City kept up the happy
knack of winning without hitting top form with another
vital victory. While City still trail Nuneaton by 12
points, that's a huge psychological leap from the 20
points that separated the sides before the Tiger's
current run of just one defeat out of thirteen. Borough
boss Brendan Phillips watching this match must have
realised his table-toppers can't afford to dismiss a
side who can scrap solidly for ninety minutes and seem to
be blessed by the fates.
Merthyr arrived at
Meadow Park on the crest of a slump, dragged down by the
news that their latest financial rescue package has
collapsed. The early exchanges certainly didn't seem to
suggest Gloucester would have too much trouble. Burns and
Hemmings returned to the side and they looked as if they
could tear through a paper thin Merthyr defence at will.
City created chances regularly, but profligate finishing
and a mixture of fortune and reflexes from Neil Thomas
just about kept the Merthyr goal intact. Gary Thorne was
having an excellent game, seeming more and more
comfortable in his new midfield berth. Twice he came near
to breaking the deadlock, once from a close range header
which Thomas kept out with his trailing foot, the second
time stinging the keeper's hands with a rasping drive
after Webb had run down another cul-de-sac on the edge of
the area.
For all the good
chances, City were actually finding Merthyr a handful in
attack. Twice the pace of Chiverton and Griffiths saw
Mountain forced into excellent one on one saves, while
the Martyrs seemed sure to score from a quick break after
Holloway got caught out deep in the opposition half.
Merthyr saw one shot come back off the post, with
Mountain and Kemp also having to block follow-up efforts.
City still looked the more likely to score, with Hemmo
twice through on the wing, but on both occasions his
crosses were too high and deep for a visibly exasperated
Adie Mings. Webb seemed to have tied his boots together,
and too often had to be rescued by Holloway on the right.
One surging Holloway run bought a corner, from which
Niblett headed just over.
An entertaining
game threatened to be spoilt by some crass refereeing
decisions. The ref had obviously decided who the usual
suspects were, and booked Burns and Mings for nothing
tackles, while he booked Hemmings for only slight bodily
contact inside Merthyr's own penalty area. He then
refused Hemmo a definite penalty when he cut in from the
right and was tripped while running across the Merthyr
back four. However it was a free kick that brought the
crucial breakthrough just before half-time. City won a
free kick just outside the area after Burns had been
tripped. Webb rolled the ball to Burns whose swerving
piledriver of a shot sneaked around the wall and left the
Martyr's keeper rooted helplessly to the spot.
Half-time saw a
fired up Merthyr begin to dominate the midfield, but City
grabbed a crucial second. Burns' corner was met at the near post with a header from Hemmo, he was robbed by the
crossbar but Mings was on hand to bundle the ball over
the line in typical fashion. City continued to stretch
Merthyr, who resorted to a risky offside system against
the pace of substitute Smith and Hemmo.
The midfield area
seemed to at times be totally overrun by the Welsh side,
but despite having the most of the ball they only once
broke through, when Williams shot crept past Mountain
on 76 minutes. While City seemed unable to catch breath
long enough to show true quality, they scrapped for
everything and did enough to outwork Merthyr. One outstanding bit of interplay between Burns and Smith saw
the City captain almost grab his second, but once again
the keepers legs kept City out. It just remained for last
gasp substitute Andy Mainwaring to get himself booked
with an over enthusiastic lunge in the opposition area,
but City ran out worthy victors with another precious
three points that will keep Borough looking nervously
over their shoulders.
Mountain
