Their Season So Far

Merthyr Tydfil

Date    Competition    Opponents        Venue  Result   Scorers
22.08      DMP             Atherstone United  H     2-0    Lima, Griffith
25.08      DMP             Tamworth           A     2-4    Evans, Griffth
29.08      DMP             Burton Albion      A     1-0    Shepherd
31.08      DMP             Gresley Rovers     H     1-2    Griffith
05.09      DMP             Grantham Town      A     3-5    Abraham 2, Williams
08.09      DMP             Worcester City     H     0-1          -
12.09      DMP             Kings Lynn         A     0-3          -
15.09      DMP             Tamworth           H     6-0    Shepherd 2, Chapple 2, Griffith, Lima
19.09      DMP             Boston             A     3-0    Shepherd , Chapple, Lima
23.09      DMP             Gresley Rovers     A     0-0         -
26.09      DMP             Hastings Town      H     1-0    Harris
03.10      DMP             Weymouth           H     0-2         - 
05.10      FAWGpA          Cardiff City       A     2-2    Chiverton, Griffith
10.10      DMP             Bromsgrove         H     2-0    Griffith, Chapple
13.10      FAWGpA          Bangor City        H     2-1    Chapple, Griffith
17.10      DMP             Cambridge City     H     3-3    Griffith 2, Chapple
24.10      DMP             Atherstone United  A     1-2    Griffith
07.11      DMP             Crawley Town       H     3-1    Shepherd 2, Griffith
10.11      DMP             Bath City          H     2-3    Lima, Ramasut
14.11      DMP             Halesowen Town     A     0-2          -
17.11      FAWGpA          Cardiff City       H     0-0          -
21.11      DMP             Basingstoke        A     0-2          -
24.11      DMP             Bath City          A     3-4    Griffith 2, Poretta
28.11      DMP             Rothwell Town      H     4-1    Shepherd 2, Griffith, Chapple
01.12      FAWGpA          Bangor City        A     0-0          -
05.12      DMP             Bath City          A     0-3          -
08.12      FAWGpA          Rhyl               A     1-1    Shepherd
12.12      DMP             Dorchester Town    H     1-1    Martin
15.12      FAWGpA          Rhyl               H     2-1    Griffith 2
19.12      DMP             Ilkeston Town      A     0-2           -
26.12      DMP             Weymouth           A     1-1    Martin
01.01      DMP             Bath City          H     0-0            -
03.01      DMP             Nuneaton           A     1-6    Shepherd
09.01      DMP             Salisbury City     H     0-1            -
23.01      DMP             Bromsgrove         A     1-0    Griffith
26.01      DMP             Gloucester City    H     0-1             -
06.02      DMP             Halesowen Town     H     1-0    Griffith
13.02      DMP             Salisbury City     A     0-1             -
20.02      DMP             Rothwell Town      A     0-4             -
27.02      DMP             Nuneaton Borough   H     2-1    Evans, Shepherd
06.03      DMP             Ilkeston Town      H     1-2    Griffith
09.03      DMP             Gloucester City    A     1-2    Williams

For Merthyr Tydfil this has been a rather strange season. Manager Colin Addison left prior to the start of the season, and was replaced by successful Ebbw Vale (and formerBarry) boss, John Lewis. However, as it came to Christmas, Lewis left the club to be replaced by another former Barry manager, Eddie May.

AUGUST

The season started in a mixed manner for the Martyrs, with two wins and two defeats from their first four matches. Beginning at home to Atherstone, goals from Barry boy Craig Lima and former Barry and Cardiff player, Cohen Griffith earnt a 2-1 win. However, a few days later, Merthyr traveled to Tamworth and lost 4-2. Merthyr�s goals came from Cohen Griffith and another former Barry player, Craig Evans. They were winners on their travels a few days later, though, with former Ton Pentre player, Gary Shepherd getting the only goal of the game at Burton Albion. Back at Penydarren Park, though, Merthyr lost 2-1 to Gresley Rovers, the Martyrs goal coming through Griffith.

SEPTEMBER

September started badly for the Martyrs, with three straight defeats. At home to Grantham, they lost 5-3, with Gareth Abraham scoring twice and Williams hitting their third. That was followed by further losses at home to Worcester City, 1-0, and away at Kings Lynn, 3-0.

