Merthyr Town are hurting as they prepare to play promotion-chasing Poole Town at their Tatnam Stadium in Dorset on Saturday.

The Martyrs suffered a heartbreaking midweek defeat after a series of setbacks led to a seven-goal hammering at home.

Defender Matthew Harris went off before the half hour mark, while teenage outfield player Cavan Williams, a Wales Schools under-18 international, took over from Lewis Webb in goal at half-time.

Substitute Prosser, who went on for Harris, was then injured and went off after 80 minutes, leaving the Martyrs with 10 players as they slid to a 7-1 defeat.

We have been advised by Poole Town that the decision to segregate at tomorrow’s game has been overturned, which is good news for everyone. More here……. pic.twitter.com/qrVVXVrMVk

— The Martyrs (@MerthyrTownFC) March 15, 2019

It was an evenly contested match for more than an hour and with 65 minutes gone Dorchester Town were only 2-1 ahead and Jamie Veale had a glorious chance for an equaliser only to shoot wide.

Antonio Diaz netted Dorchester’s third goal a minute later before four goals in the last 10 minutes left Merthyr down and out.

Now the Martyrs are planning a big reaction when they take on Poole away.

Antonio Diaz and Noah Keats hit two goals apiece with Luke Winsper, Tom Blair and Ben Seymour, with his18th of the season, netting one each.

There were almost 300 spectators at the MetCoaches Stadium in Merthyr Tydfil on a night when little went right for the home team. Even their consolation effort was an own goal by Samuel Jackson.

Dorchester manager Callum Brooks recorded his first Evo-Stik Southern Premier South win since joining the club and even their official club match report described the result as ‘scarcely believable’

It has been a difficult season for Merthyr Town, but they are still in the top half of the table. The Martyrs are ninth, eight points away from the final play-off place – occupied by Poole – with nine games left.

Merthyr Town: Lewis Webb (Cavan Williams 46), Jay Foulston, Jarrad Wright, Matthew Harris (Ryan Prosser 28), Adam Davies, Jamie Veale, Lee Lucas, Kieran Lewis (Tom Meechan 75), Ben Swallow, Owain Jones, Ian Traylor. Subs not used: Craig Reddy, Kerry Morgan.

Magpies: Hutchings, Egan, Jackson, Carmichael, Rose (Walker 60), Kite (Panesar-Dower 85), Winsper (Keats 30), Lowes, Seymour, Diaz, Blair. Subs not used: Rodriguez, Latham.

Attendance: 294

Merthyr Town have nine League fixtures left, five of those at home.

Updated: Remaining Merthyr Town FC fixtures

March

Saturday 16 v Poole Town A (3pm)

Tuesday 19 v Beaconsfield Town A (7.45pm)

Saturday 23 v Staines Town H (3pm)

Saturday 30 v Metropolitan Police A (3pm)

April 

Saturday 6 Hartley Wintney H (3pm)

Saturday 13 v Gosport Borough A (3pm)

Saturday 20 v Farnborough H (3pm)

Monday 22 v Taunton Town A (3pm)

Saturday 27 v Walton Casuals H (3pm)
LEAGUE TABLE: EVO-STIK LEAGUE SOUTH PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH – 2018/2019

	Club	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	-Pts	Pts
	Weymouth	33	20	8	5	78	47	31	–	68
	Taunton Town	34	20	7	7	76	45	31	–	67
	Salisbury	34	19	9	6	81	54	27	–	66
	Metropolitan Police	33	18	10	5	79	52	27	–	64
	Poole Town	34	15	9	10	66	50	16	–	54
	Kings Langley	33	16	6	11	55	53	2	–	54
	Harrow Borough	34	15	8	11	79	66	13	–	53
	Farnborough	34	13	7	14	59	62	-3	–	46
	Merthyr Town	33	13	7	13	50	54	-4	–	46
	Chesham United	33	12	10	11	39	49	-10	–	46
	Swindon Supermarine	34	12	9	13	59	52	7	–	45
	Hartley Wintney	33	11	11	11	67	62	5	–	44
	Wimborne Town	34	13	5	16	67	67	0	–	44
	Tiverton Town	33	11	9	13	53	56	-3	–	42
	Dorchester Town	34	11	9	14	51	61	-10	–	42
	Basingstoke Town	34	12	5	17	63	63	0	–	41
	Beaconsfield Town	32	10	11	11	52	52	0	–	41
	Walton Casuals	34	11	8	15	56	65	-9	–	41
	Hendon	34	11	8	15	52	62	-10	–	41
	Gosport Borough	34	12	3	19	50	60	-10	–	39
	Frome Town	33	9	3	21	37	58	-21	–	30
	Staines Town	34	4	–	30	36	115	-79	–	12