EvoStik Southern League
Premier Division
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Adj |
| 1. | Leamington | 27 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 47 | 16 | 31 | 57 | 0 |
| 2. | Hitchin Town | 28 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 48 | 26 | 22 | 55 | 0 |
| 3. | Slough Town | 25 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 46 | 26 | 20 | 52 | 0 |
| 4. | Chippenham Town | 26 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 56 | 36 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 5. | Merthyr Town | 27 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 52 | 23 | 29 | 49 | 0 |
By Terry Phillips
Goalkeeper Ollie Davies, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on New Year’s Eve, is making a major contribution to Merthyr Town’s bid for promotion this season.
The former Swansea City keeper is in outstanding form and that is keeping him ahead of former Wales international Glyn Garner in the pecking order.
The Martyrs are fifth in the Southern League Premier Division and and travel to play Cirencester Town this Saturday before returning home to Penydarren Park where they take on promotion rivals Hitchin Town, who lie second, a week later.
Pontypool-born Garner, aged 40, has made 24 first team appearances this season, but he must stay patient now with Davies starting in the last five fixtures.
“I have a lot of faith in Ollie,” says Martyrs’ manager Gavin Williams. “He was at Swansea as a kid before he went to Scotland and now he’s back in Wales.
“Ollie has done well to be fair, while Glyn understands the situation. We are lucky to have two extremely good goalkeepers. Ollie is developing, he’s playing well and keeping clean sheets.”
Davies helped Swansea win the under-21 Development League Division Two title before heading north, joining Scottish Premier League Kilmarnock join loan.
Merthyr’s scheduled fixture against Redditch United at home was postponed because of a frozen pitch, but they still have three fixtures at Penydarren Park this month.
They have added former Swansea City youth player Kyle Copp, aged 20, to their squad, while Eliot Richards has turned his loan move from Weston-super-Mare into a full transfer.
Merthyr Town’s remaining fixtures in January: Saturday 7 v Cirencester Town (away); Saturday 14 v Hitchin Town (home); Saturday 21 v Kettering Town (away); Tuesday 24 v King’s Lynn (home); Saturday 28 v Banbury United (home).
