Manager Gavin Williams and his Merthyr Town team are having a tough time, but their spirit cannot be faulted.

The financial crisis which hit the club earlier this season was a massive blow and the club were forced to change their aims.

Any thoughts of finishing in the play-off places were scrapped, while Williams and his players are intent on ensuring Merthyr stay in the Southern League Premier Division.

They lost 3-0 at home against promotion chasing Weymouth at the Loadlok Community Stadium in their latest match, but it was closer than the score suggests.

Merthyr were well organised and prepared to battle, but goals from Harry Baker (34 mins), Josh Carmichael (65) and Brandon Goodship, with the 25th league goal of the season after 83 minutes, earned Weymouth victory.

The Terras deserved their win, but after more than an hour there was only one goal in it and Merthyr’s Ian Traylor hit a post.

“Full credit to a good Merthyr Town team,” said Weymouth manager Mark Molesley. “They gave us plenty to think about and were a threat.

“We were never comfortable in the game. Merthyr proved an attacking threat and have lively players, but we took our chances when we needed to and defended resolutely.”

This was Weymouth’s third victory in a week and it lifted them to second place in the table, just behind leaders Kings Lynn.

Merthyr went into the match lying 18th in the table, 15 places behind their visitors.

But in an even first 10 minutes neither side could obtain an advantage on a 3G pitch that was untouched by the recent bad weather.

Merthyr created a good chance when Traylor’s cross was headed over by Ashley Evans, while Goodship was denied when his fierce shot was blocked by Kyle Patten.

The Martyrs carved out another chance when Adam Davies forced a save from the Weymouth goalkeeper.

Manager Williams takes his team to play bottom of the table Gosport Borough next Saturday. Only one club will be relegated from the Premier Division and the Martyrs are 26 points ahead of the Hampshire club.

The next home match for the Martyrs is against third from bottom St Ives Town on Saturday, February 17.

Normal admission at the Loadlok Community Stadium: Adult £10; Concessions £8 (Over 65’s, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County season ticket holders); Merthyr RFC season ticket holders £5; Under 16 £1.

Merthyr Town: O Davies, Tancock, Harris, Patten, A Davies, Bowen, Evans, Franklin, Jenkins, Prosser, Traylor. Subs: John, Hanford, Price, Morgan.

Weymouth: Dennis, Wells, Buckley, Zubar, McCarthy, Carmichael, Davis (Wakefield 71), Baggie, Baker, Goodship (Rodriguez 89), Brooks. Subs not used: G.Stewart, Sa, Molesley

Attendance: 367.

EvoStik Southern League Premier Division

All teams play 46 matches

#	Team	Pl	HW	HD	HL	AW	AD	AL	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	King’s Lynn Town	32	12	3	1	9	3	4	21	6	5	69	28	41	69
2	Weymouth	33	10	3	3	10	3	4	20	6	7	72	38	34	66
3	Hereford	28	10	1	2	10	4	1	20	5	3	72	26	46	65
4	Kettering Town	31	12	2	1	7	5	4	19	7	5	73	37	36	64
5	Chesham United	32	8	4	4	7	4	5	15	8	9	67	41	26	53
6	Tiverton Town	31	11	1	3	6	1	9	17	2	12	50	48	2	53
7	Royston Town	29	11	1	4	5	3	5	16	4	9	54	40	14	52
8	Slough Town	25	10	3	2	5	3	2	15	6	4	65	32	33	51
9	Frome Town	30	6	3	6	9	2	4	15	5	10	62	53	9	50
10	Banbury United	32	5	4	7	9	3	4	14	7	11	67	45	22	49
11	St Neots Town	32	7	4	6	5	7	3	12	11	9	58	58	0	47
12	Hitchin Town	30	8	3	3	5	3	8	13	6	11	48	45	3	45
13	Basingstoke Town	30	9	3	2	3	2	11	12	5	13	65	48	17	41
14	Biggleswade Town	31	6	5	4	5	2	9	11	7	13	36	37	-1	40
15	Redditch United	31	7	7	2	3	2	10	10	9	12	53	47	6	39
16	Stratford Town	31	6	6	4	4	3	8	10	9	12	46	51	-5	39
17	Farnborough	33	7	2	8	4	3	9	11	5	17	60	82	-22	38
18	Dorchester Town	33	9	1	7	1	6	9	10	7	16	50	65	-15	37
19	Bishop’s Stortford	31	5	3	8	4	4	7	9	7	15	47	55	-8	34
20	Merthyr Town	32	5	5	6	3	5	8	8	10	14	51	70	-19	34
21	Kings Langley	33	3	7	6	2	4	11	5	11	17	42	70	-28	26
22	St Ives Town	31	2	4	8	4	2	11	6	6	19	39	71	-32	24
23	Dunstable Town	32	2	1	13	1	2	13	3	3	26	19	101	-82	12
24	Gosport Borough	29	1	1	12	1	1	13	2	2	25	18	95	-77	8