Abernant Rovers come across a big physical Merthyr Bluebird team in their 4th pre-season friendly,
It was a lively encounter from the first whistle with the away team pressing from the off, but it was the home team who created the opening chance on 5 minutes with great inter-link play by Karl Williams and Michael Chorkley but the shot going just wide of the post, but it was the away team who scored first where they had won a corner and it was sloppy back post defending that let the ball cross over the line for the away team to go 1 nil up on 8 minutes,
The game went from end to end for the for the rest of the half with both teams looking to score but on the 36th minute it was the away team who played some great pass and move play from the back which opened the home team defence with a shot coming from the edge of the box which the keeper failed to deal with and the ball going under him 0 – 2 to the away team.
No changes were made by either teams at half time.
The opening exchanges were frantic at the start of the second half, with the home team pushing for their first goal and it was the home team who scored first when Karl Williams broke through the Bluebirds middle where he went by 3 players with some deft touches, he rounded the keeper and slammed a shot into the open goal 1- 2 to the Bluebirds.
The home team kept pressing for the equaliser with another chance coming to Michael Chockley who hit the cross bar from 10 yards out only for the rebound to fall to David Day who skied the rebound over the cross bar, the away team rallied after that scare and it paid off where neat inter-play culminated in a goal from a set piece where the home team failed to deal with cross 1 – 3 to the Bluebirds.
The home team pressed on with the clock ticking down and they looked to have scored with a great passage of play which started form the back, with Karl Williams finishing the move only for the home team to be called back with a marginal off-side decision by the ref.
The home team continued to push for another goal to get them selves back into the game, which left holes in the back which the away team capitalised on the 88th minute with the ball breaking to the away teams forward who shot from the edge of the box, which squeezed pass the despairing dive of the home teams keeper which made it 1 – 4 to the away team, where that was the final score of the game.
Even though the score line suggested we were beaten well, we came up against a big physical Merthyr team who over the last few seasons have won everything that could be won over their league and it was a tough game for the lads as the team were out celebrating the engagement of Karl Williams to the early hours of Saturday morning,
We also created plenty of chances again which we failed to put away which I’m sure on another day we will put away.
Next game is against Perthcylin A team, 2pm kick off at Home
