Marine 1 Merthyr 5
Pitching In Southern League Premier South | Tuesday 10th September 2024
Match Report from Pete Crockett
MERCILESS MERTHYR MARMALISE MARINE
Then the speedy and tricky winger Lewys Twamley surged down the right flank leaving Marine players in his wake. He cut the ball back and Marine were much relieved that Cole Jarvis blasted a decidedly presentable chance over the cross bar.
After surviving the initial onslaught Marine started to turn the match into a more even contest. On the quarter of an hour mark a positive run by Michael Fernandes was extinguished by an excellent last-ditch tackle by the Martyr’s Callum Ryan-Phillips and two minutes later the same Marine player fired over the bar following some very good build up play.
On 21 minutes the away team went close again. Noah Smerdon won a header following an excellent chipped cross into the box. Rather like Cole Jarvis in the early exchanges he probably should have scored. Two minutes later it was Marine’s chance to create an opening when Ollie Mehew dribbled into the box from the left flank, but his effort cleared the crossbar.
A minute later the away team then appealed for a penalty when a driven cross struck the hand of a Marine defender. The referee rightly rebuffed the appeal - the ball was struck from exceptionally close proximity. The deflected cross was parried by keeper Luke Purnell and, to Marine’s relief, Noah Smerdon dragged his follow up effort wide of the post.
Michael Fernandes hits his free kick into the Merthyr wall
Photo courtesy of Alex White Photography
Merthyr took a merited lead on the half-hour mark. LEWYS TWAMLEY hit an unstoppable strike from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner in the 29th minute. His effort followed some polished passing by the Merthyr players.
In the 33rd minute Marine’s Dave Sims-Burgess advanced on the visitor’s goal. Did he delay a fraction too long on getting his shot away or was he thwarted by an excellent tackle from Callum Ryan-Phillips? The reality - probably a bit of both.
In the final ten minutes of the half Merthyr twice went close. Keiran Evans with some deft footwork created an opening and fired a shot at goal that was punched away by Luke Purnell. Then just before the half-time whistle a glanced header from Cole Jarvis dropped just wide of the post.
Finding themselves playing against a very sleek passing team Marine were having to work hard to just stay in the game. Would this take its toll in the second half? Alas, it did.
The Martyrs started the half the stronger and on 53 minutes a surging run from Kane Simpson was halted by an excellent last-ditch tackle. Then two minutes later Kieran Evans fired a shot from the edge of the area that was well saved by Marine’s substitute keeper Dan Brabham, who had come on at the interval for the limping Luke Purnell.
The resultant 54th minute corner saw Marine caught out by some defensive naivety. With two visitors stood by the corner quadrant in the 57th minute, the home team only sent one defender out to close down the cross. It was then all too easy for the visitors, in a two against one, to create the perfect angle for a cross that was nodded home by CALLUM RYAN-PHILLIPS.
Despite the result Anton Dworzak had a good game
Photo courtesy of Alex White Photography
It was turning into a tough evening for Marine and on 60 minutes Lewys Twamley was denied by another good save by Dan Brabham. By now the Marine defence was being pounded by attack after attack whilst the midfield was being overrun. In the 62nd and 65th minute Marine’s Dan Brabham was forced into sharp saves following efforts from the impressive Lewys Twamley and Tom Handley.
For a second time the keeper’s save saw a goal scored from the resultant corner kick. COLE JARVIS headed home in the 66th minute after being left unmarked in the six-yard box. Again, defensive gullibility made the visitor’s task considerably easier than it should have been.
In the 76th minute the Martyr’s Kane Simpson regained possession from a Marine player and curled an effort just wide of the post. Then on 83 minutes Marine gave themselves the faintest glimmer of hope. Some neat build up play saw Michael Fernandes play in GABE REIVERS who slammed home his second goal of the season from close range.
Gabe Reivers scored his goal late in the game
Photo courtesy of Alex White Photography
Marine sought to build some momentum, but in the 86th minute Nick Peare, on the stretch, headed over the bar from a free kick whilst a minute later Michael Fernandes had an effort cleared off the line.
