Cirencester Town FC
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Match Report by Dave Pyzer
The Centurions made the comparatively short journey to Bristol for their fourth of five successive away fixtures to play a midweek match against Mangotsfield United in the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup. The winners of this 1st Round tie would have a home fixture against Bristol City U21’s in the Quarter Final Round.
Mangotsfield are currently in 14th place in the South & West Division of the Southern League.
The Cirencester starting eleven had a couple of changes from the team that finished the previous match against Merthyr Town with Development Team stalwarts Adam Clatworthy in goal and Kyle Pitts at right back. The bench consisted of three more Development Team regulars in Jacob Davidge, Danny Gudger and Robbie James.
Cirencester kicked off on a damp, misty evening with the sound of Bonfire Night fireworks in the background.
The first goalmouth action came in the 4th minute when Kyle Pitts cut back and sent in a left footed cross from the right flank towards the near post where Gary Colborne was forced to head behind on the edge of the 6 yard box as he was put under pressure by Aidan Bennett.
A few minutes later Mangotsfield nearly opened the scoring when Omar Lindsay played a ball down the right channel that Karim Rendall latched onto when darting across the pitch from the centre circle to get in behind the visitors back four. He sped towards the right side of the penalty area and as he entered he was one-on-one with an advancing Adam Clatworthy. He took the shot with his left foot and the ball struck the inside of the right post and rebounded to safety on the other flank.
Almost immediately Ellis Dunton took a throw on the left flank to Brad Hooper who headed it down the line and into the path of an overlapping Dunton who carried the ball into the left corner before sending a low cross to the centre edge of the penalty area where Ed Williams fired a shot wide of the left post.
Matt Liddiard and Williams then combined on the right and played the ball in to Josh Parsons who shielded it, back to goal, from an incoming challenge, dummied right then made a sharp turn left to create space to shoot from the right side of the area - but his effort was blocked.
The mobility of the diminutive Parsons (who appeared to be relishing being back in the action with freedom to move across the front line) was causing problems for the home defence and he won a free kick just outside the penalty area following an exchange of passes between Williams and Pitts on the right flank. Williams played the ball back to Pitts who sent a low accurate ball up to Parsons who slipped it inside Tom Parrinello for Williams to collect and cross. The resultant kick was blocked.
Midway through the half Parsons turned provider as he received the ball from Williams on half way and took it on before passing to Bennett, on the front edge of the penalty area, who in one movement turned and shot with his left foot towards the bottom left corner of the goal where Joe Perry dived to save.
Cirencester were dominating proceedings at this stage and another move on the right between Pitts, Brad Hooper and Williams created an opening for Liddiard who shot wide of the left post from the right side of the area.
It was then the turn of the left flank as Parsons released an overlapping Dunton who fed Liddiard and back to Parsons who shot from the right side of the area. Perry managed to push it wide of the right post.
Just after the half hour mark Mangotsfield mounted a break down the left channel that produced a 30 yard shot from Rendall that Clatworthy comfortably caught.
A few minutes later a move involving several players – Clatworthy, Dunton, Hooper – eventually reached Williams who beat three players with his exquisite close control before being brought down for a free kick just outside the penalty area. Mark Pritchett struck the kick wide of the right post.
With eight minutes of the half remaining the lively Reeko Best collected a ball on the right flank and carried it to within 10 yards of the bye-line before crossing towards the edge of the area but his cross was cut off before it could reach his supporting team-mates.
In the last five minutes of the half Cirencester created a few more chances as first Parsons collected a long Clatworthy punt upfield, turned and fired over the bar, then Williams and James Mortimer-Jones had shots blocked, and finally Hooper won the ball near the centre circle and broke through three tackles before firing over the bar.
Half Time: 0 - 0
In the opening minutes of the second half Mangotsfield showed their intent as first Ibrahima Diallo held the ball well under pressure in the centre circle before slipping a clever ball to Parrinello on the left flank. This was followed by a throw into the Cirencester penalty area that was passed out to Rendall on the right but the cross was over the bar.
In the 52nd minute the deadlock was finally broken as Best received a ball on the centre line of the pitch, 30 yards out, and under pressure slipped the ball to his right for LEWIS POWELL to latch onto with a surging run to the edge of the area. Powell managed to get to the ball and slide it inside the right post whilst under challenge from the covering defence. 1 – 0.
