Keeper Davies leaves Town for Hungerford

GOALKEEPER Oliver Davies has left Merthyr Town, announcing he was joining Vanarama National League South side Hungerford Town.

A former Swansea City player, who had a spell on loan to Kilmarnock, he joined the Martyrs last season.

He was one of six players to leave Merthyr last November when the club revealed their debts plight and had to drastically cut players’ wages.

Cameron Clarke returned to Merthyr from Cinderford Town and made six appearances, suffering concussion at King’s Langley and having to come off and be taken to hospital.

Then Davies agreed to play some games for The Martyrs from December with Clarke later going back to Cinderford after a number of fixtures on the bench and not making the starting line-up.

Davies, Swansea-based, had told manager Gavin Williams of his intention to leave in the summer. He signed for rivals Hereford but left after a short time, citing the travelling too much. He was linked with Yeovil Town and Bath City. But he was back at The LoadLok Community Stadium, Penydarren Park, for the start of this campaign.

Davies was training with Merthyr last Thursday night, when the news broke of his imminent departure. Then Merthyr brought in teenage goalkeeper from the youth side, Ed Hewitson, for the trip to Dorchester Town last Saturday.

Hungerford are fourth from the bottom of their table and poorly supported with boss Ian Herring trying to stave off relegation.

This Saturday, Merthyr are home to St Neots Town, from Cambridgeshire (3pm start). They went down 1-0 at Basingstoke Town on Saturday, despite the efforts of Stefan Broccoli who twice went close as St Neots pressed in a bid for an equaliser.

The club played in several local leagues before climbing to the Southern League in 2011 and won the Division One Central League title at the first attempt.

With the Merthyr boss Williams pleased with his squad’s recent outings – three wins and a draw – he plans to get another victory, over St Neots who were in 13th spot in the table at the weekend with 13 wins, 11 draws and 13 defeats, having scored 61 goals and conceded 65. When the sides met in Cambridgeshire in December, Merthyr had several players missing, fielding four from the youth team, and they were beaten 5-2.

Clive Smith, a Merthyr Town supporter and a member of the Walking Football team, has died.

He travelled with the team to Hartlepool last year for the UK finals.

The fans and some of the players and Williams took part in a quiz at the Romans Bar, after training, last Thursday, to aid Prostate Cancer UK.

The winners were members of The Interim Board. Thanks to the fans who organised the event, with Mark Evans asking the questions.

Ballot forms are going out for club owners to vote for those nominated to serve on a new board, to replace the interim board after several directors left last year following the financial problems.

DORCHESTER TOWN ... 1 MERTHYR TOWN ......... 2

PROLIFIC Martyrs marksman Ian Traylor bagged a brace of goals as the side extended their unbeaten run to four matches on Saturday.

The pitch was difficult after rain during the week but both sides made the best of it.

After two games postponed in two weeks, Merthyr welcomed back injured players Scott Tancock and Corey Jenkins, also with Ryan Prosser fit after an illness, to take his place among the substitutes.

Jenkins had come off after only 11 minutes in the 3-2 win over St Ives but had recovered from his ankle injury.

And up front, Owain Jones, the former Swansea City player who had a loan spell with Yeovil Town, made his first start after scoring a spectacular goal, coming on as a substitute against St Ives.

With Ollie Davies having departed, Merthyr brought in their teenage goalkeeper Ed Hewitson who will be remembered as one of the Merthyr “heroes” when he played with a Merthyr side comprised of youth team players and coaches, losing 13-1 at Chesham in November after the club were rocked by the debts announcement.

Hewitson did well at Dorchester, pulling off several good saves.

Dorchester had a chance early on but Ashley Pope blazed over. But Merthyr had made a positive start and took the lead on 17 minutes. Neil Martin blundered with a poor back-pass, allowing Traylor to nip in and fire Merthyr into the lead.

Dorchester continued to be under pressure and Ross Carmichael stopped Jones getting in a shot.

Captain Ashley Evans then went close with a Merthyr header after a cross from Jenkins, with Kyle Egan marking. Traylor was again in action and set up Jones only for goalkeeper Chris Weale to punch the ball away.

A loose ball fell to Traylor but his volley was tipped over by Weale.

Dorchester were fortunate to be only one goal down at the break. But on 47 minutes, the second goal came. Harry Franklyn, on loan from Hereford, found Traylor with a pass and he fired in.

Weale was in action for the Magpies to gather the ball at the feet of Traylor.

The home outfit had a purple patch before Traylor was denied his hattrick by good defending from the rearguard.

But Dorchester managed to pull a goal back on 61 minutes in a rare creative attack. Archie Collins’ shot struck the crossbar. Prosser, on as a substitute, headed against his own woodwork with Luke Winsper latching onto the rebound and netting past young Ed Hewitson.

Pope had one opportunity for Dorchester but sent a volley too high. At the other end, substitute Kerry Morgan forced a save from the keeper.

Dorchester might have snatched an unlikely point but a low effort by Callum Rose went narrowly wide of the post. All in all, it was a deserved win to please Williams – their fourth on their travels this season. Weale was voted man of the match, with Traylor impressing for The Martyrs.

Director Phil Mack later commented: “The boys put a real shift today and ground out a win on a gluepot of a pitch.

“They were under considerable pressure at times but defended manfully and at half-time our team came off with their kit muddied whereas the home team kits seemed to be pristine clean in comparison such was the will to win of the Martyrs.

“Traylor was superb today and would have been my MOTM for the Martyrs but all the lads dug in and we came away with a deserved win.”