However, those results were turned on their head by the visit of Tamworth to the Valleys, as Merthyr thrashed them 6-0. Gary Shepherd found the net twice as did former Swansea player Shaun Chapple, who spent time here at Barry, while Cohen Griffith and Craig Lima completed the scoring. That form continued with the away visit to Burton Albion, where the Martyrs won 3-0 with Shepherd, Chapple and Lima getting on the scoresheet yet again.

Gresley Rovers held the Merthyr strikeforce to a stalemate with a 0-0 draw, but Harris goal against Hastings gave Merthyr a good end to the month.

OCTOBER

October began with a 2-0 home defeat against Weymouth, but improved with a creditible 2-2 draw aat Ninian Park, drawing with Cardiff City in their first Premier Cup game of the season. Former Barry player, Eston Chiverton, opened the scoring for Merthyr, but it took Cardiff going 2-1 ahead before Cohen Griffith scored the second.

Griffith and Chapple were on the scoresheet as Merthyr defeated Bromsgrove 2-0 the following weekend, while Chapple also scored as Merthyr beat Bangor City 2-1 in the Premier Cup. Eston Chiverton scored the other goal.

There were goals galore against Cambridge City, where Merthyr drew 3-3 through a brace from Cohen Griffith and one from Shepherd, but Merthyr dropped further points away at Atherstone United, where they lost 2-1, despite a goal from Cohen Griffith.

NOVEMBER

At home to Crawley, Merthyr earnt a 3-1 victory, with two goals from Shepherd and a goal from Griffith, but lost 3-2 to Bath City a few days later, despite Craig Lima and former Bristol Rovers player, Tom Ramasut, scoring goals for the Martyrs.

That was followed by a few matches where Merthyr drew blank upfront. A 2-0 loss to Halesowen was followed by a goalless match when they entertained Cardiff City in the Premier Cup. The bare period was finished by a 2-0 defeat against Basingstoke.

Strangely, Merthyr then scored seven goals in two matches. Away at Bath City, Merthyr lost 4-3, with Griffith scoring twice and now Inter Cabletel player, Darren Porretta, adding the third. They then romped to victory over Rothwell Town, winning 4-1. Gary Shepherd scored two of Merthyr�s goals, with Griffith and Chapple providing the other two.

DECEMBER

Traveling to Bangor City for a Premier Cup game, Merthyr again failed to score in 0-0 draw, and did the same a few days later against Bath City, to whom they lost 3-0.

Despite behind-the-scene troubles, Merthyr came away from Rhyl with a credible 1-1 draw in the Premier Cup. Gary Shepherd scored the goal. That was followed by another 1-1 draw, against Dorchester. Martin scored the Merthyr goal.

Two Cohen Griffith goals provided Merthyr with victory over Rhyl, and ensured that they were the only side to go through the preliminary stages unbeaten. Those goals came in the first ten minutes, as Merthyr won 2-1, after missing two penalties.

Against Ilkeston, though, Merthyr fell to a 2-0 defeat, while at home to Weymouth, they again drew 1-1, with Martin again the goalscorer.

JANUARY

At home to Bath City, Merthyr drew 0-0 with the English West Country side, but that was followed by a heavy 6-1 defeat to Nuneaton, with only a Gary Shepherd goal to save the blushes.

At home to Salisbury, Merthyr lost 1-0, but won by the same scoreline at Bromsgrove, where Griffith was on target. The scoreline was yet again 1-0 when they met Gloucester at home, but it was in favour of the English side.

FEBRUARY

Cohen Griffith was again the Merthyr goalscorer as the Martyrs defeated Halesowen by the now familiar 1-0 scoreline, but, in yet another 1-0 match, they lost away at Salisbury City.

Away at Rothwell Town, Merthyr slumped to a 4-0 defeat. February ended on a high note, though, with a 2-1 home victory over league leaders, Nuneaton Borough. Craig Evans and Gary Shepherd scored the two goals which gave Merthyr victory, and moved them away from the relegation battle.

MARCH

However, despite that success of caretaker manager, Gareth Abraham, Merthyr went down to a 2-1 defeat at home the following week. Cohen Griffith scored for Merthyr after just 2 minutes, but that wasn't enough to earn a point for the Martyrs.

Last Tuesday, Merthyr played one of their local derbies, with a visit to Gloucester City. Unfortunately, they lost 2-1, despite Williams scoring for Merthyr.

the Yellow Dragon

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Barry Town homepage
Barry Town Matchday Magazine index

This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first published in the Barry Town Matchday Magazine, v Merthyr Tydfil, FAW Premier Cup quarter-final, 16.03.1999

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