One is enough

Merthyr Town seemed to be aiming for the same score as the Welsh national team would be happy with in Bosnia tonight, and they nearly succeeded in returning to the principality with a share of the points. Although they were 19th in the table at the beginning of the match, they had only conceded fifteen goals and had a positive goal difference of four.

In the first half, and for much of the second, Brakes found it difficult to penetrate their in depth defence and resorted to long balls in 'hoof and hope' football. We also surrendered possession too easily.

Leamington did have a chance around the quarter hour mark when a free kick was tipped over by the keeper. Following the corner, the ball was cleared off the line.

Brakes did apply some pressure as the half hour mark approached, but to no avail. Tony Breeden then had to make a good save from their No.10. I don't have his name because the speakers sounded as if they were being operated by someone wearing a face mask in a deep sea diving bell. Whoever had got a lucky ticket for the half time crossbar competition wouldn't have found out from that source.

Breeden increasingly tried to provide assists in the second half, but in his frustration screamed 'midfield!' Leamington made a couple of substitutions, one being forced after Gudger was injured. Lee Chilton put in a good ball which was picked up by substitute Ross Oulton, but the ball just flashed across the front of goal.

The visitors were increasingly resorting to time wasting tactics, but the somewhat elderly referee was unwilling to do anything about it. No surprise then that there was an outbreak of handbags during a pause in the game with the referee and his assistants being unable or unwilling to identify any culprits, although I thought that their captain Ashley Evans had something to do with it.

Then on 86 minutes use was made of a throw in flicked on by a header by Jack Edwards allowing Ben Mackey to put the ball in the net. Merthyr now played with a new urgency, but great work by Lee Chilton secured a corner. Merthyr had a late corner but the confident Breeden claimed the ball with authority. Leamington are now top of the table.

Attendance was 623, but I didn't see the usual dog. However, I have now been told that it was there.