Merthyr Town 1-2 Frome Town – Evo-Stik Southern Premier, Sat. 25th Feb.

Following on from their excellent draw at Histon last week, Frome Town produced an even better performance to win 2-1 at Merthyr Town thanks to goals from defenders Connor Roberts and Sam Teale and thereby becoming the first away side to win on Merthyr’s artificial pitch this season.

Jordan Walker started his first game since picking up a hamstring injury at Salisbury at the start of September as he replaced the injured Kris Miller. Manager Josh Jeffries also rotated the squad a little more giving starts to attackers Aiden Kirby and Darren Jefferies.

On a wet afternoon, the match started with Walker immediately being tested for pace, but Kyle Phillips was quickly out to cover and,  with Clayton Green and Kirby combining well to release Jon Davies, Merthyr’s custodian Oliver Davies showed that he was also quick to come off his line.

Merthyr went close in the 12th as a curling cross from Jack Compton was just punched away by Phillips as Ryan Prosser lurked menacingly behind him. Frome started to show their prowess in attack with a series of free kicks and corners that Davies always threatened from with his excellent delivery skills.

After Phillips had again showed his speed off the line to smother at the feet of Compton, Frome took the lead in the 23rd as central defender Roberts let fly with a powerful, low, long range shot that flew unerringly into the bottom corner of the net from a position just inside the centre circle. It’s not the first time that he’s scored from this sort of range this season.

Stung into action, Merthyr’s Ashley Evans hit a volley into the arms of Phillips two minutes later and, as a 20 yarder from Elliot Richards flew over the bar on the half hour, the game was looking like it had the potential for more goals.

Frome nearly doubled their lead a minute later as Kirby rounded the keeper to pull the ball back from a tight angle, only for Curtis McDonald to clear the ball off the line.

Frome kept applying the pressure and not allowing the home team to settle, and the second goal very nearly arrived in the 38th as a Davies free kick from just inside the Merthyr half thudded against the crossbar with his namesake Oliver Davies getting nowhere near to the flight of the ball.

Merthyr had their own chance to equalise in the first minute of injury time as they were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the box, but Compton’s shot was always rising over the bar and Frome were well worth their 1-0 advantage at half time.

As might be expected, Merthyr came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, but Frome are expert at weathering storms these days and with Phillips dealing with everything that came his way, Frome started to get back onto the front foot, only to be undone in the 63rd by a ‘route 1’ goal as a long kick from Oliver Davies found Compton running through on goal and he coolly slotted the ball past Phillips into the corner of the net to make it 1-1.

However, Frome only took another four minutes to regain their lead and, after a Davies cross had been headed out for a corner, Sam Teale was on hand to stab home the corner from close range and score another of those priceless goals that he seems to have the knack of getting just at the right time.

Merthyr went hunting for the equaliser and Curtis McDonald headed a Compton free kick over the bar in the 81st, but Frome still looked dangerous with a Marcus Mapstone header going just wide from a corner won by Walker in the 81st. A big shout for a penalty was ignored as Kirby seemed to be  flattened in the area.

Worryingly, Frome’s talisman and undoubted playmaker Jon Davies had to be substituted right at the end for what looked like a nasty injury, and Chris Gregan took his place allowing Frome to see out the remaining few minutes and seal the famous victory.

On an afternoon full of candidates, Jordan Walker was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award  and it was a very good return to the action after such a long layoff.

Frome Scorers: Roberts (24), Teale (67). Merthyr Scorers: Compton (63). Crowd: 340. Entertainment Value: 5/5