Merthyr deal Tivvy their first loss of the season

In very wet conditions with the ball zipping around on an artificial surface that Tiverton Town never really got to grips with while Merthyr took to it like ducks to water. It was Tivvy who got the game underway and for the first few minutes looked the brighter of the two sides.

The game was halted for a while after a Merthyr player was injured and needed to be stretchered off. When the game resumed it was the home side who took control of the game but the closest to an opening goal came from Tiverton when a Niall Thompson effort curled just over the bar. Merthyr then had a great opportunity when they were awarded a free kick about ten yards outside the box in a central position.

The ball was floated into the Tivvy box and a goal-bound header was brilliantly saved by Lewis Williams in the Tivvy goal. Another Merthyr attack was stopped by a combination of Williams and the post as the home side piled on the pressure. On twenty minutes Tivvy had a free kick just outside the Merthyr box and the resulting kick from Louis Morison was brilliantly saved by the Home team keeper. Both teams were putting in some strong challenges in very wet conditions but neither side could find a breakthrough and the half ended 0-0.

Merthyr got the second half underway and within a minute of the re-start they took the lead when a good move was finished off by Kieran Evans into the bottom corner of the Tivvy net to make it 1-0. Tivvy made a change as they looked to get back in the game with Matt Buchan replacing Toby Down. But it was still the home side that controlled the game and were having the better of the chances.

Tivvy made two more changes with Craig Woodman and Lucas Vowles replacing Joe Oloughlin and Kane Simpson. Tivvys only real chance to get back in the game saw a shot cleared off the line and Merthyr went up the other end and a Tivvy challenge in the box resulted in the home side being awarded a penalty. The spot kick was converted by Ricardo Rees to make it 2-0 and wrap the points up for the home side.

Final score Merthyr Town 2