Merthyr Tydfil 4 (Griffiths 3, 9, 14, Clarke 35)

Didcot Tn 2 (Sampson 70, 79)

Didcot Town’s hopes of pulling clear of the Premier Division relegation zone were blown away in a calamitous first quarter of an hour at bottom side Merthyr Tydfil in the Zamaretto Southern league.

Marcus Griffiths was the Welsh club’s hero with a hat-trick in the opening 15 minutes, and there was no way back for Didcot.

Griffiths capitalised on hesitant defending to put Merthyr ahead in the third minute.

Six minutes later, Alex Stanley was at fault as Griffiths struck home to make it 2-0. And his quickfire treble was complete when he headed home a third on 14 minutes, although Didcot were probably justified in claiming the Merthyr striker was a yard offside when the cross was delivered.

Didcot were playing into a strong wind and struggled to come to terms with it throughout a disappointing first half.

But it got even worse on 34 minutes. Dean Clarke took control of the ball fully 40 yards out and struck a wind-assisted effort into the net with keeper Matt Trott stranded.

The second half was much better for the visitors and a triple substitution on 57 minutes sparked Didcot into life.

With 20 minutes remaining, Ian Sampson converted Jamie Heapy’s cross to pull a goal back.

And there was even an unlikely comeback on the cards when Sampson struck home his and Didcot’s second with a 25-yard free-kick.

But Merthyr managed to hold-on to claim all three points and leave Didcot just one place above the drop zone.

Didcot Tn: Trott, Sampson, Hopkins (Tabor 57), Heapy, Brown, Stanley, Harper, Jack, Draycott, Hope (Castello 57), M Williams (Bartley 57).