Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
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Match Report by Dave Pyzer
The Centurions once again made the long journey to Cambridgeshire but this time to play Biggleswade Town who are at the bottom end of the table fighting to remain in the Premier Division.
As the Centurions are on a run of indifferent form a difficult game was anticipated.
The starting eleven had one change from the previous match with Kyle Pitts replacing the suspended Ian Herring at right back.
Biggleswade kicked off on a dry overcast day and almost immediately were awarded a free kick on their right flank which Mark Coulson curled towards the penalty spot with his left foot for an incoming David Hutton to head high and wide of the target.
The Cirencester response was a quick turn and shot from Nat Jarvis, 30 yards out - centre of the pitch, and whilst it was going in the direction of the right post it lacked power and Ian Brown in the home goal gathered easily.
After this initial thrust from both sides the game settled into a midfield battle where neither retained the ball for long.
Ten minutes into the half Aidan Bennett latched onto a loose ball, 25 yards outside the home penalty area - right of centre, and fired in a right footed volley that just cleared the top left corner of the goal.
Just after the quarter hour mark the Waders right winger, Michael King, chased a ball to the bye-line and with quick feet managed to stop the ball crossing the line and laid it back to a supporting Conner Roberts who dribbled into the penalty area and won a corner kick. When the kick came in Josh Beech, on the left front edge of the 6 yard box, headed against the bar.
Cirencester then broke down the right flank through Kyle Pitts and Matt Liddiard and moved the ball on to Bennett who cut back from the wing to shoot but his effort was comfortably saved by Brown inside the near post.
With 21 minutes on the clock The Waders were awarded a free kick on their right flank and once again their left back, Mark Coulson, came across to send another curling left footed kick towards the penalty spot where DAVID HUTTON darted in to head inside the right post. 1-0.
The action for the next 15 minutes centred around the middle of the pitch until King collected a clearance kick just inside the visitors half and played it over the top and into the centre for Stuart Farrell to chase but Leigh Henry was alert to the danger and cleared the ball.
Within a minute Roberts again overlapped down the right and carried the ball to the bye-line before firing in a low cross towards the near post that James Mortimer-Jones did well to cut off.
During the last ten minutes of the half Cirencester pushed forward looking for an equaliser and Liddiard, Gethin Jones and Mortimer-Jones produced some neat passing, tight to the left touch-line, as they moved forward.
A couple of minutes later several players were involved as the ball was moved from left to right and into the corner leading to a cross from an overlapping Pitts that Brown caught in the centre of the 6 yard box.
As the half drew to a close Liddiard shot from the right front edge of the penalty area and as the 'keeper made the save, low down, the ball bounced up out of his grasp and then dropped back into his arms before any Cirencester player could get to it.
Half Time: 1 – 0
Five minutes into the half The Waders were awarded a free kick just outside the front edge of the penalty area, left of centre, and Jay Davies sent a right footed curler over the wall that Glyn Garner tipped over the bar at full stretch.
During the next ten minutes or so Cirencester enjoyed plenty of possession on the edge of the home box but were unable to create a clear scoring opportunity so Manager Brian Hughes replaced Pitts and Jarvis with Ollie Knight and Jordan Ricketts to produce a 4-2-4 formation. Matt Liddiard dropped to right back.
Cirencester produced another neat move down the right flank, involving Liddiard, Mortimer-Jones, Bennett and Josh Parsons before Bennett sent in a low cross from the right corner that was intercepted.
Mid-way through the half Biggleswade had the chance to increase their lead when a low cross from the right corner by King was missed on the centre front edge of the 6 yard box by Hutton.
Just after the half hour mark of the half Ollie Knight, on the left flank, played the ball inside to Jordan Ricketts, left channel of the area, who drove it towards the penalty spot. Jacob Davidge, who had just replaced Bennett, darted in and shot first time but Brown managed to save low down in the centre of his 6 yard box.
With nothing to lose and time running out the Centurions pushed on searching for an equaliser and Jones drove a deep cross from the left flank towards goal where it was headed out to Mark Pritchett, left channel of the penalty area, and he headed it wide of the goal.
On the stroke of the 45 minutes Davidge exchanged passes with Liddiard before crossing to Ricketts, front edge of the area - right of centre, and he turned and shot but his effort was blocked and rebounded to Parsons who had his shot deflected for a right wing corner kick. The Biggleswade Custodian managed to take the ball at the third attempt prompting calls of "Juggler" from the home crowd.
As the match entered 'time-added-on' Parsons collected the ball on the left side edge of the area and jinked past a couple of challenges before crossing but once again Brown took the catch - this time at the first attempt.
As Cirencester pushed forward a through ball found Davies in space on the right side of the area. Instead of taking an early shot he decided to try and dribble round Garner but took the ball over the line.
Final Score: 1 – 0
Once again a disappointing result for the Centurions as they enter the final stages of the season.
They had plenty of possession but lacked the cutting edge to break down the home side who are determined to stay in the Division.
Attendance: 129
Referee: Sam Lewis
BIGGLESWADE TOWN:
1. Ian Brown
2. Conner Roberts
3. Mark Coulson
4. Cam Mawer
5. Steve Gentle. (C)
6. Lee Allinson
7. Michael King
8. Josh Beech
9. Stuart Farrell
10. Jay Davies
11. David Hutton 21
12. Kyal McNulty (Josh Beech-49mins)
14. Kelvin Bossman
15. Tony Burnett
16. Ollie Thorne (Stuart Farrell-66mins)
17. Andrew Iwediuno (David Hutton-84mins)
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Glyn Garner
2. Kyle Pitts
3. Gethin Jones
4. Mark Pritchett
5. Matt Liddiard
6. Leigh Henry (C)
7. Brad Hooper
8. James Mortimer-Jones
9. Nat Jarvis
10. Aidan Bennett
11. Josh Parsons
12. Jordan Ricketts (Kyle Pitts-58mins) YC-72mins
14. Jacob Davidge (Aidan Bennett-74mins)
15. Ollie Knight (Nat Jarvis-58mins)