Merthyr Town 2 Redditch United 0

REDDITCH succumbed to a routine defeat at the venue of one of the club’s greatest triumphs.

Back in 2004, the Reds beat Merthyr 3-0 at Penydarren Park to complete a famous double promotion to the newly-formed Conference North.

But the current crop rarely looked like threatening any kind of trip down Memory Lane as the Martyrs, imperious at home all season, played through United with relative ease.

Redditch created a couple of presentable openings but it would be difficult to justify a case for them leaving Wales with any kind of yield.

Boss Darren Byfield, 40, named himself in the starting XI and made a total of four changes. Striker Reece Bennett, plucked from Sikh Hunters, debuted.

Redditch made a rocky start and within 30 seconds, Ian Traylor took a lofted ball in his stride and made Luke O’Reilly push around his far post.

Keyon Reffell then laid off for Elliot Richards to burst through the middle and fire fractionally wide of O’Reilly’s left upright.

Gurjit Singh’s curved ball in for Byfield was cut out by home stopper Oliver Davies but Merthyr soon established a firm grip on proceedings.

Traylor fizzed in low for Corey Jenkins whose far-post blast was turned away from the line by Jordan Jones.

The opening goal arrived on 28 minutes when a corner floated to the edge of the box caught out Redditch and while Richards’s volley looped up in the air, Curtis McDonald overpowered O’Reilly in a goalmouth scramble.

Inspired by Traylor, Merthyr continued to attack with intent but Reds were agonisingly close to levelling on 37 minutes.

Jenkins gave away possession to Bennett who found Singh to beat Oliver Davies only for McDonald to hack off the line.

Normal service was soon resumed as Traylor touched to Reffell whose blast was blocked by Jones and then caught by O’Reilly.

The second duly arrived a minute before the break when Singh crashed into Ashley Evans on the edge of the box and Scott Barrow caressed the free-kick high to O’Reilly’s right.

Redditch began the second half with purpose but other than Byfield’s shot on the swivel from Singh’s chipped pass, openings were few and far between.

Changing to a back three only served to stifle any momentum and Merthyr threatened to run riot by outnumbering Reds in wide areas only to lack a killer touch.

The result marked United’s fourth straight Southern League Premier Division defeat.

Reds: O’Reilly 6, Jones 7, Brown 6, Loveridge 5, Cullinane-Liburd 6, COURTNEY 7*, Angus 5, Bako 5, Bennett 6 (Mitchell, 78), Byfield 6, Singh 5 (Morris, 65, 6). Unused subs: Stephens, Catlow (g/k).

Attendance: 401.