Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Match Report by Dave Pyzer
There was more than ‘bragging rights’ at stake in this match as both Gloucestershire sides were in desperate need of victory in this mid-week fixture as they currently occupy positions at the wrong end of the Southern League Premier Division table and as a result it was played at a frantic pace that exhibited plenty of effort but limited the quality on display.
It is well chronicled that Cinderford had a difficult introduction to the Division having won promotion from the South & West Division last season and then losing their Management Team and Players due to the uncertainty of them accepting promotion. The new Management Team of Alan Gough and Chris Burns have had to build a team from scratch and this is not an easy process and they are fighting for survival in the Division.
Following the departure of their long standing Manager, Brian Hughes, Cirencester are also re-building with a new Management team of Charlie Griffin and Paul Hunt so an interesting match was in prospect.
The starting eleven for Cirencester was similar to the previous match against St. Ives with both Matt Liddiard and Alfie Kilgour available for selection as their suspensions for their dismissals in the St. Ives game do not take effect until Saturday- Matt (one game) Alfie (two games). As a result Alfie started in his usual defensive position (alongside Ben Brown and Sindri Scheving) whilst Matt moved back into midfield with James Mortimer-Jones and Adam Connolly. Outside of these three were Kieren Diaz-Benitez and Ross Langworthy as Cirencester started with a 3-5-2 formation. The front pair was Aidan Bennett and James Difford.
Cinderford kicked-off on a cold evening and attacked the Cirencester left flank but almost immediately lost the ball enabling Cirencester to counter attack, but they too lost the ball for Ben Hands to send the ball from the centre circle to the right flank where Blaine Waugh made the first of many speedy runs during the match to the corner.
Sindri Scheving won the ball and moved it forward and inside to James Mortimer-Jones who returned it to the advancing defender. As he drew level with the front edge of the home penalty area Scheving slid the ball inside, along the front edge of the area, where James Difford darted towards it, but instead of taking it Difford stepped over the ball allowing it to run on to ROSS LANGWORTHY, just behind him, and he struck a first time, firm, low left footed shot inside the left post. 0-1.
With only 3 minutes on the clock this was the perfect start for the visitors. Encouraged by this early success Cirencester pushed forward as Aidan Bennett fed Difford down the left flank and Adam Connolly released Matt Liddiard to shoot but his effort was blocked.
After the initial shock of conceding so early Cinderford mounted an attack that led to a corner kick on their left flank but Sammie Hicks kick was caught by Harvey Rivers.
A few minutes later another Cinderford move worked the ball from their right flank to Karnell Chambers, in space - near the left front corner of the Cirencester penalty area, to produce a 1 v 1 with the ‘keeper. Chambers struck a right footed shot towards the right post but an advancing Rivers blocked with his legs and the follow-up shot was wide of the left post.
During the next couple of minutes, buoyed by the near miss, Cinderford attacked down both flanks but both resulting crosses were cut-out by a solid Cirencester defence.
It was then Cirencester’s turn to mount a measured attack as they worked the ball down their right flank with a number of players involved but the ball was lost on their left flank to enable Cinderford to counter at speed through the pace of Waugh. When he reached the right corner he crossed towards the near post where Chambers darted forward but could only put his effort wide of the right post.
It had been a frantic start to the match and as the mid-point of the half approached Cirencester created a couple of opportunities as Difford fed Langworthy, on the right, who saw his cross blocked for a corner kick that reached Kieren Diaz-Benitez and his shot was saved by Steve Bowles in the home goal for another corner kick that came to nothing.
Shortly afterwards a long punt down-field was chased by Bennett to the left channel of the home penalty area. Bowles advanced to collect but Bennett got there first and seeing Bowles off his line Bennett, with his back to goal, attempted an overhead kick but it was wide of the left post.
As the half hour mark approached Chambers played the ball from half-way, left channel, to Waugh on the right flank and after a Cinderford throw-in the ball was crossed towards the far post for Cirencester to concede a corner kick which was headed out to Gethyn Hill, just outside the penalty area, and as the Cirencester defence charged towards him he slipped the ball to his right where Waugh shot at goal – but it was blocked.
On the half hour Alfie Kilgour slipped a free kick to Diaz-Benitez and his deep cross from the right reached Bennett - but too high for him to control his header and it sailed over the bar.
Cinderford responded with a cross from Hicks that found the head of Hill but his header was wide of the Cirencester right post.
As the half entered the final ten minutes Cinderford were awarded a free kick that Hill headed goal-wards – Rivers pushed it out, Cinderford recovered the ball and fed it to Miles John on the right flank and he drove to the corner before crossing – right wing corner, headed out and recovered, another right wing corner – defended – throw to Cinderford on their left flank. Defended and cleared for Langworthy to break down the left channel – stopped in his tracks and a free kick awarded to Cirencester.
