Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Match Report by Dave Pyzer
Hayes & Yeading are having work done at their ground so their home fixtures are being played at alternative venues and as result Cirencester travelled to Uxbridge (who play in the Central Division of the Southern League) to face them in their latest league fixture.
Before the game Hayes & Yeading were two places above Cirencester, who are in 21st position in the Premier Division table, as they have one point more than their visitors. Current form is comparable as both teams have secured 8 points from their last six league matches so this was a key match for them both.
The Cirencester starting eleven had a couple of changes due to the suspensions of Matt Liddiard and Alfie Kilgour and as a result Robbie James was promoted from the Development Team to make his league debut at Centre Back alongside Ben Brown (the oldest of the back five at 21). James Difford was unavailable due to injury (bruised foot) but Andy Elcock returned to the squad following illness.
Cirencester kicked off proceedings and attacked down their right flank before being awarded a free kick on their left that was easily defended. A couple of minutes later Cirencester attacked down the right again but Hayes won the ball and counter attacked leading to a cross from their left that provided an early test for young debutant Robbie James, to the right of the penalty spot, that he dealt with well as he headed the ball out of the area. Olu Durojaiye latched onto the clearance and fired a shot towards the Cirencester goal that was partially blocked enabling Harvey Rivers to gather.
The ball was soon at the other end of the pitch as Aidan Bennett harassed the home defence to win a corner kick on the right. Ollie Knight sent the kick into the box and it was returned to him for a right footed cross to the back post that was cleared leading to a Hayes corner kick that came to nothing.
A minute later Hayes were back again as Tom Gilbey, at the front left corner edge of the Cirencester penalty area, produced a curling left footed cross towards the far post that Rivers at full stretch managed to punch away leading to a shot that was blocked.
Cirencester responded to this early pressure as Kieren Diaz-Benitez played the ball inside to Ross Langworthy, centre circle, and he in turn shipped it to Knight on the left flank. Knight made ground before crossing but it was cut out leading to a corner kick that was caught by Louis Wells in the home goal.
A couple of minutes later Diaz-Benitez was in the thick of the action again, in defensive mode, as he initially cut-out an attempted through ball down the home sides left channel and then as two opponents closed in on him he calmly side stepped the first challenge and laid the ball off to Ben Brown as the second came in.
Just before the quarter hour mark Diaz-Benitez, inside his penalty area, ‘chested’ the ball to Elijah Chilekwa who then embarked on a scintillating run down the right flank that took him past three opponents, slipping the ball to the right of his opponents as he ran to the left to avoid contact. As he neared the final third he crossed to the penalty spot where Bennett controlled the ball on his chest, back to goal, and attempted to turn and shoot but the ball bounced too high enabling his opponent to get a toe in before he could strike it.
Back came Cirencester as Diaz-Benitez crossed to the far post for Langworthy to head wide of the left post.
The game was ‘end-to-end’ with fast attack and counter attack and at the mid-point Hayes were awarded a free kick, just outside the front corner edge of the Cirencester penalty area, that Rivers did exceptionally well to catch at full stretch whilst under pressure at the far post.
Hayes were sending balls up to Melford Simpson (who must be about 6’ 7” tall) for him to lay off to support runners and from one such move he released Jerson Dos Santos down the left channel. Dos Santos dribbled the ball into the area and shot wide of the right post but it had taken a slight deflection leading to a corner kick that was initially cleared but fed back in to Simpson who headed wide of the right post.
Cirencester responded with a through ball from Diaz-Benitez towards Knight as he charged towards the right corner and this led to a corner kick. Langworthy played the kick short to Bennett who returned it to him for a cross to the near post where Wells caught it above the head of Chilekwa.
Just after the half hour mark Hayes won a corner kick on their right flank that Brown did well to head wide of his left post whilst under pressure for another corner kick that Rivers pushed out. Lloyd Macklin returned it, and back out it came for Olu Durojaiye to shoot – deflected past the left post. The resulting corner kick passed through the Cirencester 6 yard box without contact.
The action continued in this fashion for the next ten minutes with Langworthy shooting wide for Cirencester and Simpson heading wide for Hayes.
It all changed in the 44th minute as Dos Santos made a driving run down the left channel and into the Cirencester penalty area. In making the run Dos Santos had got in behind Diaz-Benitez so the full back was chasing back to the home players right. Dos Santos cleverly cut to his right in front of Diaz-Benitez and the Cirencester player saw a glimpse of the ball and stuck out his right foot to ‘pinch’ it but Dos Santos made contact with the outstretched leg and fell to the ground – PENALTY and a Yellow Card for Diaz-Benitez.
OLU DUROJAIYE stepped up on the stroke of half time and made a deliberate, slow approach run to the ball before striking it with his right foot inside the left post with Rivers diving in the opposite direction. 1-0.
Half Time: 1-0
It was more of the same after the interval as Hayes began very positively with a Dos Santos shot past the right post and a Cole Brown cross that Rivers punched away in the first couple of minutes.
