AFC Totton
VENUE:
Penydarren Park, Park Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales CF47 8RF
THE STAGS WILL UNDERTAKE A TUESDAY NIGHT MISSION to Merthyr for a top-of-the-table clash with The Martyrs at Penydarren Park.
AFC Totton lost 2-3 at Walton & Hersham last time out. Despite Jimmy Ball’s men drawing level in the 92nd minute, the home side went on to score a 95th-minute winner. The Stags had taken the lead through Tony Lee on 51 minutes but found themselves behind by the time Scott Rendell found the net two minutes into stoppage time.
Merthyr Town's Penydarren Park in South Wales.
MERTHYR TOWN – THEIR SEASON SO FAR:
The Martyrs are currently top of the Southern League Premier Division South, with 56 points from 24 games played. After missing out on last year’s Promotion Play-Offs on the final game of the season, they’re on course to put that right this time around – if not go even better by winning the title and automatic promotion.
They put their stamp of authority on the league early on with an opening day thrashing of Tiverton Town, winning 6-0 at Penydarren Park, before making it two-out-of-two with a 2-0 success at Frome Town. A 2-5 home defeat at Walton & Hersham brought them back down to earth, and although they then beat Hanwell Town 2-1, they subsequently lost by the same score at Gloucester City – leaving them on nine points from a possible 15 from their first five league fixtures.
Cribbs FC were despatched from First Round Qualifying for the Emirates FA Cup, before handsome league wins over Sholing and Swindon Supermarine. Merthyr’s participation in the FA Cup was ended by Bath City of the National League South, but they took seven points from the next available nine, starting with a goalless draw with Gosport Borough and wins against Winchester City and Wimborne Town – The Magpies becoming the second team to be hit for six without reply by the free-scoring Welsh outfit.
Then came the Isuzu FA Trophy Third Round Qualifying tie against AFC Totton at the Snows Stadium on Saturday 05 October, which saw The Stags win 1-0 via a Charie Austin goal despite going down to 10-men.
Merthyr went unbeaten in their next five league games – winning four and sharing two goals apiece at Dorchester Town – before another six-match winning streak saw off the football “Towns” of Chertsey, Bracknell, Taunton, Poole and Hungerford, all away from home, and a 5-2 home win over Walton & Hersham avenged that early-season reverse against The Swans by the same score.
Three consecutive draws in 2025 – at home to Gloucester City, away to Tiverton and at home to Dorchester this past weekend – leave The Martyrs top of the pile with an unbeaten run now stretching to 19 games. But they will still be looking nervously over their shoulder at AFC Totton who sit nine points behind in second place with three games in-hand, and Tuesday night’s showdown in South Wales being the first league meeting between these two sides in 2024/25 following the Storm Darragh enforced postponement of the original fixture in November.
While The Stags boast the most frugal defence in the division, The Martyrs have demonstrated plenty of firepower by amassing 71 goals in 24 games (2.96 goals per game). Striker Ricardo Rees is the division’s top scorer with 23 league goals to his name so far, with the former Newport County winger Lewys Twamley contributing 15 and Roy Simpson weighing in with 14 goals.
MERTHYR TOWN – LAST FIVE:
Hungerford Town (Away) | SLPDS | Won 3-1
Walton & Hersham (Home) | SLPDS | Won 5-2
Gloucester City (Home) | SLPDS | Drew 2-2
Tiverton Town (Away) | SLPDS | Drew 1-1
Dorchester Town (Home) | SLPDS | Drew 0-0
AFC TOTTON – LAST FIVE:
Tiverton Town (Away) | SLPDS | Won 1-0
Sholing (Home) | SLPDS | Won 2-1
Winchester City (Away) | SLPDS | Won 4-1
Poole Town (Home) | SLPDS | Drew 2-2
Walton & Hersham (Away) | SLPDS | Lost 2-3
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
There have been eight previous meetings between The Stags and The Martyrs, dating back to October 2012. Totton have won six of those eight games, with Merthyr winning the other two. Jimmy Ball’s team come into this game having won each of their last five games against Merthyr, including last season’s 3-1 victory at Penydarren Park in November 2023 courtesy of two goals from debutant Joe Turner and a late Scott Rendell penalty.
STAGS RADIO:
If you can’t make the long trip to South Wales on Tuesday, then you can listen to our LIVE commentary courtesy of Josh Cole and Benjy Rees on our official X account. The pre-match build up will begin from 7:30pm with the space going live at 7:15pm.
By Joshua Cole
Image courtesy of Adi Rose
