Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
Tiverton Town v Merthyr Town
Saturday, January 4 . 3pm . Ian Moorcroft Stadium
WE all return to the Ian Moorcroft Stadium for the first time in 2025 on Saturday as the team have an appointment with league leaders Merthyr Town. The Martyrs hit the front a good few weeks back and, after last season's play-off bid fading away in the final weeks of the season, appear hell-bent on keeping their extremely strong campaign going.
A 96th-minute equaliser from Noah Smerdon stopped fellow pacesetters Gloucester in their tracks on New Year's Day, their attempt to reduce the gap between the two sides at the top of the table failing in the dying embers of the game.
Paul Michael’s men have been free-scoring and have dished out a few hidings to a number of teams, including ourselves. The Yellows will be eager to not repeat the opening day thrashing suffered at Penydarren Park against visitors unbeaten in more than four months.
However, you cannot take anything for granted in this division, as Plymouth Parkway’s emphatic 6-0 victory against Gloucester not so long ago emphasises. It would be foolish, though, to expect complacency or overconfidence from the Welsh side and there will need to be synchronicity in the Tiverton ranks to pull off an upset.
Tivvy manager Rob Dray will hope to have those that missed the Devon Derby back available, illness robbing him of Dylan Jones; injury meaning Javan Wright was missing; and Nat Jarvis’s wedding meant he was without his Welsh front man. Matt Britton appeared to pick up a knock and was replaced in the second half as Jeff Forkuo and Josh Jones work their way back to match fitness.
The form of Marcus Day and Joe Duncan is encouraging, and Toby Down also had a good game against his former side on New Year’s Day. The Yellows will need to be focused, but they will also need to be brave, sustaining their performances for the full 90 minutes.
Former Yate manager Paul Michael has seen progression each season he has been in the Merthyr role and the Martyrs have underlined their ambitions this term following the disappointment of losing out on a play-off place after being well positioned going into the final month of the season.
His main goalscorer, former Bristol City Academy player Ricardo Rees, was with him at Yate - 101 league games later in this division for Merthyr and the 25-year-old hit man has phenomenally scored 76 goals. He is the top scorer in this season’s Southern League Premier South, finding the net on no fewer than 22 occasions from only 17 games.
Joining him and forming a formidable three-pronged attack are Kane Simpson and Lewys Twamley. Simpson’s time at the Ian Moorcroft Stadium was not particularly prolific, but the ex-Frome man has scored goals everywhere else he has been. The athletic and tall forward has 12 goals to his name in the visitors’ league campaign.
Twamley is also into double figures with 11, making the combined total between the three players 45 goals. The talented 21-year-old forward was part of Newport County’s Academy and played for the first team four times in cup competitions.
The evergreen Matt Harris, who first represented the Martyrs 12 seasons back, is the club captain and the 36-year-old midfielder still has plenty to offer in the way of experience and ability.
Lee Lucas spent his formative years at Swansea City, where he came through the Academy set-up. Starting at the age of nine, he signed pro forms in 2010. A 19-time Welsh Under-21 international, Lucas had loan spells with Burton Albion and Cheltenham before moving to Motherwell and made 10 Scottish Premiership appearances in the 2016-17 season.
His next port of call was Merthyr in 2018, where he attracted the attention of Rob Dray’s Taunton. Putting pen to paper during 2020, the gifted footballer made more than 60 appearances for the Peacocks, including the COVID seasons.
A firm favourite at Taunton, he was part of the side that achieved promotion to the National South. Leaving when Taunton ran into financial difficulties, he is now back with the Martyrs via Barry Town.
Ex-Newport County and Swansea City pro Jack Evans and mainstay Kieran Evans are also part of a very strong and talented midfield department, and attacking midfielder Cole Jarvis is much talked about.
The versatile Smerdon, who mainly plays as a left-sided defender, will be familiar to Yellows’ fans. The former Exeter City loanee was a popular figure in his short time with us and also spent a season with Gloucester City.
Merthyr’s Australian goalkeeper Jamie Cogman was on Cardiff’s City’s books and, over four seasons, his displays have established him as their number one.
Manager Michael has built a solid defensive unit in his three campaigns at the club. The well drilled backbone of the side includes Tom Handley and Callum Ryan Phillips, while Sutton United loanee Jay Williams has also looked like a good bit of business for the visitors.
Saturday will be a huge test for the Yellows. Historically, we have a good home record against Merthyr, who are a very well supported club away from home.
Last term’s corresponding fixture saw an unlikely victory for Tiverton, given the Martyr’s higher league position. The gap is wider between the teams this time, but, come 3pm, all results are possible.
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