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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Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Courtesy of Steve Rolfe Photography
Match Report by Dave Pyzer
Cirencester travelled to the Southampton area to face newly promoted (and currently second placed) Blackfield & Langley and suffered their first away loss of the season.
Blackfield & Langley were promoted to the Southern League at the end of last season following their success in winning the Premier Division of the Wessex League and prior to this match were in 2nd place with 10 points from five games in the Southern League. Cirencester were 6th with 7 points from 4 games.
Following their successful 7-0 victory in the FA Cup last week at AFC Stoneham the Cirencester starting eleven was unchanged - with the returning Aidan Bennett added to the bench.
The home side pressed from the kick off and worked the ball down both flanks before Cirencester produced a counter attack from left to right as Louis Spalding fed the ball to Ben Whitehead who sent it to the right flank with the outside of his left foot for Tommy Anderson to charge forward to be joined by an overlapping Will Christopher who received it in the corner where he dummied to cross then slipped it back to Anderson as he neared the penalty area. The resulting cross was cut-out as it entered the home penalty area.
During the next few minutes Blackfield & Langley tested their visitors as Charlie Urry and Fatah Makhloufi combined to supply Mitchell Speetchly-Price leading to a corner kick that did not trouble ‘The Centurions’ defence.
The very firm, bumpy pitch was restricting free flowing football as the players were having to concentrate on controlling the ball first, enabling their opponents to get closer and mount a challenge, resulting in hurried passes going astray but despite this Cirencester were having some success down their right flank with Anderson and Christopher prominent. One move between the pair led to a cross to the far post that Alan Griffin headed wide of the left post.
Either side of the mid-point of the half both sides had efforts at the target as Makhloufi supplied Urry who, under pressure, shot over the bar from near the penalty spot – soon to be followed by Cirencester winning a couple of corner kicks in quick succession from the right.
Minutes later Ben Whitehead slipped the ball inside to Jordan Morris, near the left channel front edge of the home area, but a covering defender managed to block his shot.
Around the half hour mark Cirencester enjoyed their most productive period as Anderson saw a shot blocked and a cross turned behind for a corner kick that Adam Connolly headed goal-wards at the back post. His effort was blocked near the goal-line and Griffin reacted quickly to fire the re-bound against the cross-bar.
As the interval approached Cirencester pressed again but the home side held firm.
Half Time: 0-0
After the break the home side were the first to threaten as Adeoye Olumuyiwa played the ball down the right flank for Speetchly-Price to chase and cross towards the near post where Ellis Dunton managed to block at full stretch to deny Urry as he darted to collect.
As Blackfield & Langley continued to press Cirencester had to rely on counter attacks and loose balls – one of which (following a defensive header) Whitehead latched onto to fire over the bar from 30 yards.
At the mid-point Cirencester mounted their first flowing move of the half as they worked the ball down the centre, left and forward to the left corner as Dunton, Griffin, Louis Spalding and Morris combined but once again the final ball was cut-out for a corner kick that yielded no end product – failing to clear the first defender - resulting in a break from the home side and a shot from Urry that was wide of the right post.
Shortly afterwards Aidan Bennett replaced Jordan Morris and his first contribution was to head the ball on to Whitehead and then loop round him to receive the return as he entered the penalty area to strike a fierce right footed shot that ‘keeper Lewis Noice did well to push over his cross-bar.
Either side of this effort Liam Robinson and Makhloufi had shots comfortably saved by Matt Wieczorek but as the game entered the final 15 minute period of normal time the home side broke the dead-lock as Robinson crossed to the far post from the right channel for CHARLIE URRY to head inside the left post. 1-0.
Cirencester reacted positively to this setback as they worked the ball to Tommy Anderson, inside the home area, but his shot was blocked.
Almost immediately Whitehead played a superb pass inside the right back from the centre circle for Bennett to collect and enter the box but once again the resulting shot was blocked by a combination of defender and ‘keeper.
As the game entered ‘added time’ Cirencester were reduced to ten men when an innocuous challenge near the left touchline resulted in Ellis Dunton being awarded his second Yellow Card - - followed by the customary Red.
The home side capitalised a couple of minutes later when FATAH MAKHLOUFI worked his way along the left by-line to cross to the edge of the 6 yard box before following up to deflect the attempted clearance into the net to score from close range. 2-0.
Full Time: 2-0
Not a game for the football purist as little flowing football was on view.
A disappointing performance from Cirencester who never really mastered the firm, bumpy surface.
The number of Cards issued by the Referee (4 x Yellow + 2 x YC = 1 x RC) might suggest a competitive, feisty game but it was far from that.
Attendance: 102 Referee: Craig Robson
BLACKFIELD & LANGLEY:
1. Lewis Noice
2. Zak Sharpe
3. Ryan Catley
4. Adeoye Olumuyiwa
5. Sam Poole (C)
6. Adam Tomasso
7. Liam Robinson
8. Patrick Nolan
9. Charlie Urry 77
10. Fatah Makhloufi 90+3
11. Mitchell Speetchly-Price
12. Lerone Plummer (Mitchell Speetchly-Price-75mins)
14. Connor Doe (Adam Tomasso-77mins)
15. Lewis Waterfield (Charlie Urry-85mins)
16. Liam Callaghan
17. Dylan Knight
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Matt Wieczorek
2. Will Christopher
3. Louis Spalding
4. Mike Pook
5. Ellis Dunton
6. Henry Spalding
7. Tommy Anderson
8. Adam Connolly
9. Alan Griffin (C)
10. Ben Whitehead
11. Jordan Morris
12. Mason Hathaway
13. Scott Rose (GK)
14. Antonio Gerrish (Louis Spalding-84mins)
15. Jack Freeman
16. Aidan Bennett (Jordan Morris-68mins)