A look back at Tuesday night’s win…
By Matty Paddock - 22/10/2025
Posted 1 week ago
HARRIERS delivered a magnificent all-round performance to seal a 1-0 victory at Merthyr Town on Tuesday night
Adam Murray’s side set the tone early. On four minutes, Joe Foulkes’ free-kick fell kindly for Dan Mooney, whose looping strike dropped just over the bar.
Harriers’ attacking intent was clear, and moments later on 19 minutes, Tobi Sho-Silva met a delivery into the box only for goalkeeper Jaimie Cogman to hold. The visitors recycled possession quickly, Owen Evans then forcing the keeper into another fine stop after Harriers pressed high to win the ball back.
At 22 minutes, play swung end to end: Ricardo Rees raced clear for the hosts, but Christian Dibble made a vital stop with his legs to keep it goalless. Three minutes later, Mooney found David Davis inside the area, the midfielder’s drive pushed away by Cogman before Reynolds saw an effort blocked and Willoughby dragged a shot wide of the far post.
The Reds came even closer on 29 minutes as Willoughby’s long throw caused chaos – the flick-on at the near post hit the underside of the bar before being cleared, and from the next phase Mooney broke through one-on-one, Cogman again producing a crucial save.
The home side were hanging on, the half closing with Mooney’s angled effort parried in stoppage time and Reynolds denied from distance as Harriers continued to dominate.
After the restart, Merthyr tried to respond, but Dibble was equal to Twamley’s shot on 47 minutes before Mooney fired over from a loose ball on 55. Two minutes later, Dibble produced another superb low save to turn Smalley’s shot wide.
Harriers kept probing. On 65 minutes, substitute Zanda Siziba pounced on a loose ball and slipped Sho-Silva through, Cogman again standing tall to hold.
Three minutes later, Mooney surged forward and unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards that smashed off the upright, rebounded off the keeper and somehow stayed out – a moment that summed up the night’s drama.
Finally, the breakthrough came on 79 minutes. Emeka Obi was pulled down in the box and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Substitute Amari Morgan-Smith stepped up and smashed the penalty home, Cogman getting a hand to it but unable to keep it out.
The hosts threw everything forward late on, even sending their goalkeeper up for corners, but Dibble stood firm in stoppage time with two outstanding saves – tipping over one drive before repeating the trick seconds later to secure the win.
On a night Harriers didn’t have it all their own way – Jordan Tunnicliffe and David Davis lost to injury – but the performance was matched by the deserved reward of three points.
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