Cirencester put together a move down their left flank as Knight fed Bennett, back to Knight, out to Sindri Scheving as he overlapped to the corner – winning a corner kick that was headed out at the near post.
During the next ten minutes it was ‘cut and thrust’ as Hayes pushed forward in search of a second and Cirencester counter attacked. Dos Santos was very prominent for the home side with his dribbling skills but Cirencester held out and a quick free kick – Knight to James Mortimer-Jones, back to Knight, on to Scheving as he charged down the left flank to the corner to cross for Bennett to head but cleared.
Free kick to Hayes, left channel, Sam Humphreys to Simpson – headed wide of the right post.
Just after the hour mark Macklin made a run across the front edge of the Cirencester area and produced a back heel to release Durojaiye, left channel of the area, who had his shot blocked and rebound into the air – dropping into the path of Macklin in the right channel. Rivers had seen the danger and quickly changed direction from the original shot to produce a ‘star’ shape as he spread himself to block Macklin’s volley with his legs.
As is often the case Cirencester equalised three minutes later.
Aidan Bennett won the ball on half way, right touch-line, - despite being sandwiched between two opponents - and slipped it inside to Langworthy who immediately played the ball wide to Knight as he darted down the left channel in space. Knight carried the ball to the penalty area and chipped it over Wells, in the direction of the far post, as Wells advanced towards him. The ‘keeper got his hand to it and as it dropped near the right post AIDAN BENNETT was charging forward to prod home from 2 yards. 1-1.
Five minutes later Langworthy made a 30 yard driving run down the left channel into the area but as he pulled the trigger Colin Mugoya tackled him with both players falling to the ground. Referee Matthew Lee ignored calls for a penalty kick.
Hayes responded with some pressure on the Cirencester defence but could not find a way through a determined rearguard.
As the game entered the final 15 minutes Bennett pulled the ball out of the air and slid it into the path of Knight as he charged down the left flank. As Knight entered the penalty area he crossed the ball past Wells and through the area without contact.
Shortly afterwards Cirencester were awarded a free kick that Knight sent towards the penalty spot where Bennett produced a powerful header that looked destined for the top right corner until Wells intervened with a sensational full length save to push it over his crossbar.
Eight minutes later Hayes launched the ball down their right flank for substitute Dylan Kearney to chase. Robbie James spotted the danger and covered the ground quickly to kick the ball off the pitch but Kearney continued his run to charge into the youngster and was issued with a Yellow Card for the unnecessary contact.
As the game was coming to a close Cirencester were finishing strongly and Ben Brown played a superb 40 yard pass to Kalum Youngsam on the right flank, back to Langworthy, returned to Youngsam, out to Bennett who took it to the corner before crossing but it was intercepted.
The final action came after Hayes had been awarded a free kick that was repelled to the centre circle. As it was about to be launched back into the Cirencester penalty area a challenging Bennett managed to block it and it rebounded to Knight who charged down the left channel to the corner. His cross from the corner was collected by Wells to launch a counter attack but it was short lived as Cirencester won the ball back.
Final Score: 1-1.
A battling away performance from a young Cirencester side against a much bigger Hayes & Yeading side that earned the Centurions a valuable away point to take them out of the bottom four in the Southern League Premier Division.
Whilst it was undoubtedly a team performance mention must be made of the very young backline who withstood the pressure against more experienced and bigger opponents with determination and resolve.
Harvey Rivers is growing in confidence and made a couple of vital saves whilst Kieren Diaz-Benitez showed plenty of energy, especially in the first half, to go forward in support of his team-mates.
Robbie James, on his league debut, stepped up three levels to put in an assured performance and worked well alongside Ben Brown who was composed throughout.
Sindri Scheving, on loan from Reading, was solid and linked well with Aidan Bennett and Ollie Knight.
Attendance: 177
Referee: Matthew Lee
Hayes & Yeading United:
1. Louis Wells (C)
2. Colin Mugoya
3. Joe Debayo
4. Olu Durojaiye 45p
5. Manny Adebowale
6. Sam Humphreys
7. Cole Brown
8. Jerson Dos Santos
9. Melford Simpson
10. Tom Gilbey
11. Lloyd Macklin
12. Dylan Kearney (Melford Simpson-78mins)
13. Delroy Preddie
14. James Taylor
15. Yannis Ambroisine (Sam Humphreys-78mins)
16. Harold Joseph
Cirencester Town:
1. Harvey Rivers
2. Kieran Diaz-Benitez
3. Sindri Scheving
4. Ben Brown
5. Robbie James
6. Adam Connolly
7. Ross Langworthy
8. James Mortimer-Jones (C)
9. Aidan Bennett 65
10. Elijah Chilekwa
11. Ollie Knight
12. Ka’lum Youngsam (Elijah Chilekwa-85mins)
14. Andy Elcock
15. Max Lloyd
16. Charlie Griffin