TOWN MUST HEAD NORTH

BOSS Paul Michael vowed Merthyr Town would "make the best" of being in National League North despite losing an under-wraps appeal against the placement.

- Andy Mitchell

The Southern Premier South champions fell victim to a trio of southern sides being relegated from the National League and now face 10-hour round trips to the likes of Darlington, Scarborough Athletic, Spennymoor Town and South Shields.

Michael supported the club’s decision to argue that Hemel Hempstead Town would have been better placed to head north but “always knew it would be a long shot”.

But rather than mope, he insists renewing acquaintances with the likes of Macclesfield, Southport, Kidderminster Harriers and AFC Telford United, clubs the Martyrs did battle with in the Conference back in the 90s, is something to be relished.

Michael told The NLP: “Although our travel distances wouldn’t be that much different in National South, we felt those four games (in the north east) would be very difficult to get to—for us and for the teams coming to our place.