Cirencester Town FC
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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 suffered an early setback at bottom placed Fleet Town but recovered in the second half to take the points.
Whilst the teams are at opposite ends of the table in terms of current form and league position Cirencester were given a fright when Fleet opened the scoring after 11 minutes and took it into the interval.
The visitors kicked off and nearly made the perfect start to the game as they worked the ball down the right flank before slipping it inside to Aidan Bennett, on the edge of the home penalty area, who instantly volleyed towards the top right corner where debutant home ’keeper, James Stroud, managed to push it round his post.
Whilst Cirencester were adjusting to the difficult playing surface - hard and bumpy - and trying to play their usual passing game, their hosts were taking a much more direct approach as they launched long balls down the slope to their flanks.
One such pass down the right flank evaded an attempted interception to reach Bradley Wilson who chased it to the right corner before crossing towards the penalty spot where BILLY ORAM arrived to head downwards and inside the left post to open the scoring. 1-0.
Encouraged by this early success Fleet moved the ball about with conviction for the next few minutes and one cross-field pass from the half-way line, left flank, by Rylan Myers to Wilson, near the right front corner of the Cirencester penalty area, is worthy of mention although it did not have the end result Fleet would have hoped for as Wilson lobbed over the bar.
By the mid-point of the half ‘The Centurions’ were pressing frequently but were finding it difficult to break through with Stroud being the busier of the ‘keepers as he dived to save a Bennett back header and caught an Alan Griffin header under his crossbar.
During the lead-up to the interval both sides created openings as Fleet forced Mat Wieczorek into a low save after Callum Abraham-Barlow cut in from the left flank to shoot, Myers sent an effort past the far right post after cutting into the left channel of the Cirencester penalty area, and Kofi Halliday fired over the bar from 30 yards whilst Cirencester pressed for Griffin and Anderson to have shots at goal.
Half Time: 1-0
Within a minute of the re-start Cirencester rehearsed the move that would lead to a goal a minute later when Ellis Dunton launched a long throw from the left flank to Griffin who headed on from the left front corner of the 6 yard box – the first attempt was caught by Stroud but the second reached the far right post where a lurking TOMMY ANDERSON darted forward to drive into the net from a few yards. 1-1.
A minute later Bennett played a cross-field pass to Jordan Morris, near the front edge of the home area, and his shot was pushed wide by Stroud.
As if to remind Cirencester they still had a game on Halliday harried the visitors defence in the left corner and delivered the ball to Wilson, near the penalty spot, but just as he was about to pull the trigger Dunton got back to take the ball off his toe and concede a corner kick.
Wilson was involved again a few minutes later as he sent crosses from the right flank into the Cirencester box but both finished up in the hands of Wieczorek – the first after a miss-kick by Oram and the other directly.
Just before the hour mark Cirencester responded as Griffin headed against the bar and a few minutes later he nodded into the path of AIDAN BENNETT who cleverly flicked the ball over his marker before volleying it into the net from the edge of the box for Cirencester to take the lead. 1-2.
At this stage Cirencester were also adopting a more direct approach and four minutes later they doubled their lead as ALAN GRIFFIN pulled a long punt out of the air and instantly followed up with a sublime volley over Stroud from 25 yards. 1-3.
To their credit Fleet were still dangerous on the break and created a couple of chances but in the final minutes Cirencester were awarded a penalty kick after Stroud flattened Owen Windsor and ALAN GRIFFIN stepped forward to smash the spot kick inside the left post to complete the scoring. 1-4.
Full Time: 1-4
A game played on a difficult surface that led to a competitive encounter as the visitors struggled to adapt in the first half but after the interval they changed their tactics to secure victory.
Attendance: 310
Referee: Michael Ryan (Littlehampton)
FLEET TOWN:
1. James Stroud
2. Ross Ewen
3. Rylan Myers
4. Cavan Atkinson
5. Stuart Derry (C)
6. Edwin Plackett
7. Bradley Wilson
8. Jack Selby
9. Kofi Halliday
10. Billy Oram 11
11. Callum Abraham-Barlow
12. Daniel Framp
14. Lewis Plackett (Jack Selby-88mins)
15. Eoin Kirwan (Billy Oram-82mins)
16. Enow Ojong (Rylan Myers-69mins)
17. Kieran Ngale-Kelly
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Mateusz Wieczorek
2. Will Christopher
3. Ellis Dunton
4. Mike Pook
5. Baboucarr Jarra
6. Jack Freeman
7. Tommy Anderson 47
8. Adam Connolly
9. Alan Griffin (C) 68, 89p
10. Aidan Bennett 64
11. Jordan Morris
12. Owen Windsor (Jordan Morris-71mins)
14. James Mortimer-Jones (Jack Freeman-90mins)
15. Louis Spalding
16. Scott Rose (GK)