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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Salisbury are too slick for woeful - but injury-hit - Cirencester
CHARLIE GRIFFIN endured the low point of his 51 weeks in charge at Cirencester Town when his side capitulated 8-2 to Salisbury on Tuesday night.
It’s the second successive league game in which Steve Claridge’s side have put eight goals past their opposition, having come away from Shortwood 8-0 victors on September 9.
The signs were ominous when Kane O’Keefe put the Whites in front with little more than a minute played.
But Cirencester were still in the game at 3-1 after impressive substitute Felipe Barcelos scored with a header off a Henry Spalding cross on the stroke of half-time.
Immediately after the break, Marvin Brooks added his second goal to make it 4-1.
Even then Cirencester rallied with a fine headed goal from Ben Whitehead.
But from the moment Salisbury scored their fifth through Ryan Baggridge, the Ciren defence disappeared and the last three goals were far too easily earned.
To add to Griffin’s woes, he now has a mounting injury crisis.
Already without key defender Ellis Dunton, who may be out for up to three weeks, Griffin had lost three of his team to injury by early in the second half on Tuesday.
Matt Jones fell heavily on his neck after going up for an aerial challenge and came off after 29 minutes. He required a hospital trip for a check-up.
Veteran striker Alan Griffin, who had been in good goal-scoring form recently, had to be assisted from the field just before the break with a leg injury that could prove long-term.
And finally, centre back Jordan Stoddart, with a further leg injury, left the field in the 54th minute.
Griffin had feared a reaction from Salisbury after they were dumped out of the FA Cup at home to Poole on Saturday – and that is just what the slick Whites produced.
Under pressure Griffin will be looking for just such a reaction from his own players when they travel to Paulton Rovers on Saturday and when they host Mat Liddiard’s Evesham United on Tuesday night.
Teams
Salisbury: Searle, Wheeler, Wannell, Whelan, Baggridge, O'Keefe, Benson, Roberts, Shephard (Green 66), Brooks (Herbert 73), Young (Perrett
Subs not used: Hart, Colson.
Cirencester Town: Wierczorek, Christopher, Jones (Watts 26), Coupe, Stoddart (Loader 55), Pook, Spalding, Connolly, Griffin (Barcelos 42), Whitehead, Bennett.
Subs not used: Mortimer-Jones, Rose.
Attendance: 455 Referee: M Rushton (Pewsey)