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Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Courtesy of Steve Rolfe Photography
Second placed Paulton Rovers were the latest visitors to The Corinium Stadium and after a competitive first half, when Cirencester struck the woodwork three times, they scored two goals in five minutes to put their hosts on the back-foot and defended well to take the points.
The home side came out of the blocks very quickly to take the game to their high-flying visitors even though Ed Butcher had the first shot at goal – an ambitious effort from 30 yards that Lewis Clayton gathered easily – as they worked the ball down their flanks with John Dennis and Ollie Artwell seeing plenty of the ball.
A neat move down their right flank saw Aidan Bennett move the ball on to Artwell who sent a low cross to Alan Griffin, left of the penalty spot, and he laid it back into the path of a supporting Tommy Ouldridge but his right footed shot was deflected for a corner kick.
A few minutes later as Cirencester continued to press Jack Freeman exchanged passes with Dennis, before moving it on to Griffin who supplied Dennis on the burst to the left front corner of the Paulton penalty area. Once there Dennis fired at the target but ‘keeper Joe Perry pushed it wide for a corner kick that Ouldridge sent to the back post where Shayne Anson headed back to Artwell who shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
Cirencester were enjoying plenty of possession at this stage and producing some good movement and passing to work their way to their opponents box but Paulton showed they were dangerous on the break when Ben Bament sent the ball down their left flank for Butcher to take to the corner before sending a low cross past the penalty spot where Jake Sloggett arrived to drive it narrowly wide of the left post.
A minute later the ball was at the other end as Freeman’s corner kick was recycled back to him and this time he sent a deep cross to the far left post where Dennis was just short of controlling it – enabling Perry to collect.
Shortly after the mid-point, as Cirencester pressed, the visitors mounted another swift counter as they launched a cross-field pass that dropped into the path of Butcher near the front left corner of the Cirencester penalty area enabling him to drive into the area for a 1v1 with Clayton who advanced to block his effort.
Cirencester responded as Dennis once again tested Perry who made the save low to his right and then they worked the ball inside the Paulton box but couldn’t work a clean strike at the target.
Ten minutes from the scheduled interval Bennett struck both posts within a couple of minutes – the first as he turned sharply to fire a low cross from Artwell against the outside of the left post and the second when Artwell slid the ball down the right channel for Bennett to strike the right post from a narrow angle with the ball rebounding and eventually reaching Freeman who saw his effort parried by Perry for a corner kick that led to the opening goal. The corner kick was initially defended but quickly sent back into the box where a clearance header reached OLLIE ARTWELL, on the centre front edge of the area, and he smashed it into the top right corner. 1-0.
A couple of minutes later the visitors approached the front edge of the Cirencester box and were surprisingly awarded a free kick. CAMERON SHORNEY’ stepped forward to take the kick and it clipped the top of the ‘wall’ to loop over the despairing dive of Clayton to level the score. 1-1.
In the final minutes Freeman delivered a free kick from the left flank to the far post where Griffin headed wide, and this was followed by a low cross from the left corner, by an over-lapping Will Tunnicliff, to the front edge of the 6 yard box where an incoming Griffin’s glancing contact sent it past the right post.
Half Time: 1-1
During the interval home support wondered if Cirencester had missed their chance, having enjoyed so much possession with little to show for it, and they soon found out.
Whilst Cirencester worked their way to the Paulton box a couple of times in the first few minutes Paulton won a corner kick and then five minutes into the half they took the lead when
DAVID SIMS-BURGESS won a tussle for the ball, 30 yards from goal, before charging forward down the right channel to the edge of the home penalty area to slip the ball past the advancing Clayton. 1-2.
Five minutes later Paulton doubled their lead when BEN BAMENT latched onto a Sloggett chip into the left channel of the home area and without hesitating blasted it into the top right corner. 1-3.
Despite this setback Cirencester continued to press forward with a series of passes working the ball from the left to the right flank – Tunnicliff forward to Griffin, right to Freeman, down the right channel to Bennett, back to Freeman, down the right flank to Artwell who crossed into the box where it was cut out.
As the mid-point of the half approached Cirencester suffered a further setback when Bament released ED BUTCHER down the left channel and he carried it forward to the home penalty area to round Clayton before tucking it into the net to give his side a three goal cushion. 1-4.
Into the final fifteen minutes and Cirencester worked the ball down the centre and out to the right corner where Artwell delivered it towards the penalty spot for Freeman to drive it against the cross-bar and after a couple of blocks it was cleared.
With nothing to lose Cirencester continued to press with a fierce strike from Will Christopher saved by Perry.
Shortly afterwards Christopher crossed from the right to the penalty spot where Griffin’s header resulted in a corner kick that Levi Irving glanced wide but Anson chased after it to cross from the left corner and again it resulted in a corner kick.
Inevitably by pushing forward in search of a way back Cirencester were vulnerable to counter attacks and one of these led to a corner kick that required a couple of blocks to prevent Paulton adding to their tally.
As the game drew to a close both Griffin and Irving headed wide of the target but in ‘added-time’ Dennis cut into the left channel of the Paulton area and was brought down for a Penalty Kick to be awarded. ALAN GRIFFIN stepped forward to drive his spot kick towards the bottom right corner and whilst Perry got a hand to it he couldn’t keep it out. 2-4.
Seconds later it was all over.
Full Time: 2-4
Despite a strong first half display Cirencester were undone by the two quick goals just after the interval and even though they created a number of chances they were unable to add to their single goal until it was too late to secure anything from the game.
The home support was left wondering what the outcome would have been had they scored instead of striking the woodwork several times.
Attendance: 155
Referee: Andrew Genders (Redditch)
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Lewis Clayton
2. Will Christopher
3. Will Tunnicliff
4. Tommy Ouldridge
5. Shayne Anson
6. Jack Freeman
7. Oliver Artwell 38
8. Adam Connolly
9. Alan Griffin (C) 90p
10. Aidan Bennett
11. John Dennis
12. Tommy Anderson
14. Will Wellon
15. James Mortimer-Jones
16. Levi Irving (Tommy Ouldridge-74mins)
17. Michael Pook
PAULTON ROVERS:
1. Joseph Perry
2. Joseph Hillard
3. Ben Withey
4. Charlie Hitchings (C)
5. Craig Allan
6. Cameron Shorney 41
7. Jacob Sloggett
8. Braeden Symes
9. Ben Bament 55
10. David Sims-Burgess 50
11. Edward Butcher 67
12. Ryan Gay (Jacob Sloggett-63mins)
14. Bradley Abraham (David Sims-Burgess-64mins)
15. Ali Sen (Edward Butcher-75mins)
16. Kye Mountford