Nearly 600 miles travelled in four days and United bring home all six points from trips to Weston-super-Mare this past weekend and Merthyr Town on a freezing Tuesday night in Wales.

Manager Paul Hughes made just one enforced change from Saturday with Aaron McCreadie coming in for the suspended Manny Duku while summer signing Karl Cunningham returned from long term injury to take a place on the bench for the first time.

United started well on the Merthyr 3G playing surface and in just the third minute home ‘keeper Alex Harris weakly punched a Scott Donnelly corner kick to James Clark just beyond the far post but his effort went agonisingly wife of the target.

A few minutes later, another corner from Donnelly, making his 100th appearance for United, picked out Callum Buckley but his header was too high to challenge Harris.

Still early in the game with just 11 minutes played the hosts created a neat opening of their own as captain Adam Davies chipped the ball over the United defence to Gethyn Hill, his effort was blocked out by Jack Smith with Buckley clearing away the loose ball.

Five minutes later Smith made an even better stop as a corner was headed back towards goal by Jamie Veale with Owain Jones flicking the ball at goal, Smith doing well to push the ball away one handed at full stretch.

Just a minute later the home side took the lead when a corner was returned from beyond the far post for Kyle Patten to force home.

United were behind for just two minutes though as Francis Amartey fed the ball to Connor Toomey on the left side of the box and he played it inside to Omar Rowe who fired home from 12 yards.

The last notable goal chance of the half came by fluke in the 25th minute and again fell to the home side as Veale’s cross from the right hand corner flag needed to be tipped over by Smith.

The half closed out with little noteworthy incident and the sides went in level at the break.

Paul Hughes made a double change at the break with Keano Robinson replacing the injured Liam McDevitt and Toby Little replacing Aaron McCreadie.

United were out of the blocks quickly once again and five minutes after the restart Donnelly played a corner smartly to Little, his first time centre was met by Buckley but his header was off target.

What turned out to be the pivotal moment in the game came two minutes later when a long Robinson throw-in was helped on to Donnelly who managed at full-stretch to help the ball on to Rowe and he drilled the ball home from the edge of the box giving Harris no chance.

United continued to share possession for the next 20 minutes with the only effort coming from Merthyr substitute Eliot Richards who drove well over from distance on 75 minutes.

Eleven minutes from time Toomey sent Rowe through only for Harris to rush from goal to flatten the United man in full flight, the stopper seeing just a yellow card as the referee deemed a chasing defender was in close enough attendance.

The final five minutes saw United repel all that the hosts sent in, Smith tipped an Ian Traylor drive onto the bar and over, the referee giving a goal kick, while a couple of efforts inside the area by Merthyr substitute Corey Jenkins either flew wide or were blocked out by the resolute United defence to earn an excellent three points that sees United up to sixth in the table.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Connor Toomey.