British Gas Business Football League Premier Division Saturday 7 April 2007 - Penydarren Park - kick off 3.00pm

Report taken from by Stephen Ware

The comfortable league position in which City started the game seemed to be reflected in their approach to it. There was no urgency to their play and too often long balls were launched hopefully forward only to come straight back, particularly after targetman Edwards was replaced by Paul. Merthyr, by contrast, looked motivated and hungry and, though they lacked quality, won through with greater determination and desire. It was Merthyr who looked more comfortable playing on a sand pit of a pitch and they twice came close to opening the scoring in the first quarter of an hour as Jonathan Kift fired over from a corner and former City striker Tony Bird allowed the ball to bounce under his foot when well placed following a good run from the dangerous Craig Steins. It was no shock that the hosts took the lead in the 17th minute, although the manner in which it arrived was somewhat surprising. The normally rock solid Paul Evans was beaten at his near post direct from a Kift corner as the visiting defence froze. City tried to respond - Rogers and Steve Jones nearly combined, but the latter's shot was blocked while Chris Holland headed into the arms of Ashley Morris. The visitors were dealt another blow on 22 minutes when Edwards was replaced by Paul after aggravating a back complaint. But, as has so often been the case this season, Holland stepped up to the mark with City's attack stretched as his looping header from a McKeever corner brought them level on 33 minutes. Steve Jones was lucky to escape without punishment six minutes later when he tumbled theatrically in the penalty area under the challenge of Steins, who was then booked after a confrontation between the pair. Merthyr then had a penalty appeal of their own rejected after Bird's cross appeared to strike Holland's arm. Awarding a spot kick then would have been harsh on City, but, two minutes before the interval, the hosts could count themselves unlucky after having a stone wall penalty denied when Steins was bundled over in the box by Coupe and Holland.

City should have taken the lead on the hour when Paul dubiously beat the offside trap before slicing wide of the near post. Earlier, the forward was lucky to escape with just a booking after kicking out at Darren Davies after the Merthyr man seemed to elbow him, for which he also saw yellow. Kift was close to restoring the hosts' advantage on 64 minutes as he ghosted in behind the City defence only to volley over. But man-of-the-match Kift made no mistake six minutes later as he doubled his tally, nodding in superbly from distance following a Davies cross. With City apparently unable to get to grips with the game, it was Merthyr who looked most likely to score another and Neil Smothers nearly added to the hosts' tally when he pulled a shot wide with seven minutes remaining. Against the run of play, Relish's charges had two late chances to win it. First McKeever nearly grabbed an equaliser in the 85th minute when substitute Prosser cut inside his man and sent over an inch-perfect cross that the wide man fired into the side netting, injuring himself in the process. And on the stroke of full- time, another replacement, Davidge, squandered City's last opportunity of a point when he snatched at a shot after drifting beyond central defender Craig Lima.