Neyland 1

Merlins Bridge 4

MATTHEW D’Ivry scored a well-taken brace to secure Merlins Bridge a comfortable win at Neyland in atrocious weather.

Gale force winds and persistent rain was the order of the day, but it was the Wizards who mastered the conditions better than the Nomads.

The visitors deservedly led three-nil at half time, and the Nomads struggled to contain the visitors who showed some neat touches against the strong elements.

D’Ivry opened the scoring with barely ten minutes on the clock, the wide-sided midfielder scoring with a simple side-foot effort from a corner.

Five minutes later and striker Nathan Greene broke clear and slotted past Nomads’ keeper Patrick Hannon and deadly Stephen McNabney pounced for the Wizards’ third goal.

The hosts were given a life line when Patrrick Bellerby pulled a goal back for the Nomads shortly after the interval, but the visitors added a fourth through D’Ivry to secure his side’s eighth win of the season as they sit third in the table and Neyland are ninth going into the the festive two-week break.

Neyland: Patrick Hannon, Jarrod Campbell, Joe Craxford, Andrew Kemp, Nicholas Koomen, Henry Durrant, Paul Hannon, Patrick Bellerby, Mike Chandler. Subs: Niall Day, Jack Button, Craig Power.

Merlins Bridge: Dan Birch, Paul Thomas, Lee Hudgell, Nathan Thomas, Dave Rees, Matthew D’Ivry, David Davies, Peter Thomas, Simon Thomas, Nathan Greene, Stephen McNabney. Subs: Jon Sable, Neal Jones.

Referee: Huw George.