to the penalty incident and the guy just threw himself to the floor.

2 pretty scrappy goals followed by two well taken goals and then an incident of latent cheating.

I’m with you on not blaming the players Tim. They’re coached to play a certain way, which paid dividends early in the season, but you must produce ‘an all round team’ that adapt to differing styles of play for any signs of success. As you say, scoring 2 goals with 6 defenders selected, came as a shock today, especially with our PLAN A game and as the end result proved again, we haven’t got any other PLAN. In my opinion, the management are afraid of recruiting new blood, in case present players will just head for the exit. That’s why I keep mentioning the word ‘stubborn.’ Paul Michael and Co. have picked this squad and set up of play and none of these have been working for weeks and surely crossing your fingers and hoping it’ll all click back in to place isn’t the way to solve the problem. Even with the players we have, we know who are injury prone and players who we will see, once in three weeks due to working commitments/unavailability. As stats show, Merthyr have only won 2 games after falling behind. Heads definitely drop. It’s hard to show positivity when it’s not coming from the top. The attendances are dropping and we have lost money overall on match days. Again, in my opinion, I believe that if a few new faces were introduced, interest would have been kept up. (Not to say better results would have been achieved, but at least it would have showed the club/management were trying something to stop the slide). We play at Plymouth Parkway on Thursday, before heading to Salisbury and I’ll be amazed if we get a full team, let alone the bench.

Scamp: The relegation threat was two seasons ago. Paul Michael was appointed and Merthyr had a reprieve when Walton Casuals folded. Last season Merthyr finished ninth, and had a good money-spinning run in the FA Cup. Whether fans want play-offs or not, I assume that the manager and players do to show they have done well. There are lots of games left. Is the season fizzling out? The attendances at the remaining home games are under threat atm.This will mean a drop in income.

I’m sure, anyone who is involved in any sport and in any capacity, will claim to either want to improve at what they do or, win something after the effort they put in. In recent Merthyr Podcasts, several players have admitted that, they believe our current team is even ‘too good’ to be in the league we’re in and have actually poked fun at some of our opposition and are baffled when we lose. It’s the management and players who claimed the aim for the play offs, which I expect the majority of fans are pleased to hear, who just pay their way to get there. I’m again sure that, if the club was to announce they have no ambition, but to remain where we are for at least 10 years, I think you could say goodbye to the club, at least financially, overnight. All I’ve been asking for is ‘one forward’ as cover. In my opinion, that failing has played a big part in our poor form and results. Its still not too late, but I’ll be very surprised if anything materialises. Whatever happens, I’ll still be heading to Salisbury next week.

I was at Bracknell today along with around 35 travelling supporters. Tbh we are gutted at the defeat last minute penalty. Honestly the town deserved a point and battled well PM set the lads up well given players missing against a team pushing the play offs and undoubtedly bigger budget. Unfortunately we showed some Naviety in not closing the game out but ultimately it is what it is. We need to remain together as one with 10 games left. Best league position in years and whilst frustrated at recent results must keep going. Keep the faith UTT

I wish fans would stop ‘self guessing’ budgets, especially those of opposing clubs, without having seen figures in comparison, (facts) unless somehow they’ve had access to their bank details. We don’t even know what ours is, again, unless someone is in the know. Understandably, bigger budgets are more likely to bare more fruit, but my issue is not being able to change our game plan. As just mentioned in a post, ‘we showed some naivety in not closing the game out.’ How many times have we all witnessed this?

Agreed re players' budgets. When Merthyr signed a player a few years ago, someone told me he was getting £4,000 a week !!!!!!!!Merthyr are always looking for more income. They are the best supported club in the SL ( really second to AFC Totton but they tend to give out lots of free tickets, I hear). Merthyr seem to have lots of sponsors too so I don't know how some clubs manage at all to survive, with gates often around 200. Of course, there is more to pay at football clubs than the players' wages.

I see there was no post match interview/analysis/news with, or from anyone. In fact, the last contact with anyone, (management or player) was 25th February. And the club want the fans to ‘get behind them.’ Come on, it works both ways.

I'm sure the management and players are under great pressure to deliver, not least because they will be well aware of (and share) the disappointment and frustration of fans. I suppose we hoped that the return of Gethyn Hill would bring back the golden days of partnerships like Traylor and Prosser and (showing my age) Shenkin Powell and Bill Jarman, but injuries have wrecked his opportunities.
So yes, maybe we do need another proven striker if one can be found and is keen to sign - which raises the unanswered question - 'is the playing budget large enough to allow for quality strengthening'? There are other questions - our younger players are undoubtedly talented, but are they strong enough to compete with typical opposition defenders; is enough attention being paid to the need to dig in tactically once we are ahead etc?
The blip in our performance is now becoming a trend, but we are still in the playoffs and have games in hand over the next three clubs in the table. Let's hope that we can recover our early form quickly, starting on Thursday evening in the unlikely event that Plymouth Parkway's pitch isn't waterlogged again!

Plymouth parkway away game to Hanwell this evening has been postponed

1. POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS; Since the departure of the employee the media officer at the club, to do a similar job at Newport Countty, any interviews have been carried out by other people at the club, often going above their official duties. This is now the trend with in-house interviews since the effective demise of regional newspapers as you will rarely see a journalist at a non-League game, any reports being filed by club officials-hence the errors in the Non-League Paper written by visiting club people- Merthyr playing at the Load Lok Stadium, Merthyr in the Rhondda Valley! Or visiting ckub radio PENNYDARREN PARK!!
There is a need for post-match interviews whatever the result, and a chance to provide information re injured or unavailable players etc. Fans like to be kept up to date.The printed information is no longer.

2.STRIKERS;I see that Alex Bonthron, (Cwmbran) is banging in the goals for them; his time at Merthyr didn't really work out. And Karnell Chambers hit a hat--trick for Tuffley Rovers in the Hellenic League late in December. He had a brief spell at Merthyr. Pehaps both players were unable to step up the ladder successfully. Likewise, with Craig Norman, now with Cinderford whose team largely consists of ex- Martyrs. It is then not easy to find a free-scoring striker in South Wales who might want to join Merthyr. Going down the avenue of crossing the Severn Bridge for a player has been successful in the past but not all want to commit themselves to the travelling it demands for training and games! But does the club have a scout looking around the area who could be a candidate to make the step, as with Ian Traylor and Ryan Prosser?

Tim Drummond wrote:
2.STRIKERS;I see that Alex Bonthron, (Cwmbran) is banging in the goals for them; his time at Merthyr didn't really work out. And Karnell Chambers hit a hat--trick for Tuffley Rovers in the Hellenic League late in December. He had a brief spell at Merthyr. Pehaps both players were unable to step up the ladder successfully. Likewise, with Craig Norman, now with Cinderford whose team largely consists of ex- Martyrs. It is then not easy to find a free-scoring striker in  South Wales who might want to join Merthyr. Going down the avenue of crossing the Severn Bridge for a player has been successful in the past but not all want to commit themselves to the  travelling it demands  for training and games!  But does the club  have a scout looking around the area  who could be a candidate to make the step, as with Ian Traylor  and Ryan Prosser?

Alex scored again for Cwmbran Celtic in last night's 3-1 defeat of League leaders, Llanelli Town.
Tom Meechan, another ex-Merthyr player scored the other 2.
Playing for Llanelli were another two ex-Martyrs, Tom Hillman & Curtis Jemett-Hutson.