EvoStik Southern League Premier Division
Top five only
P GD Pts
1 Leamington 28 +31 58
2 Hitchin Town 29 +23 58
3 Chippenham Town 28 +22 54
4 Merthyr Town 28 +31 52
5 Slough Town 26 +18 52
Merthyr Town host a top of the table EvoStik Southern League clash at their Penydarren Park home ground on Saturday (3pm).
Hitchin Town, who lie second behind leading Leamington on goal difference, are the visitors to take on the fourth-placed Martyrs.
The visitors could go top if Leamington fail to beat St Ives Town at home, but Merthyr are intent on extending their unbeaten Premier Division home record.
They are six points behind Hitchin with a game in hand and will be looking to close the gap.
Hitchin are currently on a run of four successive wins in the league and last Tuesday beat National League South side St Albans City on penalties after a 2-2 draw in a Hertfordshire Senior Cup tie.
In the league, they had a 1-0 victory at home to Stratford Town with top scorer Robbie Burns on target, while their last away game saw a 3-1 win at Biggleswade Town on New Year’s Day.
Hitchin also have the distinction of having inflicted Leamington’s only home defeat so far this season, winning 2-1 at the beginning of December.
The Canaries carry plenty of goal threat, with only three teams, including Merthyr, having scored more than their current total of 49, but they have by far the worst defensive record of the top five clubs with 37 goals conceded.
Leading scorer for Hitchin is former Tranmere Rovers player Robbie Burns, aged 26, who has 14 in all competitions.
Midfield player Matt Lench is second highest scorer with nine, backed up by experienced striker Brett Donnelly and left-back Ben Walster with eight each. Half of Walster’s total are from penalties.
Merthyr’s visit to Hitchin towards the end of September saw Robbie Burns equalise Curtis McDonald’s only goal for the club so far, with the resulting 1-1 scoreline being the second of three successive away draws.
Last season’s Penydarren Park clash with the Canaries came at the end of August 2015 when a 5-1 victory for Merthyr saw them rise to fourth place in the early-season league table. Despite this defeat, Hitchin went on to finish third, but were beaten 3-2 at home in the play-off semi-final by fourth-placed and eventual promotion winners Hungerford Town.
Defender Curtis McDonald returns for Merthyr following the completion of his two-match suspension, while Ian Traylor, Gethin Jones and goalkeeper Glyn Garner are ruled out.
Goals ace Traylor is unavailable, whole Jones and Garner have been allowed to join Cirencester Town on loan.
Both players have been Merthyr substitutes in recent games and wanted first team football. Manager Gavin Williams agreed to the loan deals while being able to recall both players.
David Spear Commercials of Tredegar and their general manager Geraint Yeo sponsor both the match and ball for this game, Geraint’s son is a match mascots.
Merthyr Town’s home match against Redditch United, which was postponed at the end of 2016 because of a frozen pitch, has been rearranged for Tuesday, January 31 (7.45pm).