Cirencester Town FC
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Frome Town 0 – 1 Cirencester Town
Match Report by Dave Pyzer
After the long coach journey to Cambridgeshire last week Cirencester made the comparatively short trip to Frome by car to meet a team currently in good form having defeated two play-off contenders in the last week – Hungerford and Weymouth. At the beginning of February they also defeated Truro City (a side in the top three at the time) so a tough match was anticipated and so it proved.
There were two changes to the Centurions starting line-up from last week with Nat Jarvis and Ben Wells replacing Ed Williams and Brad Hooper respectively. Josh Parsons took a seat on the bench for his first involvement since the end of January - due to a knee injury.
The home side kicked off on a firm pitch in a cold biting wind and almost immediately launched their first attack down their right flank and when the cross came in to the back post for Ollie Taylor to head he was adjudged to have pushed his opponent to get to the ball.
A few minutes later it was Cirencester who enjoyed a period of possession on their right flank with James Mortimer-Jones, Nat Jarvis, Aidan Bennett and Gethin Jones all involved before the ball was switched to the left for Ian Herring to move forward into the right channel and shoot over the bar from 25 yards.
For the next ten minutes neither side could retain possession for any length of time as both defences were well organised and difficult to break down.
On the quarter of an hour mark Cirencester had the first serious attempt on goal as Herring sent a long raking ball from the left flank that reached Bennett, in the right channel of the penalty area, and he struck a low shot on the turn towards the inside of the right post but Darren Chitty in the home goal managed to push it round the post for a corner kick. This kick resulted in similar kick from the left that reached the head of Gethin Jones, to the right of the penalty spot, and his effort was deflected wide for another one from the right that was eventually cleared.
Just before the mid-point of the half Ricky Hulbert made ground down the home sides right flank and drove a dangerous ball across the penalty area from the bye-line that Jones cut off and cleared upfield but Jon Vance collected the clearance in the left channel, moved to his right and shot wide of the left post from 25 yards out.
Within a couple of minutes Jacob Davidge received the ball on the left and produced a strong run at the home defence that was stopped by a tackle from Mark Cooper and as the two players fell to ground the ball broke loose, just outside the penalty area, where Jarvis was on hand to collect. Jarvis took the ball forward a few paces down the left side edge of the penalty area before sending a cross towards the back post for an incoming Bennett. The Centurion struck his volley wide of the left post from right of the penalty spot.
Shortly afterwards Davidge was in the action again as Matt Liddiard won the ball in midfield and slipped it to Herring, on his left, and he played it forward for Davidge who took an early shot on the turn, from the left side edge of the area, that just cleared the crossbar.
Cirencester then mounted an attack down the right as Mortimer-Jones won a ball in the centre circle and moved it on to Jones, on the right flank, and he played it down the line for Bennett to drive to the bye-line but his cross was blocked for a corner kick.
As the half was drawing to a close Cirencester retained possession for a period, with several players involved, as they moved the ball around until Jones crossed from the right channel towards the back post but the ball was taken off the head of Liddiard by Chitty - to the left of the penalty spot.
Half Time: 0 – 0
Cirencester came out of the blocks very quickly after the break and five minutes in Herring sent a cross-field pass to Bennett on half-way and he released Liddiard down the right channel. Liddiard took the ball forward and won a right wing corner kick that was scrambled clear.
Ten minutes into the half Matt Smith collected a loose ball on the left front edge of the visitor’s penalty area and shot at goal but his effort didn’t have sufficient power to trouble Glyn Garner in the Centurions goal.
As the mid-point of the half approached Cirencester had a throw-in on the right that led to a high cross to the back post where Jarvis had his header blocked before being cleared to a lurking Ben Wells just outside the front edge of the penalty area, right of centre, but his left footed effort was over the bar.
Within a minute the action was at the other end of the ground as Smith latched on to a loose ball on the home sides right flank, just inside the visitor’s half, and drove down the pitch to the front edge of the area before slipping the ball to Ben Thomson, to the left of the penalty spot, but he miss-kicked wide of the left post with the goal at his mercy.
A Herring long throw from the left reached Josh Parsons, on the centre front edge of the area, who struck a right footed volley with some purpose but it was blocked for a corner kick to be awarded.
Thirty minutes into the half Parsons, on half-way, flicked a ball through to Bennett on the right and he made ground before crossing to Jarvis who had his header blocked at the near post.
Frome then created a good opportunity to open the scoring when Thomson made a break down the right before cutting inside onto his left foot from the right side edge of the area but he pulled his shot wide of the right post.
The deadlock was finally broken a minute later when Liddiard played the ball up to Bennett, on the right, who carried it along the right side edge of the penalty area before sending a low cross towards the front post where NAT JARVIS made a darting run to bundle it over the line. 0-1.
The home side reacted positively and forced a corner kick on their left and when the ball came in Josh Morgan-Williams shot over the bar from the right side of the area.
As the match was drawing to a close Cirencester won a corner kick on the right and when Leigh Henry headed it back across goal Mark Pritchett managed to reach it but under pressure he shot over the bar from a narrow angle.
Final Score: 0 – 1
As expected this was a difficult game with the defences dominating proceedings.
Cirencester showed glimpses of their ability going forward whilst the defence was solid as usual.
Matt Liddiard was prominent all over the pitch and James Mortimer-Jones was very tidy and uncompromising in front of the back four.
A hard earned three points.
Attendance: 202
Referee: William Bull
FROME TOWN:
1. Darren Chitty (C)
2. Mark Cooper
3. Dylan Bonella
4. Rhys Baggridge
5. Jack Vallis
6. Anthony Tonkin
7. Jon Vance
8. Matt Smith YC-71mins
9. Lewis Haldane
10. Ollie Taylor
11. Ricky Hulbert
12. Aaron Rodriguez (Ricky Hulbert-56mins)
14. Ben Thomson (Ollie Taylor-63mins) YC-90+3mins
15. Kris Miller
16. Matt Minnis
17. Josh Morgan-Williams (Jon Vance-37mins)
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Glyn Garner
2. Gethin Jones
3. Ian Herring
4. Mark Pritchett
5. Matt Liddiard
6. Leigh Henry (C)
7. Ben Wells
8. James Mortimer-Jones YC-89mins
9. Nat Jarvis
10. Aidan Bennett YC-90+6mins
11. Jacob Davidge
12. Brad Hooper (Ben Wells-71mins)
14. Jordan Ricketts
15. Ollie Knight (Nat Jarvis-90+1mins)
16. Josh Parsons (Jacob Davidge-56mins)
17. Ben Prictor