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 Bracknell to face Binfield FC in their latest FA Cup encounter and after a professional performance they came away with a solid 3-0 victory.
The home side play their football in the Premier Division of the Hellenic League – one level below Cirencester – and have made a steady start to their season having obtained 10 points from their 6 games. Last week they narrowly lost to AFC Stoneham in the FA Vase (3-2).
The Cirencester starting eleven had an unexpected inclusion with the appearance of a firm favourite from last season at the heart of the defence as Alexandru Albert replaced the suspended Ellis Dunton. The other changes made by Manager Charlie Griffin were Antonio Gerrish in central midfield in place of Henry Spalding (carrying a slight knock so rested) and Aidan Bennett on the left flank for Jordan Morris.
Cirencester kicked off proceedings in the steady rain that had been falling since their arrival and immediately moved the ball across the back line from right to left and down the flank to the corner where it was lost for the home side to mount a speedy counter attack that resulted in a cross from the right corner by Jemel Johnson that reached Carlo Santoro at the back post who volleyed wide of the left post – an early wake-up call for Cirencester.
Encouraged by this early success the home side took the game to Cirencester with Santoro and Eddie Lee prominent. Santoro produced a scintillating run down the left as he collected the ball on the edge of his area and charged into the Cirencester half before playing the ball up to Lee as he moved to the left side edge of the area. The return ball was cut-out to bring the move to an end.
At the ten minute mark Cirencester were showing signs of settling as they attacked down the right flank through Mike Pook, Tommy Anderson and Will Christopher but when the cross reached Alan Griffin he was adjudged to be ‘offside’.
A minute later Cirencester tried the left flank as Louis Spalding crossed from the corner for the ball to be cleared and re-cycled by Pook who returned it to Spalding with a terrific 40 yard pass from the right side of the centre circle and the young fullback delivered an accurate cross to the back post that was ‘food and drink’ to ALAN GRIFFIN who duly obliged by heading it inside the right post to open the scoring. 0-1.
Cirencester began to dominate possession as they worked the ball across the pitch forcing Binfield to rely on counter attacks – one of which led to Santoro striking a right footed curler into the arms of ‘keeper Matt Wieczorek and another a neat move involving Liam Gavin, Santoro and Lee on the left flank.
As the mid-point approached the visitors worked the ball forward to Ben Whitehead who evaded a couple of challenges before being fouled 25 yards out in a central position. Mike Pook took responsibility for the kick and slid a clever ball towards the left channel of the home area where BEN WHITEHEAD darted left to collect and finish inside the right post. 0-2.
Shortly afterwards the energetic Spalding, who made numerous runs down the left flank during the game, dribbled into the home penalty area before producing another cross to the back post for Griffin but this time the striker headed wide of the right post.
The response from Binfield was a speculative shot from 30 yards by Tafari Downes that was wide of the left post.
Almost immediately BEN WHITEHEAD scored his second as he collected a Griffin ‘nod-on’ and took the ball forward into the home box where he had to avoid a couple of challenges and round ‘keeper Chris Grace before driving it through the recovering defenders into the net. 0-3.
As the interval approached Cirencester pressed as Aidan Bennett combined with Griffin, then Antonio Gerrish, for the latter to release Anderson into the right channel of the box where he shot narrowly high of the top right corner.
The industrious Pook played a crisp pass to Griffin, collected the return and sent it to Whitehead, to the left of the penalty spot who had his shot blocked for a corner kick from the right that Pook delivered to the back post for Adam Connolly to head goal-wards. Grace stretched to catch under his cross-bar.
Half Time: 0-3
Cirencester were quickly out of the blocks after the break as within the first frantic five minutes they should have added four goals.
A charging run from Anderson down the right flank resulted in a cross to the near post that was met by the head of Whitehead as he darted towards the front right corner of the 6 yard box but his clever header struck the bar.
Ben Whitehead then turned provider as he worked his way to the left by-line before sending a low pass to Griffin, near the left channel front edge of the 6 yard box, who fired over the bar.
The busy Whitehead received the ball in the right channel of the area but was forced left as he danced his way past several challenges and round ‘keeper Grace before shooting from the left front corner of the 6 yard box and striking the post. The rebound was collected by Bennett who ‘chipped’ towards the far post but the keeper recovered to push it clear.
In this breathtaking period Griffin crossed from the right to Bennett at the back post but his firm header cleared the bar.
The home side had survived the onslaught and remained defiant as half-time substitutes Khalid Senussi and Jack Howell combined on the right for Howell to send a cross to the back post where Lee headed wide of the left post.
Back came Cirencester as Bennett released Whitehead who saw his low cross from the left by-line cut-out and this was soon followed by the strikers, Griffin and Whitehead, pressing to force a back pass to the ‘keeper that nearly yielded a result as Whitehead’s block of the ‘keepers clearance rebounded past the post.
Despite the pressure from Cirencester the home side were still threatening on the counter and a Johnson pass towards Lee was intercepted by Connolly on the edge of the area and he displayed his clam control to bring it clear with some deft footwork.
On the hour Connolly’s partner in the heart of the Cirencester defence went forward to get on the end of a free kick but his firm header from close range was gratefully caught ‘in the bread basket’ by Grace at his right post.
After being awarded a free kick in the right channel, 30 yards out, Binfield pressed to win a corner kick that was initially cleared then sent towards the penalty spot by Johnson for Lee to head wide of the right post.
Cirencester responded with a neat move down their left flank as Connolly fed Spalding who combined with Bennett to work it to the corner where Bennett’s low cross from the by-line was cut-out.
The visitors continued to press whilst the home side refused to lie down - encouraged by Manager Roger Herridge to ‘play for their pride’ – as Howell released Lee who crossed from the right of the Cirencester box to yield a corner kick that was reached Johnson who fired wide of the right post.
Into the last ten minutes and Bennett slipped the ball into the path of Christopher who struck one of his trademark howitzer shots at the target from 30 yards but Grace was in position to make the catch.
This was soon followed by Senussi firing wide of the right post before he played a clever flick to release Howell to the edge of the Cirencester box - the resulting cross was cut-out.
As the game was drawing to a close Albert sent a superb cross-field pass from defence to Jordan Morris who slipped it to Spalding on yet another over-lapping run to the left corner and a corner kick that was played to Gerrish who drew a finger-tip save from Grace.
Full Time: 0-3
A valiant effort from Binfield who made Cirencester work hard, particularly in the second half, for their victory.
Attendance: 204 Referee: Daniel Simpson
BINFIELD FC:
1. Chris Grace
2. Will Shaw
3. Charlie Tuttle
4. Liam Gavin
5. Gary Smith (C)
6. Lewis Leonetti
7. Carlo Santoro
8. Carl Withers
9. Eddie Lee
10. Tafari Downes
11. Jemel Johnson
12. Josh Howell (Liam Gavin-45mins)
14. Khalid Senussi (Tafari Downes-45mins)
15. Jamie Mitchell
16. Ross McKernan (Jemel Johnson-76mins)
17. Callum Wright
18. Sonny Wheeler (GK)
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Matt Wieczorek
2. Will Christopher
3. Louis Spalding
4. Mike Pook
5. Alex Albert
6. Antonio Gerrish
7. Tommy Anderson
8. Adam Connolly
9. Alan Griffin (C) 13
10. Ben Whitehead 24,31
11. Aidan Bennett
12. Jordan Morris (Ben Whitehead-76mins)
14. Owen Windsor (Tommy Anderson-80mins)
15. Jack Freeman (Alan Griffin-87mins)
16. Mason Hathaway
17. James Mortimer-Jones
18. Henry Spalding
19. Scott Rose (GK)