Upsetting the Apple Cart

Billed as the League de-cider , this top of the table clash between the best of the West and the best of the Welsh , turned into a little bit of a flat bottle of pop.

Over 1000 fans turned up expecting to watch a St Valentine's Day Massacre , but witnessed instead only cumulus rain clouds dominating the Heavens and Merthyr dominating the half way line.

In the sky ,consisting of fifty shades of grey, it threatened to rain on Merthyrs parade - but on the pitch it was something of an anticlimax, as Merthyr had the Taunton team strapped to their Penalty Box unable to breakaway.

The speed of Ian Traylor was too match for their number 3 , as our diminitive winger kept Taunton the defender , beating him at will time after time, until he shouted a safe word.

'Core'y Jenkins coupled with Kayne McFlaggon kept 'pressing' the Taunton Defence in the hope of bearing more fruit.

It was only a matter of time before Merthyr filled the 'onion bag' and it was an unstoppable shot from 'Green' that left their keeper 'picking' up the ball up from the back of the Taunton Orchard.

The 'windfall' of attacks wouldn't stop, as the midfield dynamic of Kris Leek and Jarrad Wright had Taunton 'stumped'.

The first half was like Merthyr Town centre on a Saturday Morning - one way traffic all the way.

The referee tried his best to even things up though , by raising his arm like he was a Harry Styles Fan- in one direction- stopping and starting the match and breaking up play instead of letting things go and play the advantage.

I thought at one point he might be star struck as he not only booked Gavin Williams for an innocuous foul, but asked the ex Hammer to sign his black book for him.

I was beginning to think his arm was 'Magners-tic ' as he penalised the Martyrs on nearly every occasion pointing North every time.

Kayne was getting clattered every time he jumped and was spending more time on the Deck than a scrumpy sodden sailor.

If the game had been allowed to flow , then Taunton residents Viv Richards & Ian Botham might have witnessed another cricket score.

Once Ian Traylor had slotted home the second to me the match was 'over' as a contest.

For a second placed team Taunton were very disappointing.

And yet suddenly Merthyr decided two was enough and went into hibernation.

Whereas in the first half, the Taunton defence was lumbering and slow, it was the Merthyr boys that decided to go glacial and retreat back into their own Valley half.

Whether this was a tactical move or not by the Management I don't know, but we started defending deeper and deeper and after conceding a header from a set piece gave Taunton an impetus they really didn't deserve.

If I am honest, apart from their lively number 7, I didn't think Taunton really posed much threat.

What threat there was was snuffed out by the excellent Adam Davies who for me had a man of match stand out performance.

The 'First Man' on the team sheet next week , as he won every tackle and didn't 'fall' for any of dummies or tricks of the snakelike running of their deceiving Eve of a winger.

However, the result was more important than the performance, and an important three points on our ever upward march to the title and virtually kills off the challenge of the Proud Peacocks.

They will be in the play offs with Evesham, Didcot & Stratford but they won't have fond memories of their trip to Merthyr Town today.

By all accounts their coach broke down too and I hope they don't have to spend a night in the Rhydycar Premier Inn .

Otherwise the 'Wurzels ' might lose their ' 'Adge' boozing in the Upmarket Dragonfly Pub and eating in the local restaurant.

Drink Yuppy Cider and Combine Harvester...not the best preparation for another important mid-week game.

The league title is now waiting for us to Harvest it - we deserve to win it this year as we have been consistently the best team all season.

Let's swap cider for champagne come May!

Boz

Totally agree with your m.o.m Adam had a cracking game.