Match Report: Merthyr Town 3-1 South Shields

South Shields lost 3-1 against Merthyr Town in their longest trip of the Enterprise National League North season on Tuesday night.

The team made a round trip of more than 600 miles but they were unable to deliver under the lights in South Wales against an increasingly hot Martyrs outfit, who have now won five on the spin.

Cawley Cox and Ricardo Rees, from the spot, had given the hosts a 2-0 lead before Luke Woolston brought one back shortly before half-time.

Cole Jarvis inflicted the final blow, with the last kick of the game, to finish things off.

That result means that Shields remain two points off leaders AFC Fylde, with one game in hand.

Caden Kelly kicked things off from a Shields viewpoint with a heavy cross in the fourth minute which sailed over the crossbar.

A crunching tackle from Aneurin Livermore followed less than a minute later to glowing praise from Merthyr followers.

Dan Ward then tried to launch a delivery across the goalmouth, but his effort was deflected out for a corner.

Shields continued to control possession as they aimed to create some more chances at goal - a lovely sequence resulted in Kelly trying to shoot from just outside the box.

However, a confident stop and a touch on the ball was enough to get rid of the potential danger.

Paul Blackett aimed to find the net, as he rushed through at goal in the 20th minute, but his audacious attempt was stopped in its tracks by Jaimie Cogman.

Only three minutes later, Merthyr took the lead, after a looping ball over new arrival Tom Watson crashed off the post and reached Cox, who pinged it into an empty net.

While both teams had their fair share of chances after the first goal, the hosts were the ones to make the most of it after they were awarded a penalty.

Rees, who scored his 18th goal of the season, duly took care of the spot-kick and extended the Martyrs' lead.

Woolston did well to net his second goal of the campaign from range, which gave the travelling support something to celebrate ahead of the interval.

The tale of the second-half felt familiar in that the Mariners, while they pushed for what would have been a well-deserved equaliser, found themselves coming up short in the end.

Both keepers, Cogman and Watson, were called into action at times and they made some excellent point-blank saves.

Cedwyn Scott was unlucky not to score when he was one-on-one in the 60th minute; the Australian shot-stopper reacted perfectly to deny the North East local yet another goal in claret and blue.

Against the run of play, and in the final minute of stoppage time, Jarvis scored the Martyrs' third of the evening to jubilant scenes across much of Penydarren Park.

Although Shields went away empty-handed, the team's longest trip remained memorable for everybody involved.

The Mariners are next in action this Saturday when they host Dunston UTS in the Isuzu FA Trophy at 1st Cloud Arena.

Merthyr Town: Cogman, Ryan-Phillips, Handley, Livermore (Lucas 64’), Jarvis, Rees (Williams 90+2’), Twamley (Smalley 80’), J. Evans, Smerdon, M. Harris, Cox (Lewis 80’).

Unused substitutes: A. Harris, Sambu.

Goals: Cox (23’), Rees (40’), Jarvis (90+8’).

South Shields: Watson, Tinkler (Morse 80’), Bainbridge, Blackett (Wheeldon 80’), Jenkins (Carson 72’), Ward, Mann, Scott, Kelly (McGurk 54’), Woolston, Dodds (Sykes 89’).

Unused substitutes: Alcock, Savage.

Goals: Woolston (45’).

Attendance: 1,101.