Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
A GOAL from the prolific Ben Whitehead earned Cirencester Town a point at Kidlington on a cold night in Oxfordshire.
Match Report reproduced by kind permission of Danny Hall - Sports Editor of The Wilts & Glos Standard newspaper.
Town were a shadow of the slick-passing outfit of their recent showings, but whereas two sparkling displays against Wimborne Town and Bristol Manor Farm resulted in just a point, here they got something out of the game that perhaps they didn't deserve.
Kidlington have been on a fine run in the league, unbeaten in 11, and had trounced Mangotsfield 5-2 in Bristol on Saturday, so Charlie Griffin will probably be satisfied to take a point.
Town had two pre-game dramas involving the Spalding brothers. In the afternoon Griffin had agreed a month-long deal for 18-year-old left back Louis Spalding, a second-year scholar at Swindon Town.
However, a late hiccup in the paperwork meant the deal did not get over the line in time for the Kidlington game. Louis has now signed and will be involved in the away game at AFC Totton on Saturday.
Then brother Henry's car, also carrying Will Christopher, broke down en route to Oxford requiring a joint rescue bid from team-mate Michael Pook and his dad Lee 'Spud' Spalding.
Town started with the same line-up as at Bristol Manor Farm on a rutted, pudding of a pitch which was not conducive to free-flowing football from either side.
The little football played in the first half came from hosts, with Elliott Osborne-Ricketts running the show, so Ciren were looking forward to getting to the half-time whistle at 0-0.
Then captain Adam Connolly, who again gave a man-of-the-match performance at the centre of defence alongside the excellent Alex Albert, was involved in a tussle inside the box with Darius Browne.
As both players went heavily to ground in the 41st minute the striker managed to lob the ball over the advancing Thom Jonkerman and into the net.
Ciren came close to scoring in the opening minute of the second period with two chances and a corner and a more open end-to-end game developed.
But Town had a let-off in the 58th minute when Osborne-Ricketts curled a chance just wide.
The visitors improved for the introduction of Aidan Bennett and Alan Griffin and Sam Warrell produced a fine save to keep a Bennett header out of the top corner.
Then in the 72nd minute Town drew level when Whitehead kept his cool after breaking free of the defence.
Soon after, a nice move involving Griffin and Whitehead set up Bennett but his effort from the edge of the box curled just wide.
Kidlington continued to look dangerous on the break without ever troubling Jonkerman and the game drifted to a draw.
Cirencester Town: Jonkerman, Christopher, Dunton, Mortimer-Jones (Bennett, 51), Albert, Pook, Anderson, Connolly (capt), Ouldridge, Whitehead, Spalding (Griffin, 61). Unused subs: Lewis, Rose.
Attendance: 68
Referee: Martyn Gospel