Report
Evostik League Southern Premier Division
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Saturday 10th October 2015
Ben Mackey's ninth goal of the season settled a tight, uninspiring affair against a stubborn and well organised Merthyr Town side at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium.
A season's best attendance of 623 on Non League Day looked set to leave disappointed until the game sparked into life in the closing stages, as it had done in the opening 20 minutes or so.
Jack Edwards struck an early effort towards goal after being set up by Lee Moore on the edge of the box only for Jarrad Wright to divert the ball behind for a corner.
Martyr's keeper Tom Bradley did well to push Richard Taundry's curling free kick over the bar, and from the resulting corner James Mace saw his header cleared away from the goal line by Adam Davies.
Kyle Patten forced Tony Breeden into his first save of the game around the half hour mark, the Brakes skipper pushing a low drive round the post. Taundry sent an ambitious free kick from just inside the Merthyr half onto the roof of the net, but many forward moves were breaking down with the final pass going astray. Moore set up Ben George on the right by nutmegging a defender, the right back crossing for Edwards to sweep a shot just over the bar as the first half ended without a goal.
Chris Hugh drove a shot into the near post shortly after half time that was saved by Breeden, while Moore headed high over the bar after Leamington's first bit of sustained pressure on the Merthyr goal in the half. Lee Chilton fired over the bar before Connor Gudger's exchange of passes with Edwards resulted in a shot which lacked the power to trouble Bradley.
Edwards' flicked header at the near post went too close to the keeper to get past him, while substitutes James Fry and Rob Ogleby combined to set up the same player, Fry's smart diagonal ball up to the edge of the box being knocked back by Ogleby to Edwards, who blazed over the bar.
Fry almost created the opener for Mackey with a great cross to the far post, the striker's header dropping across goal and just wide of the upright, but the next attack proved to be decisive. Taundry's long throw from the right was flicked on by Edwards, and Mackey was in just the right place to direct a deft header past Bradley into the net.
Ogleby was almost played clear up the right in the closing stages but was denied by a timely interception from Hugh, while Merthyr went close to snatching a point when Elliot Scotcher thundered a low long range effort inches past the post.
Attendance: 623
Leamington: Tony Breeden © , Ben George, Connor Gudger (14 James Fry, 74), Joe Magunda, Jamie Hood, James Mace, Lee Moore (16 Rob Ogleby, 68), Richard Taundry (15 Ross Oulton, 88), Ben Mackey, Jack Edwards, Lee Chilton.
Subs not used: 12 Will Green, GK Edward Caviezel-Cox.
Merthyr Town: Tom Bradley, Adam Davies, Chris Hugh, Ashley Evans © , Jarrad Wright, James Bloom, Kerry Morgan, Elliot Scotcher, Ryan Prosser, Kyle Patten (12 Jake Bowen, 65), Jon Brown.
Subs not used: 14 Jordan Chappelle, GK Cameron Clarke.
Referee: Mr Shaun Barry
Assistant Referees: Mr Yanni Christodoulou & Mr Alex Emery
Brakes Man of the Match: Ben Mackey.
