Trophy replay at Merthyr

[Reading Rebel]

Oh dear, sounds like we've gifted Merthyr a couple of soft goals at the beginning of the second half.

[Reading Rebel]

3rd goal for Merthyr from poor marking.

[GlenSTFC]

Damage limitation now as it could become a thrashing, disapointing if we go out to lower league side (yes I know they're second etc...!).

[Reading Rebel]

Rebels Radio commentators raving about the Merthyr players but TBH with the money they're shelling out to players like Gavin Williams I think they should be good.

[Reading Rebel]

Damage limitation now as it could become a thrashing, disapointing if we go out to lower league side (yes I know they're second etc...!).

 

 

Not just second in a lower division but looks like they have players expensive enough and good enough to play in the Conference.

[GlenSTFC]

They can't be that great if they couldn't get them up last season! But saying that it sounds like they'd more than hold their own in our league. Why would they have loads of money as although their crowds are good in their league it's still around 400.

[Reading Rebel]

They can't be that great if they couldn't get them up last season! But saying that it sounds like they'd more than hold their own in our league. Why would they have loads of money as although their crowds are good in their league it's still around 400.

 

 

Glen, they dipped out in the play-off final and they have a team that's a lot different this season.

 

Looks like they're being bankrolled by some sponsor.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

Valiant effort from the boys but beaten by a team with quality players all over the park.

[GlenSTFC]

I suppose their 3 or 4G is bringing in money through renting it out. Still disappointed to lose as Didcot at home would have been winnable with the possibility of a Conference team in the next round.

[Chris]

Not to be, oh well. League is far more important to us in our first season up anyway and happy to be at step 3 and not where we were last season.

[Reading Rebel]

Of course it's disappointing to lose but if you look at it positively, it's taken a team that are really at least a couple of levels below where they should be, two games to get the better of us.

 

Can't wait to get back to the important stuff, the league!  

[Chris]

Agree Reading Rebel. Only need to look at the histories of some of their players and where they were playing two seasons ago (or less than that). Just a small negative I'd look at is the bench tonight.

 

Sounded like a not fully-fit Ben Ed & Ed with Trent. Injuries obviously happen, but I just think it's a shame we can't bring some of the under 18's through when needed, although at the moment it sounds like they are losing a lot of games. So probably nobody is good enough to fully come through.

 

Hopefully this can be looked at fully over the summer though as not having a full bench has hampered us on occasions. No offence but having Rummy right wing and Ben Ed on the left isn't going to scare teams going forward! ;-)

Edited November 18, 2014 by Chris

[Chris]

Oh and congrats to Ed Smith on his 100th game tonight.

[Slough_Duck]

Just got in (luckily only 45 min journey for me), would say it was a fair result in the end. Merthyr edged the opening exchanges without really creating too much apart from a couple of one on ones that Somerville dealt with really well.

 

We then nicked one just about against the run of play from a really well worked corner. Took it into half time 1-0 which was a good half of football.

 

Second half they came at us and I think the writing looked on the wall, whilst Merthyr weren't anything too special you could see they had a bit about them and it paid for them. I think the lads would be disappointed at the way they allowed the first goal to happen as their player ran through a couple of challenges too easily and after the 1st goal heads dropped slightly and a few mistakes creeped in. Which probably contributed to the next two.

 

We didn't stop fighting though and whilst Merthyr had the better of the game I think given the journey and strength of the squad we equipped ourselves ok. Everyone put the effort in which is all you can ask for.

 

Overall we didn't play badly but Merthyr didn't have to step through the gears (which I felt they probably could have done if needed) to beat us. Another positive was Jake had a good game in goal making some good saves and kept us in the game at times.

 

The Merthyr fans I spoke to were a friendly bunch and good luck to them in the next round. They did have a rather vocal fan who didn't take kindly to any decision against them, I thought the ref didn't have that bad a game, possibly missed a couple of challenges early on but didn't let the game get away from him.

 

Not quite sure what the grappling match was all about at the end but it just seemed a bit of handbags at dawn.

 

Disappointing to go out but I think the few games in the Trophy will have given us a lot to work on back in the league matches

Edited November 18, 2014 by Slough_Duck

[3spirit]

Valiant effort from the boys but beaten by a team with quality players all over the park.

 

Heroic effort tonight but as much as Merthyr are a good team,they were beatable on Saturday at home and we blew it !

Galling that we didn't do ourselves justice either.

