Stuart Fleetwood aims to sign off in style when Merthyr Town make the long trip to play St Ives in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.
The Martyrs will travel more than 400 miles on the round trip to St Ives and Fleetwood is looking to make a big impact before starting a three-match suspension.
The former Cardiff City striker will lead Merthyr’s attack at the ProEdge Stadium with teenager Mo Touray on duty with the Wales under-19 team for back-to-back friendly matches against Switzerland in North Wales.
Fleetwood’s ban means he will be ruled out of Southern League Premier matches against leaders Kettering Town (away) and third-placed Slough Town (home).
He will also miss Merthyr’s cup match at Shortwood United next Tuesday.
Merthyr make the 10-hours trip to St Ives and back for a match which is crucial in their quest to stay in touch with the leading clubs.
They have won successive League fixtures and are eighth in the table, with 16 points from nine games.
“I have been pleased with how we have played in spells during the last two games, especially with the number of chances we have created,” says manager Gavin Williams.
“Hopefully we can continue to create the number of chances we have been and turn more into goals as we move into a tough spell with some tricky matches coming up.”
The hosts will be aiming to win their first home game having drawn one and lost three of their opening four matches.
Merthyr are familiar with St Ives ground having played there against the host club and Cambridge City in recent seasons.
Ricky Marheineke is in his fourth season as manager of St Ives. During his second season he led the club to promotion when they earned a play-off extra time win against AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
In his first season at step three Marheineke’s team finished a creditable 15th in the Premier Division and also enjoying a run to the League Challenge Cup final.
St Ives recalled Brett Longden, Danny Kelly and Phil Draycott for their last fixture, a 2-2 draw against Hitchin, and they replaced Jordan Jarrold, Dubi Ogbonna and Ben Seymour-Shove.
Man of the match Tom McGowan operated in his favoured position just in front of the back four, Lewis Hilliard returning to a position on the right and Jimmy Hartley moving into central midfield.
St Ives squad: Goff, Smith, Longden, De’ath (capt), Chaffey, McGowan, Hilliard, Seymour-Shove, Clark, Kelly, Hall, Hartley, Ogbonna, Dracut, Jarrold, Nicholls.
Merthyr Town: Oliver Davies, Adam Davies, Cameron Pring, Curtis McDonald, Scott Tancock, Jarrad Wright, Lewis Baldwin, Miles John, Kyle Patten, Ashley Evans, Robbie Patten, Eliot Richards, Jaye Bowen, Kyle Copp, Ian Traylor, Kerry Morgan, Corey Jenkins, Stuart Fleetwood.
