Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Match Report by Dave Pyzer
The latest Premier Division mid-week fixture brought Slough Town to the Corinium Stadium – a team that before the game sat one place above the Centurions in the league table with a game in hand. In the reverse fixture in September ‘The Rebels’ had secured a narrow 1-0 victory.
Cirencester Manager Brian Hughes continued with the starting eleven that obtained a draw against Frome Town on Saturday as Charlie Griffin was still unavailable to lead the line. Ellis Dunton took a seat on the bench having finally completed his three match suspension for the Development Team.
Slough kicked-off playing towards the Arena end of the ground on a fairly firm pitch but it was the hosts who mounted the first attack as Matt Liddiard fed Ross Langworthy on their right flank and he carried the ball into the corner before running out of room on the bye-line.
A couple of minutes later Aidan Bennett moved the ball inside to Adam Connolly and he slid the ball forward for Zack Kotwica as he entered the left channel of the Slough penalty area to take an early right footed shot but there was not enough power to trouble the visiting ‘keeper Mark Scott and he gathered the ball comfortably.
Slough immediately replied with a break down their left flank through Lewis Pitman and as he neared the front corner of the home side’s penalty area he shot but an advancing Josh Langley deflected the ball high with his legs and Bennett headed it clear from near the goal-line.
The game had started at a frantic pace with Cirencester pressing and Slough counter attacking.
With eleven minutes on the clock Liddiard received the ball on the right front corner of the Slough penalty area and after controlling it with his chest he volleyed the dropping ball past the left upright.
Slough sent the ball down the centre of the pitch and Leigh Henry laid it back to Langley to clear but it took a bobble and he needed a touch to control which enabled the charging Ed Smith to close him down. The young ‘keeper calmly dragged the ball to his left to evade the incoming challenge and cleared it down his left flank instead.
As the mid-point of the half was approaching Mark Pritchett launched the ball down the centre for Langworthy to collect and shoot from the front edge of the penalty area, right channel, but Scott dived to his left to push it round his post for a corner kick.
The Slough response was another driving run from the busy and dangerous Pitman who was seeing a lot of the ball and as he neared the front edge of the penalty area he cut right, then left, then right again, and back left before firing a left footed shot wide of the left post.
The deadlock was broken in the 26th minute when Slough were awarded a free kick after a tussle between Pitman and Liddiard, in the quadrant of the home sides defensive right corner flag, that resulted in both players going to ground but as Liddiard got up first to clear the ball the Referee blew for a free kick. Ryan Hope stepped up to take the kick and cannily moved the ball infield by 3 yards and away from the bye-line a yard to give him space, without any challenge from the Referee or his Assistant, to strike a powerful kick towards the near post where LEE BARNEY produced a firm header to open the scoring. 0-1.
Shortly afterwards Connolly fired a powerful left footed shot from 25 yards, left channel, that Scott initially parried before gathering at the 2nd attempt with Langworthy rapidly closing in an attempt to latch onto the rebound.
Cirencester then produced another break down their right channel as Langworthy carried the ball to the side of the visitor’s area before laying it back to Kotwica who shot but Scott gathered comfortably.
Within minutes the busy Pitman was released down the Slough left flank and he moved the ball on to Smith near the front corner of the home area. Smith cut right and fired a right footed shot at the target but Langley made the save.
‘The Rebels’ continued to press for the next few minutes with Pitman and Smith prominent but Cirencester were resolute and as the half entered the last five minutes the home side put their guests under some pressure as James Mortimer-Jones moved the ball on to Kotwica who in turn fed Langworthy on the over-lap. Langworthy took the ball to the corner before crossing but it was intercepted – resulting in a corner kick.
With two minutes to the interval Ollie Knight won the ball deep inside his half and sent it down the left touch-line to Langworthy who slipped it inside to Connolly and he moved inside and crossed it to Liddiard on the right flank. The midfielder switched play back to the left corner where Knight had made ground and crossed into the box but it was defended by the Slough back line.
