Match 15. Wantage Town v Merthyr Town

Saturday 8^th November 2014 @3pm

Southern League Division One South & West

WANTAGE TOWN 0-3 MERTHYR TOWN

Alfredian Park, Manor Road (A338), Wantage.

Admission: £8

Programme: £1

Attendance: 124

Refreshments: Strongbow £3.50, Small Hot Dog, £1.50.

The day began with a drive up into London to view the ceramic poppy display around the Tower of London to mark the 100 year anniversary of the outbreak of WW1. The girls then stayed to watch the Lord Mayor show and I drove to Wantage via the diversions through London taking an hour to reach Junction 1 of the M4 but despite this delay and the torrential downpour between Reading and Newbury I arrived at the ground just after 2pm and directed to the car park behind the goal after driving down a narrow track to the ground entrance.  The away team and supporters coaches wisely stayed out on the main road.

After paying the entrance and parked up near the corner flag as the teams were walking to the adjacent field to warm up, probably to preserve the pitch although it held up very well during the match and looks like it drains well. The club building is also behind the goal and is a single storey affair with a flat roof.  The food hatch is incorporated to the left of the building entrance, the toilets are straight ahead and the clubhouse is to the right. Merthyr had brought a coach load of support to boost the crowd to over 100 as Wantage is in quite a remote location.  The substantial cover is along the right hand touchline with 3 step terracing in 2 areas, tip up green seating towards the upper end and 2 rows of bench seating all incorporate under the one roof.  The dugouts are opposite the covered stand.

The home side are in the bottom 3 and without a league win in 2 months whereas Merthyr are on the tailcoat of leaders Stratford Town. Inevitably the visitors applied most of the early pressure and as the second band of rain arrived on the half hour Merthyr took the lead soon after when Ian Traylor stabbed home inside the 6 yard box from a McLaggon cross. Wantage held on to half time but it was more of the same in the second half. Wantage went 2-0 down early in the half when a shot was only parried by the home keeper and Traylor was on hand to get his 2^nd.  Wantage players head were down but not surprising as they lost several players and their Chairman and Manager recently.  Things got worse as the home sides Sam Barder was sent off for his second bad challenge and Traylor got his hat trick 5 minutes before the end when a cross the area pass found him unmarked at the far post.

The away fans think they are in with a good chance of promotion to Step 3 and they looked good albeit against a struggling team. The home committee and volunteers do however make this visitor welcome but the away fans are nice company and like a good chat.