Match Report: Merthyr Town 2 Yeovil Town 2

Second half goals from summer signings Mason Obeng and a Stephen Walker penalty cancelled out a brace from old boy Sam Pearson to earn Yeovil Town a draw against National League North side Merthyr Town on Tuesday night.

The Glovers were undone by nearly identical goals with two former players, midfielder Jacob Maddox and Pearson, combining to put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time before doubling the advantage on the hour mark.

But, with the visitors’ XI change completely at half-time, fresh legs began to tell in the second half with the impressive Obeng reducing the advantage with a fine finish before trialist Kian Hill, the Bristol Rovers academy player, was brought down inside the box with ten minutes remaining and Walker stepped up to convert from the spot.

The trialists on display in South Wales were three of the four which we saw in the victory at Melksham, namely:

Trialist D – Kian Hill, a product of the Bristol Rovers academy who featured in the second half at the weekend, started at Merthyr and then came on again late in the second half to win the late penalty.

Trialist A – Jonathon Page, the midfielder who had an injury-plagued spell at Huish Park last season, appeared in the second half.

Trialist B – former Arsenal academy defender William Lannin-Sweet who was among the changes at half-time.

There was no place for Trialist C, experienced striker Rhys Healey, who went off with what looked like a knee injury at Melksham and was not risked on an artificial pitch at Penydarren Park. We will see if he re-appears when Cardiff City Under-23s come to Huish Park for the next friendly on Saturday.

First half

On a glorious night in South Wales, Yeovil shuffled the pack from the starting XI which began the 4-1 win at Melksham Town in the opening friendly on Saturday. Defenders Jack Kingdon and Loick Ayina, midfielders Johl Powell and Hayden Muller and striker Slavi Spasov all started alongside Bristol Rovers’ youngster Kian Hill, going under the codename ‘Trialist D’.

There were also plenty of familiar faces in the Merthyr line up with former Glovers Jay Foulston, Sam Pearson and Jacob Maddox all starting for the home side.

The first meaningful opportunity for either side fell to Luke McCormick who tried to catch out the Martyrs’ keeper Jaimie Cogman with a quick direct effort on 20 minutes and Pearson forced Jos Barker in to a save just before the half-hour mark and the winger flashed another effort wide a couple of minutes later.

Hill/Trialist D came off with 32 minutes on the clock, replaced by Ryan Jones and then five minutes later it was McCormick who was replaced by Jonathon Page, aka Trialist A. Zain Westbrooke took the armband and it appears nothing more than protecting the star midfielder who missed a chunk of the end of last season with a groin injury on a very dry artificial surface.

With five minutes of the first half remaining, Kane Simpson hit an effort just wide and moments later Johl Powell burst through and forced a good stop from Cogman. No shortage of chances for both sides here.

But it took until the stroke of half-time for the deadlock to be broken and, no surprise, it was one of the former Glovers. In fact it was two who combined, midfielder Jacob Maddox caught Yeovil in possession on the halfway line and fed a well-timed pass through to Sam PEARSON who finished well for his first Merthyr goal.

Half-time: Merthyr Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

There was another shake-up of the starting XI with only trialist Jonathon Page remaining from the side which ended the first half for the Glovers. One of the new arrivals Mason Obeng showed his intent within five minutes of the restart as he got past the Merthyr defence and curled an effort which Cogman pushed behind for a corner.

Johl Powell went close soon after before Will Spiers caught trialist William Lannin-Sweet napping and his half-volley was tipped over the bar by goalkeeping coach Matt Gould, who was on Jos Barker at the interval.

But, on the hour mark the visitors created an repeat of the goal at the end of the first half to double the advantage. It was from a Yeovil attack and there was a lot of space down the left side for Maddox to feed Sam PEARSON and the Welshman coolly finished past Gould. The goal was against the run of play with Yeovil having started the half the stronger, but perhaps a sign of a defensive unit getting to know each other for the visitors.

Merthyr made a flurry of substitutions just after doubling their advantage making five changes before both Pearson and Maddox departed in separate changes.

With 71 minutes played, Yeovil pulled a goal back. A  great move down the right with Ryan Jones making a beautiful driving run and picking out Mason OBENG who shot first time to put a beautiful curling effort in. Great move, great finish, that was what the visitors have been trying to do all night.

Eight minutes later, the Glovers were awarded a penalty after Kian Hill, who appeared to have snuck back on to the pitch without even the club’s social media noticing (got to love pre-season!), found himself inside the Merthyr area and was brought down inside the box. Stephen WALKER stepped up and fired it straight down the middle with Cogman diving.

The home team had the better of the first half, but the changes in both teams just after the hour mark saw Yeovil make the most of their fresh legs.

Full time: Merthyr Town 2 Yeovil Town 2

Teams:

First half – Yeovil Town:Jos Barker, Jack Kingdon, Loick Ayina, Hayden Muller, Jordan Norville-Williams, Zain Westbrooke, Johl Powell, James Daly, Kian Hill (for Ryan Jones, 32), Luke McCormick (for Jonathon Page, 37), Slavi Spasov.

Second half – Yeovil Town: Matt Gould, Dan Ellison, William Lannin-Sweet, Joe Gubbins, Archie Davies, Brett McGavin, Jonathon Page, Ryan Jones, Johl Powell (for Kian Hill, ??), Mason Obeng, Stephen Walker.

Merthyr Town: Jaimie Cogman, Callum Ryan-Phillips (for Matthew Harris, 62), Jay Foulston, Aneurin Livermore (for Trialist 2, 62), Ben Margetson (for Jay Williams, 62), Jacob Maddox (for Charlie Caswell, 73), Kane Simpson, Sam Pearson (for Trialist 1, 68), Jack Evans, Kian Evans (for Morgan Wigley, 62), Jamie Spiers (for Lee Lucas, 62), .

Scorers: Sam Pearson 45 (0-1), Sam Pearson 60 (0-2), Mason Obeng 71 (1-2), Stephen Walker pen 79 (2-2)