 

I think people are going a bit overboard about how good they are.We've obviously given a good account of ourselves tonight but it irks with me that we fell well short of our usual high standards on Saturday and thus was always going to have our work cut-out on their 4G pitch and with the added travel time/mileage on a week night and loss of key players.

 

So I'm sulking! ha bloody ha!  

[Reading Rebel]

Heroic effort tonight but as much as Merthyr are a good team,they were beatable on Saturday at home and we blew it !

Galling that we didn't do ourselves justice either.

 

I think people are going a bit overboard about how good they are.We've obviously given a good account of ourselves tonight but it irks with me that we fell well short of our usual high standards on Saturday and thus was always going to have our work cut-out on their 4G pitch and with the added travel time/mileage on a week night and loss of key players.

 

So I'm sulking! ha bloody ha!  

 

 

Only beatable on Saturday because our defense kept us in the game coupled with some erratic finishing from Merthyr.

 

Not sure if people are going too overboard about them.

 

I think they are the best passing team we've come across, where most of their players are comfortable on the ball, possibly to do with them playing on a 4G pitch but also that they've got players who have played at a higher level and in Gavin Williams, a player playing way below the level he should be playing at (possibly something to do with the reported £600/£700 a week that he's on). 

[Neil Baker]

Heroic effort tonight but as much as Merthyr are a good team,they were beatable on Saturday at home and we blew it !

Galling that we didn't do ourselves justice either.

 

I think people are going a bit overboard about how good they are.We've obviously given a good account of ourselves tonight but it irks with me that we fell well short of our usual high standards on Saturday and thus was always going to have our work cut-out on their 4G pitch and with the added travel time/mileage on a week night and loss of key players.

 

So I'm sulking! ha bloody ha!  

I think if you saw them tonight Stuart then maybe you would understand and are not going overboard at all, they were simply excellent, their interchange and movement was top drawer, and for myself the best side one of our teams have played in the last 3 years (without question)

 

Fully deserved the win, and best of luck to them, I have no doubt whatsoever they will be coming up this year.

 

Not going to get too downbeat over the result, the comment of that they are step 4 is frankly amusing, they lost one important game last year, and meant they stayed down, however strengthening in a big way (something that could have quite easily happened to us), every player came off and said if they were in our league this season and with the advantage for them of playing on the 3g, they would no doubt either win it or be in the play offs.

 

The comments of lack of squad is frustrating, as tonight was always going to be extremely difficult, with 3 days notice for what is a 3 hour plus journey, for a group of players who all have jobs and commitments (we now currently have the strongest squad of players we have had since we have been at the club), I am afraid as you are aware we had 2 that could not make it as previously mentioned, Seb unable to get out of work also, 2 injuries in Luke and Scott (4 if you include the 2 long term injuries) and then to top it off Bettsy and his boy were unavailable last minute due to a family issue.

 

At 3pm we thought we would have 15, we didn't, and there was nothing we could do about it, however having 13 did not affect the game or the score.

 

1.48am I have got in, we move onto Hitchin.

[Martin]

What did people who made the long journey (well done) make of the 3/4g pitch? Having played on a couple I think it does effect the bounce of the ball and the way you can tackle. Is that evident at a much higher standard?

 

I am not saying it effected the result just interested as it is in vogue at the moment. My personal view is that they shouldn't be allowed as it alters the game and provides too much of a home advantage.

[Rebel Sue]

Ha ha bloody hell I would love to see some of you moaning Minnie's do a day job travel to merthyr and play a game of football. Look at the time Neil has got home, he probably has to get up four hours later, that goes for Jon, Trent and the players, so well done guys.

 

Credit where credits due both managers have said what a good side they were so good luck to them and well done to our boys.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Rebel Sue

[Slough_Duck]

With regards to the 3/4g pitch, it definitely didn't effect the result and I think we adapted well. I didn't see a massive difference but I think it affects some decision making.

 

The bounce doesn't look the same (but I suppose you good say that about different pitches in different conditions) but I do feel you tackle differently and you feel you have to play more due to flat surface.

 

I did wonder whether on a bobbly slightly wet grass pitch whether the run for the first would have got so far and certainly think there is a chance instead of turning in his own box and giving it away for the 2nd that the ball would have just been lumped out of play on a worse pitch.

 

That said it didn't effect the result as such, Merthyr were a very good team and the pitch suited their style well. We equipped ourselves very well but there was no shame to lose to that team