The Cirencester response was almost immediate as within three minutes they had levelled the score.
Mortimer-Jones received the ball and fed ED WILLIAMS on the left and he drove into the box evading tackles as he went and once level with the penalty spot he shot and his effort was deflected by a challenging defender to loop over Perry and drop inside the right post. 1 – 1.
This was followed by a left footed effort from Bennett that Perry pushed wide of the right post for a corner kick that Gethin Jones headed over the bar.
Just before the mid-point Robbie James, who had replaced the hard working Liddiard four minutes earlier, latched onto a loose ball 25 yards out and his drive was tipped over for a left wing corner.
Exactly on the mid-point Dunton exchanged passes with Williams before moving it on to Mortimer-Jones who slipped it to Jones. Jones carried the ball past the first challenge and as he passed the ball he was clipped resulting in a free kick 35 yards out, left of centre. Josh Parsons struck a fierce kick that smashed into the right angle of post and bar and rebounded to be safely cleared.
A couple of minutes later the Centurions broke down the right through Parsons and he fed Williams, on to James on the left side of the penalty area, back to Williams - who was now further forward on the left - and he shot wide of the right post from level with the penalty spot.
Lewis Shipp responded with a good ball down the left flank to Rendall who dummied his way past the first cover tackle and as he entered the area Gethin Jones came across and his challenge diverted the ball for a left wing corner kick. Clatworthy caught the kick under pressure in the centre of his 6 yard box.
On the half hour mark of the half Shipp had a 30 yard shot deflected for a right wing corner kick, that after a home substitution had taken place, reached Parrinello on the left. He curled the ball into the 6 yard box where it was headed clear.
The home side were looking dangerous at this stage and Omar Lindsay sent a deep cross from the right to the busy Rendall on the left side of the penalty area but his cross was cleared.
This was followed by a free kick just outside the centre edge of the penalty area that Shaun Lamb blasted wide of the left post.
As the half was drawing to as close Williams carried the ball into the right corner before pulling the ball back to Danny Gudger who had a couple of efforts blocked.
The stalemate was finally broken in the 87th minute when a series of passes on the left flank between Dunton, Mortimer-Jones and Jones reached Parsons who took it along the front edge of the area searching for an opportunity to shoot. When he did his effort was blocked but it rebounded to a supporting ROBBIE JAMES, slightly right of the penalty spot, who smashed it with his right foot through a cluster of players and into the net. 1 – 2.
A couple of minutes later Cirencester sealed the result when Jacob Davidge ran at the defence down the left flank and as he entered the box he was knocked over in a strong, but perfectly fair, challenge and the ball broke loose for ED WILLIAMS to collect. Williams cut back right and placed his shot inside the far post. 1 - 3.
On the stroke of full time the persistent Rendall whipped a low cross into the box from the left corner but none of his team-mates was on hand to collect.
Final Score: 1 – 3
Cirencester dominated the first half but could not get the goal their possession should have produced due to resolute defending from the home side.
Mangotsfield posed more of a threat in the second half although Cirencester had the better chances and their efforts were finally rewarded as the game was coming to a close.
The Development Team players contributed to a good overall team performance and 17 year old Robbie James will have enjoyed the moment he scored his first senior goal.
Attendance: 50
Referee: Simon Shaw
MANGOTSFIELD UNITED:
1. Joe Perry
2. Omar Lindsay
3. Tom Parrinello
4. Shaun Lamb
5. Gary Colborne (C)
6. Ibrahima Diallo
7. Zac Evans
8. Lewis Shipp
9. Reeko Best
10. Lewis Powell
11. Karim Rendall
12. Ben Coles (Lewis Powell-66mins)
14. Steve Davies
15. Matthew Collins (Ibrahima Diallo-75mins)
16. Sam Hill (Reeko Best-61mins)
17. Marcus Mapstone
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Adam Clatworthy
2. Kyle Pitts
3. Ellis Dunton
4. Mark Pritchett (C)
5. Matt Liddiard
6. Gethin Jones
7. Brad Hooper
8. James Mortimer-Jones
9. Josh Parsons
10. Aidan Bennett
11. Ed Williams
12. Jacob Davidge (Brad Hooper-80mins)
14. Danny Gudger (Aidan Bennett-73mins)~
15. Robbie James (Matt Liddiard-61mins)