Martyrs up to fifth
Third successive win helps Merthyr climb table
EXPERIENCED and much-travelled striker Stuart Fleetwood, who is based at Gloucester, will miss Merthyr Town’s tough task at table-toppers Kettering Town this Saturday.
He has been banned for three games after being sent off against Tiverton so missed Tuesday’s visit to Shortwood in The Bigfreebet.Com Challenge Cup (league cup),and will also be absent next Tuesday when Merthyr are home to third-placed Slough Town (7.45pm), another challenging fixture. Slough had won seven and lost two league games by the weekend.
Aged 31, Fleetwood played for 14 clubs before signing for the Martyrs in the summer after being with Weymouth last term while on loan from Bath City. He had two spells with Hereford, and other former clubs include Cardiff City, Luton Town, Exeter (on loan) and Forest Green Rovers.
Merthyr are pushed for attackers with Ryan Prosser still waiting to make his first appearance this season because of a back problem.
Fortunately, teenager Mo Touray will be available on Saturday to meet a Kettering side who have won eight of their nine Evo-Stik South Premier league matches, having drawn once.
Touray, who is on loan from Newport County, was called up by Wales Under-19s for the international matches against Switzerland. So he missed Tuesday’s game as well as the win at the weekend at St Ives Town.
Mo joined the club at the start of the season and scored two goals in his full debut against Willand Rovers in the Emirates FA Cup. Wales sent representatives to a number of Merthyr matches including the FA Cup tie at Havant & Waterlooville and informed the club of his selection.
Manager Gavin Williams said: “Great news that Mo has been called up by Wales. He is a young lad who has adapted well to senior football in the Southern League, which is a tough league to play in. It’s good to see him get the recognition he deserves.”
Merthyr moved up to fifth spot at the weekend, five points behind Kettering but having played one game more.
Merthyr have lost only one league game but in several matches they haven’t always been able to turn their supremacy into more goals.
After winning 3-2 at Basford United in qualifying round three of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, Kettering travelled to Bedford on Tuesday in the league cup.
ST IVES TOWN .............. 2 MERTHYR TOWN ......... 3
A THIRD successive win pushed Merthyr Town up to fifth place in the table on Saturday after their long trek into Cambridgeshire.
But again they could have netted more goals, as in recent previous fixtures. They again failed to keep a clean sheet but there was plenty of good football as they dominated from the beginning.
Ian Traylor teamed up with Stuart Fleetwood in attack with Newport County loanee Mo Touray unavailable because of duty for the Wales Under19s squad.
St Ives were looking for their first home league success of the campaign but were trailing to a goal set up by Ian Traylor after just nine minutes. His centre found Jaye Bowen who beat goalkeeper James Goff from close range.
Five minutes later and it was 2-0. Bowen sent the ball through to Traylor who got the ball under the body of the despairing keeper.
But St Ives hit back immediately. Merthyr were guilty of poor marking as Phil Draycott netted from near goal after a cross by Lewis Hilliard.
The second half saw the Martyrs press but they didn’t create too many clear-cut chances. Then on 69 minutes, Merthyr cleared a corner and Traylor tried to set up Stuart Fleetwood but the ball deflected to Bowen who sent the ball through, beating the home defence in the air. Fleetwood was offside so left the ball and Traylor connected, evaded opponent Jordan Jarrod and drilled the ball under Goff.
The home side never gave up and a Danny Kelly header went close. With six minutes left, a long ball saw James Hall follow up and put the shot over Oliver Davies in the Merthyr goal after getting the better of Scott Tancock.
Merthyr looked comfortable in the late stages. With three minutes left, substitute Kerry Morgan sent in a free kick which Goff tipped onto the bar.
It has been disappointing that the side have let in too many goals lately but they have made many chances the other end. Traylor, Fleetwood and Cameron Pring, on loan from Bristol City, went close during the 90 minutes.
Corey Jenkins went on for Bowen (69 minutes) and Curtis McDonald for Traylor (72 mins) and Morgan for Fleetwod (80 mins). Robbie Patten and Kyle Copp were unused substitutes.
MERTHYR TOWN ......... 2 TIVERTON TOWN ......... 1
MERTHYR produced a top performance in the opening 45 minutes but had to battle later to ensure the win last midweek.
“We played our best football of the season in the first half. Ollie Davies had little to do but made two good saves near the end to help us get three points,” said chairman Meurig Price later.
The chairman also had praise for midfielder Jaye Bowen, son of Merthyrborn former Welsh international Jason, who has improved a great deal this season, his third at the club.
Manager Gavin Williams said: “I have been pleased with how we have played in spells in the last two games, especially with the number of chances we have created. Hopefully, we can continue to create the number of chances we have been and turn more into goals as we move into a tough spell with some tricky matches coming up starting on Saturday,” (referring to the St Ives Town visit).
There was plenty of drama with both sides having a man sent off. Merthyr began by playing fine possession football against newly-promoted Tivvy. After 26 minutes Eliot Richards, ex-Bristol Rovers, got past two defenders and drove the ball past goalkeeper Martin Rice. A confrontation with Kyle Patten saw striker Jordan Rogers get his second yellow card and so he was dismissed.
Just before the interval an Adam Davies ball saw Ian Traylor tap in a second goal which was no more than deserved.
Tiverton did better despite being down to 10 men and pushed forward after the interval. They got a reward eventually when in the 70th minute Merthyr lost the ball in midfield, leaving Scott Tancock to bring down Levi Landricombe and he got up to score.
Merthyr made it hard for themselves late on and in the 85th minute Stuart Fleetwood got his marching orders after an off-the-ball incident. Fans were unsure what happened but it seemed that the referee indicated that the Merthyr forward had aimed a kick at an opponent.
Oliver Davies pulled off a superb save from Ollie Knowles to ensure a win for Merthyr from a match which should have been more convincing. Nevertheless, it was their second victory in four days.