With continuous rain creating uncertainty about the re-arranged game actually taking place at Bolitho Park, news filtered through 24 hours earlier that the fixture would be played at Lodge Road, the home of Yate Town. So it was an unscheduled return to his former Club for Paul Michael in extenuating circumstances beyond anyone’s control.

An early goal arrived after just eight minutes when Stone’s mis-hit clearance arrived straight at the magical feet of Tom Handley who when presented with the opportunity made no mistake striking his low shot into the bottom corner from 15 yards. Will Fuller made a really important finger tip save that struck the crossbar while the remainder of the first half was finely balanced.

The game swung Merthyr’s way in the 57th minute when Gethyn Hill was fouled in the box. Up stepped Ricardo Rees to crash his spot kick high into the roof of the net. After Jack Crago had a goal disallowed for offside, it was the turn of Parkway to be awarded a penalty for a handball that Shane White converted in the 70th minute.

Any further nervous periods were settled in the 77th minute when Noah Smerdon passed to Gethyn Hill on halfway, he did well to hold onto the ball under pressure from two Parkway player, before laying it off to Rees in space. His perfectly weighted ball out wide saw the unmarked Lewys Twamley with the freedom of the right hand side outpace the last two defenders before placing his shot wide of the keeper who came to narrow the angles which virtually made the game safe.

As the rain returned Parkway pushed men forward in search of a way through the Martyrs defence that blocked and tackled anything that threatened Fuller’s goal, with the 'visitors' managing the closing stages in the haze of a struggle for overall supremacy to secure the much needed win that maintained their play-off place.