Garden Village made it four-matches unbeaten on Saturday with a 2-0 success at Merthyr Saints’ ICI Pavilion ground in Pant. Ashley Richards was the visitors’ hero on the day with the former Skewen front-man scoring both goals to take his tally to eight for the season.

Craig Blake only lasted 8 minutes on the pitch after coming on as a substitute before being sent off for an off the ball incident.

Two changes were made to the starting line-up that featured against Abertillery Excelsiors two weeks earlier; David Rimmer replaced David Evans in defence and Dayle Selvage stood in for the injured Derrick Jenkins.

The home side, who have been in good form of late, came close with a shot just over the top on 8 minutes and Marc Lloyd forced the ‘keeper into making a save soon afterwards. Paul Bromage shot wide and Ashley Richards came close in quick succession, but stand-in striker Lloyd had a glorious chance to score on 26 minutes. Ashley Richards’ pin-point ball over the top of the defence put Lloyd one-on-one with the goalkeeper but he failed to connect with the ball properly and it bobbled wide.

Village’s pressure finally paid off on the half hour; Marc Lloyd’s high ball into the box was headed back by Ashley Richards to Steven Evans who was fouled just inside the area. Richards stepped-up to coolly convert Garden Village’s first spot-kick of the season, and that is how it remained until the break.

:Half-Time:
Merthyr Saints 0 – 1 Garden Village

Just like at the start of the match, Paul Bromage came close with a shot that flew just wide of the target in the opening minute. Simon Cole, who was only starting his second first-team match for the club, had next to nothing to do during the first-half but on 56 minutes was called into action to make a great save from close-range.

Ashley Richards claimed his second of the afternoon three minutes later courtesy of a defensive error. The lanky front-man took advantage of the defender’s blunder and slotted the ball through the legs of the ‘keeper.

Craig Blake was introduced as a substitute on 66 minutes in replace of Dayle Selvage, who had picked up an injury, but on 74 minutes one of the referee’s assistant flagged to attract the attention of the man in the middle. The crowd were curious as to why the assistant had flagged and, after the referee had consulted with him, produced a red card to Blake as he allegedly kicked-out at a Saints’ defender off the ball.

Play resumed and the home side started to string a few attacks together but they were to be squandered. Impressive young wing-back Jack Jenkins drilled a free-kick straight at the goalkeeper on 78 minutes and Marc Lloyd struck a similar set-piece four minutes later.

The match finished 2-0 in favour of the visitors to extend their unbeaten run to four games, Village’s best run of form since going unbeaten for seven matches between November last year and January. Could we be in for a repeat of that?