Tuesday 17 August 2004 - Penydarren Park - kick off 7.45pm Southern League Premier Division

With Steve Tweddle having recovered from the dead leg that forced him from the Banbury game City named an unchanged side for their first away trip of the season. And for the first 15 minutes of the game they had the Welsh side chasing shadows. With Ford and Russell Milton pulling the strings in midfield their passing on the fast Penydarren Park surface was stretching the Martyrs. Tweddle’s low cross was hacked away by York and Milton’s low skidding free-kick had keeper Morris scrambling across his goal to push it to safety. They were unable to maintain this fast start and slowly the home side began to get into the game. The first sign of the threat they possessed came on 17 minutes was when Shephard cut inside Mike Trought before firing a shot that only just cleared the bar. Ten minutes later Merthyr must have thought they’d taken the lead when Keddle met Carter’s firmly struck free-kick with a point-blank header from just eight yards out. It looked a certain goal, but Justin Shuttlewood produced an incredible reaction save to push the ball, one-handed, over the bar. Even after this escape City were struggling to contain their opponents, Shuttlewood’s challenge on Shephard had them appealing in vain for a penalty minutes later, and on 35 minutes they appeared to have handed them the lead. A ball forward looked to be of little danger but a mix-up between Shuttlewood and his defenders saw it drop to Steins. In an attempt to stop the striker getting a shot on the unguarded goal Matt Coupe bundled him over and, this time, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Keddle took the kick but to the relief of the 50+ travelling City fans he blasted it over the bar. This understandably gave City a lift and they saw more possession in the remainder of the half without looking like breaking the deadlock.

The second half began with neither side on top. Twice Jimmy Benefield tried his luck from outside the box without testing Morris. In response Merthyr produced several threatening moves but again Shuttlewood was not called into action. City replaced Tweddle with Reinier Moor on the hour mark but ironically it was a substitution seven minutes later involving two defenders that led to City grabbing the lead. Trought was taken off for Jones and two minutes later he was in the Merthyr box awaiting a corner after Moor’s shot had been deflected behind. Ford’s ball into the box was perfect to draw Morris into coming for it, but it was the head of Jones that got there first to plant it into the roof of the net. This forced Merthyr to lift their game and they threw on former City striker Jason Eaton to play three men up front. With eight minutes remaining this approach came with an inch of paying dividends. Holloway’s cross picked out Carter and his header left Shuttlewood rooted to his spot only for the ball to crash against the inside of the post before being hacked to safety. City responded to Merthyr’s attacking intent by replacing Benefield with debutant Grant Monelle and going to five at the back. This change worked well and it was City who came closest to scoring in the closing minutes as they caught the home side on the break. The best of these chances fell to John Williams but his shot flashed across the face of goal. Having been on the wrong end of late late equalisers against Merthyr in recent seasons City had to remain alert right until the final whistle. This eventually arrived and City could celebrate win number two out of two. Back in 1976 they won their first four games …