As Marine pushed forward there was always the risk of being punished on the counterattack, the home team’s Nick Peare whilst looking to knock the ball back into the box lost his footing. The Martyr’s tore up field. Frazer Thomas advanced into the Marine area where he was clipped by the advancing keeper Dan Brabham. LEWYS TWAMLEY converted the 86th minute spot kick, sending the Marine keeper the wrong way.
On 90 minutes the visitors got their fifth goal. The match official declined to penalise what seemed the clearest of shirt pulls on Marine’s Harry Williams. As the home supporters tried to comprehend how the billowing of the tugged shirt was not seen by referee or assistant the Martyr’s moved towards goal.
LEWYS TWAMLEY rounded the keeper and slotted home for his hattrick. The refereeing error did not remotely change the course of the game but the officials, who in all other respects did well, certainly seemed to err in this instance.
This was an emphatic win for the visitors. They pressed with more zest, worked with more zeal, were zappier in their passing, and zeroed in on goal with more incision. Merthyr are a team who should be there or there abouts in the promotion race. Marine will not be the only team on the end of a thumping from them.
Harry Williams holds his ribs after a previous clash
Photo courtesy of Alex White Photography
From a Marine perspective the football pendulum has a habit of giving you a high one moment only to swing back the other way to knock you low the next. This was an odd Marine performance. There was a naivety in some of the goals conceded. The second half performance was laboured. (Tiredness from a frenzied week of football against Poole combined with chasing leather for chunks of the first half maybe?)
It was, in fairness, less lack of effort than lack of intensity. Only some good keeping by Dan Brabham in the second half prevented the score being even worse. Additionally, some players switched off momentarily with consequences. Meanwhile other players in their desire to turn things around finished up overdoing the difficult when the simpler option of a pass to a striker’s feet or a full back on the overlap was the better option.
In short, players too often made bad choices and against the very top sides in this league that will invariably be punished. The management team will have observed what happened and will undoubtedly review the lessons to learn with the playing squad and individuals within it.
The writer Rudyard Kipling once wrote “if you can cope with triumph or disaster and treat those two imposters both the same.” The 5-0 triumph on Saturday was not a portent that Marine were suddenly going to transform into promotion chasers. Conversely this defeat is not the doom-laden harbinger that relegation is looming. Keep a sense of proportion, learn lessons, and move on.
Marine now have a ten-day break until their next fixture. This quarter season break will offer players and management a chance to regroup and take stock. Prior to this match Marine had been on a three-match unbeaten run in the league and collected seven points out of nine. This was a disappointing way to end that run. The best antidote to such a disappointment – win your next match.
Come on Marine!
Editors Marine Star Man: Sam Turl
Editors Merthyr Star Man: Lewys Twamley
Attendance: 243
Line Ups
SWINDON SUPERMARINE 
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: Blue & White Hoops
Line-up: 1. Luke Purnell (13.Dan Brabham 46’) 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Nick Peare 81’ 5. Ioan Richards 6. Anton Dworzak (14.Jamie Edge 70’) 7. Zack Kotwica 8. Liban Ibrahim (14.Harry Williams 57’) 9. Dave Sims-Burgess (16.Jose Marquez 70’) 10. Michael Fernandes 11. Olly Mehew (15.Gabe Reivers 80’)
Subs not used: 13. Dan Brabham (GK)
Goalscorers: Reivers 84’ 
Cards:
None 
None 
None 
MERTHYR TOWN
Manager: Paul Michael
Colours: Red & Green
Line-up: 1. Jamie Cogman 2. Callum Ryan-Philips 3. Tom Handley 6. Carl Jarvis 9. Kane Simpson 11. Lewys Twamley 14. Jack Evans 15. Noah Smerdon 16. Matt Harris (5. Jay Williams 65’) 17. Lee Lucas (7. Frazer Thomas 65’) 19. Kieran Evans
Subs Not Used: 13. Aaron Harris, 10. Ricardo Rees, 18. Nick Rhodes
Goalscorers: Lewys Twamley 26’, 86’pen, 90+1’, Callum Ryan-Philips 57’
Cards:
Lee Lucas 58’
None
None
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Courtesy of Alex White Photography
Team Sheet
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Courtesy of The Pitching In Southern League
Match Officials
Referee: Adam McAnoy
Assistant Referees: Sam Myatt, Luca Rees
