The Calor League Division One South & West

Match Report by Dave Pyzer   

Cirencester returned to league action, following their FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round success of the weekend at Banbury United, and welcomed Taunton Town to the Corinium Stadium on a damp, miserable evening with fine rain wafting across the pitch in waves.

The starting line-up for Cirencester was as Saturday with Shayne Anson still absent due to a groin strain and Joe Shepherd serving the last of his three match suspension.  Matt Liddiard returned from Gloucester City, as it was a league match, and took a place on the bench.

Taunton Town have played one more match than their hosts but have two points less and the concern before the start was whether or not Ciren would relax after their Cup exploits.

The hosts kicked off playing down the slope towards the Arena and conceded possession very quickly enabling Taunton to mount a swift attack within the first minute that required Glyn Garner to be very alert, saving with his legs as Craig Herrod aimed for the far post from the right edge of the penalty area.

This was perhaps the shock that Ciren needed as they responded with some quick free flowing football which led to the first goal in the 6th minute.  Brad Hooper played the ball to Steve Davies, wide on the right – just inside the visitor’s half, and he immediately raced past his marker and unleashed a fierce shot towards the far post that Kyle Moore in the visiting goal could only parry.  Lee Smith was ‘Johnny-on-the-spot’ and showed commendable composure as he took a touch, steadied himself as two defenders rushed towards him and smashed it through all of them into the back of the net from just outside the 6 yard box. 

A couple of minutes later it was that man Davies again latching onto a header from Ellis Dunton and once again making ground down the right flank before sending in another firm shot that beat the ‘keeper but not the covering defender who cleared off the line with Smith lurking.

Ciren were moving the ball around the pitch at pace, causing the visitors problems, and a left wing corner found Leigh Henry at the back post but his attempt at goal was blocked on the line and cleared.

Another flowing move involving 6 passes, between half way and the edge of the penalty area, eventually found its way to Brad Hooper on the edge of the penalty area and his right footed drive went wide of the right upright.

At this point it was all Cirencester and another fine move involving James Mortimer-Jones, Steve Davies and Lee Smith exchanging passes resulted in a shot from Smith, just outside the left edge of the penalty area, but unfortunately it once again went wide of the far right hand post as he tried to bend it around the defenders.

On the half hour mark, Sam Collier who was having a busy game - laying-off balls to the runners around him - received the ball 30 yards out, down the centre with his back to goal. Encouraged to turn by his team mates he duly obliged and fired in a powerful left footed shot towards the inside of that right post again. Moore dived to his left to push the ball behind for a right wing corner.

Steve Davies drove the corner low and hard towards the near post where Leigh Henry showed a very deft touch by volleying it with his right foot into the back of the net whilst moving across the edge of the 6 yard box.

Ciren were dominating play with Brad Hooper having a superb half, popping up all over the pitch winning ball, getting forward to support the strikers, linking play – ably supported by Tim Bond who was also providing some neat touches. It was no surprise at this stage that Hooper was again involved in a move with Smith and Davies that led to a Davies shot that was blocked on the edge of the penalty area.

As the game entered the last ten minutes of the half Taunton reminded us that they were still a threat as Lewis Tasker took a free kick from their right flank, some 35 yards out, that bounced in the area and required Glyn Garner to gather at full stretch from under the Cirencester cross-bar.

Plenty of opportunities had been created by Cirencester in the half but only two had been taken and as they were to defend the slope in difficult conditions in the second half the question was - would they regret it?

Half Time:   2 - 0

It looked like they might four minutes into the second half as a speculative lob from the right touchline came down just under the home cross-bar and a back-peddling Garner could only parry the ball as he fell towards the back of the goal and a very alert Steve Murray was quickest to the loose ball to plant it into the empty net. The ball bouncing over the prostrate Garner who could only wave at it as it crossed the line.

Game-on.

Taunton, buoyed by this success, now looked full of confidence and on the break, opening up Cirencester on a number of occasions.

Ten minutes into the half a curling Taunton corner from the right wing, taken by the left footed Josh Wadham, found the head of Chris Young but it flew over the cross-bar.

Although a little shell shocked Cirencester still had plenty to offer going forward and a superb 30 yards pass from Chris Holland, from near the centre circle, found the galloping Smith in space on the left flank and he accelerated into the penalty area before sending his cross shot into the side netting when under pressure from a couple of covering defenders.

In the 60th minute a neat back heel from Young inside the Cirencester 6 yard box, just wide of the right hand post, found Murray on a run but he placed his shot wide of the far post.

The ball immediately found its way to the other end and following a left wing corner Jon Beeden had his shot from the edge of the penalty area blocked and cleared, resulting in a Taunton break down their right flank which resulted in a corner.

The game was very much ebb & flow as Taunton looked for an equaliser and Ciren tried to put the game to bed.

Midway through the half Ciren had another near miss when Brad Hooper fed Lee Smith who found Jody Bevan on the edge of the area but his strike went just over the cross-bar.

Ten minutes later a Bevan header, following good work by Aidan Bennett and Smith, was well saved for a right wing corner that came to nothing.

Shortly after this Taunton felt a little ‘hard-done-by’ as they got the ball into the net only to be flagged offside.

Finally Cirencester got the goal they had been searching for in the 83rd minute as a low and hard free kick from Chris Holland, on the left flank - 10 yards in, and 15 yards inside the Taunton half – reached Lee Smith at pace and he guided it into the visitors net.

In the dying moments of the game Glyn Garner was once again called upon to make a save with his legs to deny Young as he broke through the Cirencester rearguard.

Final Score: 3 - 1

This was the proverbial game of two halves.

Cirencester dominated the first with fast free flowing football but were lack lustre after the break allowing Taunton back into the game.  They recovered towards the end of the half to close the game out.

There were a number of good performances, particularly during the first half, with Sam Collier linking well with the whippets – Steve Davies and Lee Smith - who were causing all sorts of problems with their pace, Brad Hooper very industrious in midfield, Leigh Henry and Chris Holland solid at the back and Glyn Garner pulling off some important saves. The Four Pillars Man of the Match Award was given to Brad Hooper.

Attendance: 83                                 

Referee:      Sian Piret

Cirencester Town:

1.   Glyn Garner
2.   Ellis Dunton
3.   Jon Beedon
4.   James Mortimer-Jones
5.   Chris Holland
6.   Leigh Henry     (C)
7.   Tim Bond
8.   Brad Hooper
9.   Sam Collier
10.  Steve Davies
11.  Lee Smith

 12.  Aidan Bennett (James Mortimer-Jones-72 mins)                
14.  Jody Bevan      (Sam Collier–62mins)
15.  Dean Bromley

16. Mat Liddiard    (Tim Bond–62 mins)
 

Taunton Town:

1.   Kyle Moore
2.   Ben Mammola
3.   Lewis Tasker
4.   Owen Irish     
5.   Steve Kingdon
6.   Andy Robertson    
7.   Jamie Short
8.   Jamie Price      (C)
9.   Chris Young
10.  Steve Murray
11.  Craig Herrod

12.  Lewis Waldy                      
14.  Ryan Andrews 
15.  Josh Wadham  (Owen Irish–41mins)
16.  Zac Ryder