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Martyrs v ?
Season 2011/12
WL DIV 1 2010
Matchreport: Round 37 – Saturday, 30. April 2011 – 16:00 h
Merthyr Town Bridport
22
Match details
Match Date : Saturday, 30 April 2011
Match Time : 16:00 h
Attendances : 389
Starting line up
Striker
Events
Goal
- 50′ : Scott Armitage (1)
- 85′ : Craig Stiens (1)
- 32′ : Unkown Person (1)
- 86′ : Unkown Person (1)
Summary
| View the match picures taken by Peter Harman at the last league match at Taffs Well Steve Williams returned to the Merthyr side after injury, playing at right back with Jamie Thomas continuing in the centre. Although needing to win to stand any chance of promotion Bridport lined up with five men at the back, presumably hoping to score on the break. For the first 15 minutes or so Merthyr were unable to find a way through the Bridport defence, with the best they could manage being a shot from Scott Armitage that was well off target. But a few minutes later they came very close to scoring when a right wing corner from Marcus Griffiths was met with a downward header by Andrew Thomas, the ball bouncing up and clipping the bar as it went over. Two minutes later Marcus Griffiths worked his way into the area on the right and had a shot blocked at the near post, the ball running for Bridport to clear it. A few minutes after that, a corner was cleared as far as Dean Clarke for him to cross the ball back in to the danger area. Jamie Thomas headed it down to Andrew Thomas close to the far post, but he had his shot saved when he perhaps should have scored. But just after the half hour mark, and very much against the run of play, Bridport took the lead when a cross from the right was met by a diving header from Russell Legg at the near post. Joe Leahy had a goal ruled out for offside when he turned the ball into the net at the far post after a header across goal. There was a lacklustre start to the second half, with it really looking like the end of the season, but Scott Armitage livened things up with an individual goal. Receiving it on the left he brought the ball inside, and finished with a shot just inside the far post for an equaliser at a good time for the Martyrs Merthyr’s first substitution was Craig Stiens on for Joe Leahy up front. Not long after that a ball in from the left by Ryan Dorrian found Scott Armitage for him to hit in a shot which the keeper did well to push past the post. Steve Williams, who had been returning after injury, was replaced by Leigh Smith, playing wide on the right with Marcus Griffiths dropping to right back. It looked as if Merthyr had won the match when Ryan Prosser headed the ball on for Craig Stiens to battle past a couple of defenders to give himself the chance to hit the ball into the net from 8 yards. Before the game was restarted Jon Newall was brought on for Dean Clarke, and whether the consequent rearrangement disrupted the team wasn’t clear, but straight from the restart Bridport’s own substitute Ryan Charles levelled the scores again. A couple of minutes from the end Ryan Prosser almost won the game when he got in a shot from the left of the area which the goalkeeper just tipped over the bar. So, as with the Southern League Western Division championship season eight years ago Merthyr finished with a 2-2 draw. But from fewer games they couldn’t manage to equal that side’s 92 points for the season, with 90 being the final total. The 118 goals scored (all in the league) made it the highest Merthyr total since 1951/52. Considering there was nothing at stake for the Martyrs the second highest attendance of the season of 389 was really encouraging. Let’s hope they all come back next season at Penydarren Park. As for Bridport, the single point they gained meant they finished the season in third place. |