Tuesday 17 January 2006 - Penydarren Park - kick off 7.45pm

Southern League Premier Division
half-time: 0-0 result: D0-0 attendance: 467
team: Evans, Rollo (c), S Jones, Coupe, G Jones, Harris, Bird, Clarke, Walsh (Davidge 78), Partridge, Sandell (Sykes 45). subs not used: York, Power, Holloway.
man of the match: Paul Evans
scorers: none
bookings: Clarke (71)
officials: P Keane (West Midlands), J Law (worcester), J Mayhew (Dudley)
league position: 5th form: LLWDWd next match: Gloucester (A)
Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

It wasn't pretty, but City clawed their way into the Southern Premier Division play-off zone with a hard-fought point against promotion rivals Merthyr. John Relish's self-styled dogs of war scrapped, fought and battled for every ball and were well worth their draw despite a full-blooded display from the Welsh outfit. In truth, there were few shining moments in a game dominated by passion over skill and both sides seemed more eager to avoid defeat rather than go for the win. No fewer than five of John Relish's first team had featured for Merthyr in the past and it was former Martyrs Adie Harris and Dean Clarke who proved the visitors' most important players on the night. The midfield enforcers stamped their authority on a game that City would have been overwhelmed in earlier in the season and, with both sets of players so familiar with each other, a draw was always the most likely outcome.

The home side created a succession of chances in the opening exchanges and only some fine saves by Paul Evans kept City in it. Colin Loss and Craig Moses had already stung the shot-stopper's hands when a Loss free-kick was tipped wide just as it looked to be creeping in at the far post. To their credit, City defended well and did just enough to weather the early storm. They saw more of the ball as the half wore on and finally created some chances of their own around the half-hour mark. Paul Keddle made a brave block to stop Tony Bird's goal-bound half-volley and a few minutes later Bird was left with almost an open goal from 25 yards after a woeful clearance left Merthyr keeper Lee Worgan hopelessly out of position. The City striker's first touch was poor, though, and by the time he got the ball under control, his well-placed effort was easily stopped on the line by the last man. Scott Partridge fired a shot wide from the edge of the box as the half drew to a close and Merthyr would have been the happier of the two sides to hear the referee's whistle for half-time.

Merthyr started the second-half well and Moses came close to breaking the deadlock just after the restart with a flashed shot across goal that skimmed Evans' far post. After Merthyr's initial surge the game became scrappy and City fought their way back on top. Alex Sykes smashed a shot high and wide from a Bird cross on 51 minutes and Partridge fired over from ten yards when Sykes and Bird were clean through to his left. Both sides carved out regular openings for the rest of the game but rarely looked like scoring. Bird created the best chance after challenging for a nothing ball on the line and somehow managing to keep it in. His cross-shot from a tight angle somehow squirmed past the keeper before going out for a corner. At the other end, a perfectly-timed last-ditch tackle from Jim Rollo stopped Moses from going clean through with ten minutes to go. Both sides seemed happy with a point after that and the game ended honours even.