Two minutes to go and Diaz-Benitez released Difford down the right flank and he took the ball to the right side edge of the home penalty area before firing a fierce shot just over the top right corner of the goal.
Into the final minute and Diaz-Benitez slipped Connolly in, down the right side edge of the Cinderford area. The ball looked to be getting away from him as a covering defender came across but Connolly withstood the challenge on the by-line and crossed but it was blocked for a corner kick that was defended.
Half Time: 0-1
After the interval the game picked up where it had left off as almost immediately Cirencester won a corner kick that resulted in a counter attack from Cinderford and a counter from Cirencester through the pace of Difford.
A couple of minutes later Scheving chipped the ball over the home back-line for Difford to chase – corner kick (left wing), defended for another corner kick (left wing), out for a goal kick.
With ten minutes on the half James Mortimer-Jones released Difford into space on the right flank and he charged forward to the penalty area where his cross was blocked.
Cinderford countered and won a corner kick on their left flank which was played short to Hill, back to Jaye Bowen and a deep cross followed that the visitors survived. The home side then worked the ball down their right flank and across the front edge of the Cirencester box before Waugh shot wide of the right post.
Just after the hour mark Cirencester replaced Kieren Diaz-Benitez with Ollie Knight and changed their formation with Matt Liddiard moving into a back four and Alfie Kilgour switching to right back. Knight took his usual berth – wide left.
A few minutes later Cirencester worked the ball down the right flank, with several players involved, to the corner resulting in a corner kick that was blocked and rebounded to a central position just inside the penalty area where Difford smashed it back towards goal. Gethyn Hill was still at the left post from the corner and reacted to the strike by moving his hand and the Referee decided he had prevented it from crossing the line and awarded a PENALTY followed by a Red Card to the striker. MATT LIDDIARD stepped up and drove his kick inside the right post as Bowles dived in the opposite direction. 0-2.
With the extra man advantage Cirencester pushed forward and ten minutes later Langworthy fed Knight who took the ball to the left corner before crossing. The ball was cleared to Langworthy in the right channel, 25 yards out, and he smashed it towards the left post where Bowles parried. As it rebounded Ka’lum Youngsam latched onto it, just to the left of the home goal - 4 yards out, and his attempt to clip it into an empty net was thwarted as a recovering Bowles dived at his feet to push it wide of his right post.
Five minutes later Youngsam was in the action again as he received the ball on half-way (left channel), facing the Cirencester goal, and in one action moved to his left and sent a superb 30 yard pass to the right flank for Elijah Chilekwa to collect. Chilekwa carried the ball forward to the right front corner of the home area before slipping it left to Langworthy but his shot was blocked and a Cinderford counter attack down their right flank set in motion.
With five minutes remaining Cinderford attacked the right flank as Chambers, Harry Burns and Callum McConie combined but the resulting shot from the centre front edge of the Cirencester penalty area was blocked by Liddiard.
The final action of the match involved Cirencester working the ball down their right before switching to Scheving, on the left, who played it forward for Knight to take into the area and cross – producing a corner kick that was defended and cleared to the centre circle where Mortimer-Jones collected and set Knight free down the left to the corner but the final whistle was blown as he crossed the ball.
Final Score: 0-2.
This was a frantic encounter, due to what was at stake, with plenty of effort.
The home side had their moments but Cirencester stuck to their game plan, playing some composed passing football, and with the advantage of an early goal and a penalty achieved the first win and 3 points for the new Management Team.
New arrival James Difford looked very lively up front and linked well with Aidan Bennett to provide a threat going forward.
Attendance: 181
Referee: J. Roskelly
Cinderford Town:
1. Steve Bowles
2. Miles John
3. Sammie Hicks
4. Sam Hunt
5. Lee Hartshorn (C)
6. Jack Camm
7. Blaine Waugh
8. Ben Hands
9. Gethyn Hill
10. Jaye Bowen
11. Karnell Chambers
12. Harry Burns (Ben Hands-74mins)
14. Matt Long
15. Callum McConie (Jack Camm-79mins)
17. Lewis Fletcher
18. Billy Guest (Blaine Waugh-86mins)
Cirencester Town:
1. Harvey Rivers
2. Kieran Diaz-Benitez
3. Sindri Scheving
4. Alfie Kilgour
5. Ben Brown
6. Matt Liddiard (C) 68p
7. James Mortimer-Jones
8. Adam Connolly
9. Aidan Bennett
10. James Difford
11. Ross Langworthy 3
12. Elijah Chilekwa (Aidan Bennett-79mins)
14. Ollie Knight (Kieren D-Benitez-63mins)
15. Robbie James
16. Max Lloyd
17. Ka’lum Youngsam (James Difford-74mins)