Football: Morris save hits the spot

Oct 4 2007 by David Williams, Merthyr Express

AFC Totton 0 Merthyr Tydfil 0(Merthyr win 4-3 on pens)

MERTHYR Tydfil won their first penalty shoot-out in 20 years to progress through to the next round of the FA Cup, writes DAVID WILLIAMS.

Players, management and a small band of dedicated supporters went wild after Totton’s last kick was saved by Ashley Morris.

Morris’s save with his legs was enough to see the Martyrs past their Wessex Premier League opposition from Hampshire and ensure a home match against Paulton Rovers in the third qualifying round on October 13.

Successful spot-kicks from Jamie Rewbury, Steve Williams, Tariq Khalil and Mike Jones put the pressure on Totton, who hit the crossbar with one before Morris’s heroics put Garry Shephard’s side through.

The shoot-out drama came after 120 minutes of football failed to split the teams.

A small but partisan travelling Merthyr support couldn’t contain themselves at the end as Merthyr, who had thrown away a two-goal lead in the first match, took a step closer to a lucrative first-round tie proper.

Chances came thick and fast in normal time, and Merthyr were unlucky not to take the lead when Craig Steins had a goal disallowed for off-side.

Marcus Griffiths and Andrew Thomas both had excellent chances to break the deadlock with the former just failing to reach a cross and skipper Thomas putting a point-blank header into the hands of the keeper.

But Totton had opportunities too.

Their striker somehow put a header wide when it looked easier to score but the Merthyr defence learned from their mistakes at Penydarren Park and kept dangerous striker Mark Gosney, who netted twice in the first match, quiet this time.

Merthyr will be hopeful of a repeat of their FA Cup run in 2005 when they made it to the first round, losing 2-1 to Walsall.

l Striker Rhys Carpenter has left the club. Garry Shephard agreed to the former Wales Under-21 player’s request to leave.