Half Time: 0 – 1
Slough had the perfect start to the second half as within two minutes they increased their lead following a long throw from Guy Hollis on the left flank that found Barney and his ‘shot’ was met by the head of ED SMITH who re-directed it with a looping header that dropped over Langley and inside the far right post. 0-2.
The Cirencester response to this setback was a move down the right involving Connolly, Lidiard and Langworthy that released Kotwica but his well struck shot from 25 yards was wide of the right post.
This was soon followed by a cross from Ellis Dunton, who had replaced an injured Aidan Bennett before the interval, near the left front corner of the Slough area that was diverted into the path of Knight on the left side of the area and he sent a low drive across the front edge of the visitor’s 6 yard box. Zack Kotwica was arriving quickly at the back post but despite diving he was unable to make contact with the ball and it went out for a goal-kick.
A couple of minutes later Langley produced a fine save as he back-pedalled to push a deep cross from the Slough left flank over his bar – ending up in the net himself.
Slough increased their lead to three following a Cirencester corner kick on the home sides left flank. When the kick was sent into the Slough box it was quickly launched down the centre of the pitch by a defender and collected by LEE BARNEY who carried it for 20 yards before sending a low left footed drive inside the right post. 0-3.
With nothing to lose Cirencester pushed forward and worked the ball to the right corner before crossing to the left where Dunton’s shot was deflected and saved by Scott.
Cirencester then worked the ball down their left flank with Knight, Mortimer-Jones, and Langworthy setting up Dunton for a cross to the back post where Kotwica struck a fierce right footed shot over the bar.
Five minutes later Brad Hooper, who had replaced Adam Connolly, played the ball to Dunton who sent a cross towards the penalty spot for Knight to head on to Langworthy but the latter’s header cleared the bar from the front edge of the 6 yard box.
As the game entered the last quarter of an hour Mortimer-Jones collected the ball near the front edge of the Slough penalty area and slipped it to his right for Langworthy to collect as he entered the area but Scott had spotted the danger and quickly advanced to close the striker down and save with his legs.
The home side finally got on the score-sheet following a throw-in from Dunton - near the left corner - to Hooper, back to Liddiard, forward to Leigh Henry (left channel of the area), on to a darting Hooper (byeline) who sent it to the centre of the 6 yard box for MARK PRITCHETT to stab at goal. Blocked – back to Pritchett, second attempt – blocked, back to Pritchett who finally bundled it over the line. 1-3.
Cirencester continued to push forward in search of another goal but could not find a way through their opponent’s stubborn defence but the Slough side always looked dangerous on the break and on the stroke of full-time the dangerous Pitman had the chance to add another as he collected a ball in space on the centre line of the pitch, 30 yards out, and advanced towards goal before sending his shot wide of the right post.
Final Score: 1 - 3
An ‘end-to-end’ game which started at a frantic pace and whilst Cirencester had plenty of possession early on they could not find a way through a well organised Slough defence.
The Slough forward line was extremely lively and the early goal in the second half gave them a cushion to defend.
Attendance: 112
Referee: Adam Crysell
Cirencester Town:
1. Josh Langley
2. Shayne Anson
3. Aidan Bennett
4. Mark Pritchett 78
5. Matt Liddiard
6. Leigh Henry (C)
7. Adam Connolly
8. James Mortimer-Jones
9. Zak Kotwica
10. Ross Langworthy
11. Ollie Knight
12. Brad Hooper (Adam Connolly-64mins)
14. Ellis Dunton (Aidan Bennett-38mins)
15. Sam Farr
Slough Town:
1. Mark Scott
2. Leigh Rumbold
3. Paul Stonehouse
4. Guy Hollis
5. Daniel Hicks (C)
6. Ryan Hope
7. Lewis Pitman
8. Nathan Webb
9. Lee Barney 26, 57
10. Edward Smith 47
11. Warren Harris
12. Jhai Dhillon (Leigh Rumbold-24mins)
14. Gurken Gokman (Warren Harris-83mins)
15. Paul Coyne
16. Scott Harris (Edward Smith-71mins)