Merthyr Town 1, Weston-super-Mare 1
Manager Scott Bartlett was adamant his Weston-super-Mare team should have beaten Merthyr Town at the MetCoaches Stadium.
The former Salisbury City and Forest Green Rovers defender, aged 40, insisted Weston should have been awarded a first half penalty when the score was 0-0.
Isaac Pearce was fouled and referee Daniel Flynn awarded a free-kick, but the view of Bartlett and his players was that the foul was inside the penalty area.
Ian Traylor fired the Martyrs ahead after 71 minutes, while left-back Scott Laid, a former Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End player, equalised from a penalty six minutes into second half injury time.
Laird’s strike was a devastating blow for Merthyr manager Gavin Williams and his team, who now turn to their BetVictor Southern League match against Gosport Borough at home (3pm).
A video of @lairdy03’s equaliser on the live blog.https://t.co/V9ss6Qfh5n
— Sam Frost (@frosty920) August 13, 2019
This was the second successive match in which Weston scored a last gasp goal to snatch a draw, having denied Hendon victory last weekend when Ben Whitehead netted.
Weston started the game brightly and created two chances for Whitehead in the opening 20 minutes.
First he ran onto Nick McCootie’s flick-on, but shot wide, and soon after he fired against a post.
Merthyr punished Weston with 19 minutes left when Greg Tindle failed to clear a home attack and Traylor ran through on goal before finishing in clinical style past ‘keeper Luke Purnell.
Weston almost equalised when a curling effort was brilliantly saved by Martyrs’ goalkeeper Alex Harris in the 78th minute.
Tindle made up for his defensive lapse by winning an injury time spot-kick when his left-footed strike on the turn struck the arm of challenging Merthyr captain Ashley Evans.
Referee Flynn pointed to the spot and Laird sent Harris the wrong way to score Weston’s equaliser.
Merthyr Town: Alex Harris, Adam Davies, Rhys Davies, Kyle Patten, Jarrad Wright, Ashley Evans (capt), Jamie Veale, Lee Lucas, Owain Jones (Corey Jenkins 88), Ben Swallow (Tom Meecham 78), Ian Traylor. Subs not used: Cameron Clarke (gk), Kerry Morgan.
Weston-super-Mare: Luke Purnell, Connor Davies (Jake Mawford 51), Scott Laird, Aaron Parsons, Greg Tindle, Alex Byrne, Joel Randall, Samuel Hendy (Jarrad Welch 51), Nick McCootie, Ben Whitehead, Isaac Pearce (Thomas Llewellyn). Subs not used: Niall Maher, Jay Malshankskyj.
Referee: Daniel Flynn.
Attendance: 492
Liam Drury spoke to manager Scott Bartlett after our 1-1 draw with Merthyr Town ⚽️#SeagullsMedia pic.twitter.com/IhAoebbbMd
— Weston-super-Mare AFC (@WSM_AFCOfficial) August 13, 2019
Merthyr Town FC’s full 2019/20 BetVictor Southern League Premier South fixture list:
AUGUST
Sat 10 – Harrow Borough 1, Merthyr Town 0
Tue 13 – Merthyr Town 1, Weston-super-Mare 1
Sat 17 – Gosport Borough (H)
Sat 24 – Farnborough (A)
Mon 26 – Swindon Supermarine (H)
Sat 31 – Metropolitan Police (A)
SEPTEMBER
Wed 4 – Southern Football League Cup preliminary round
Sat 7 – Emirates FA Cup Qualifying Round 1
Sat 14 – Chesham United (H)
Wed 18 – Tiverton Town (A)
Sat 21- Emirates FA Cup Qualifying round two
Sat 28 – Walton Casuals (A)
OCTOBER
Wed 2 – Southern Football League Cup round one
Sat 5 – Wimborne Town (H)
Sat 12 – Blackfield & Langley (H)
Tue 15 – Dorchester Town A
Sat 19 – Beaconsfield Town (A)
Tue 22 – Salisbury (H)
Sat 26 – Buildbase FA Trophy Qualifying round one
NOVEMBER
Sat 2 – Truro City (A)
Wed 6 – Southern Football League Cup round two
Sat 9 – Taunton Town (H)
Sat 16 – Poole Town (A)
Sat 23 – Hayes & Yeading United (H)
Sat 30 – Hartley Wintney (H)
DECEMBER
Wed 4 – Southern Football League Cup Round 3
Sat 7 – Hendon A
Sat 14 – Walton Casuals (H)
Sat 21 – Wimborne Town (A)
Thu 26 – Yate Town (H)
JANUARY
Wed 1 – Swindon Supermarine (A)
Sat 4 – Harrow Borough (H)
Wed 8 – Southern Football League Cup Round 4
Sat 11 – Weston-Super-Mare A
Sat 18 – Farnborough (H)
Sat 25 – Gosport Borough (A)
FEBRUARY
Sat 1 – Metropolitan Police (H)
Sat 8 – Chesham United (A)
Sat 15 – Dorchester Town (H)
Wed 19 – League Cup Semi-Finals
Sat 22 – Blackfield & Langley (A)
Sat 29 – Beaconsfield Town (H)
MARCH
Wed 4 – Emirates FA Cup 5
Sat 7 – Salisbury (A)
Sat 14 – Taunton Town (A)
Sat 21 – Truro City (H)
Wed 25 League Cup Final 1st Leg
Sat 28 Hayes & Yeading United A
APRIL
Wed 1 – League Cup Final 2nd Leg
Sat 4 – Poole Town (H)
Sat 11 – Tiverton Town (H)
Mon 13 – Yate Town (A)
Sat 18 – Hartley Wintney (A)
Sat 25 – Hendon (H)