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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The Boxing Day fixture list took Cirencester to Worcestershire to meet fourth placed Evesham United and following a determined performance they returned with a point.
Before the game Evesham were two places above their visitors in the league table and with home advantage it was going to be a tough challenge despite Cirencester being in the better form at present with 12 points from their last 6 games to Evesham’s 7 points from the same number of games - and so it proved.
Immediately from their kick-off the home side attacked their left flank to the corner where Jordan Morris stubbornly defended before sending it down the line for Jonny Dennis to take it further.
Evesham then tried their right flank with a neat move involving Lee Chilton who took it to the corner before playing it back to Harry Franklin who sent it left for Paul Sullivan to attempt a through ball that Morris intercepted.
It had been a positive start for the hosts and Cirencester replied with a cross-field pass from Mike Pook to Dennis who cut between two opponents to the right side edge of the home penalty area to square the ball to James Mortimer-Jones, right to Morris who sent a curling cross towards the far post and out for a goal-kick.
During the next few minutes Sullivan fired over and Pook wide of the goal framework but with 13 minutes on the clock Cirencester created the best chance so far when the ball was worked to Dennis in the right corner and his cross to the front edge of the home 6-yard box evaded everyone to find an unmarked Levi Irving who headed wide of the right post.
Cirencester continued to press with Evesham countering and as the mid-point approached Sullivan received the ball near the left front corner of the Cirencester penalty area and cut right before firing a fierce strike from 20 yards that cannoned off the bar with Chilton heading the rebound goal-wards and former Evesham player Will Wellon clearing off the line.
As the visitors pressed forward they were awarded a number of corner kicks but failed to convert any of them and with five minutes to the interval Evesham countered as Chilton received the ball in the left channel of the Cirencester area where a sliding Wellon blocked his shot to concede a corner kick.
In the final minute of the half a Cirencester corner kick from the left reached Jack Twyman at the back post and his downward header surprisingly bounced up and over the cross-bar.
Half Time: 0-0
Cirencester started the second half positively – winning a corner kick in the first couple of minutes and Will Tunnicliff embarking on a 50 yard run down the left flank before delivering a cross to the far post where Dennis’s header was blocked and cleared.
A couple of Cirencester corner kicks near the hour resulted in Bradley Maslen-Jones bringing the ball out of defence and carrying it to the half way line where he sent a measured pass down the right channel for Sullivan to collect in the penalty area but his resulting cross-shot from a narrow angle passed wide of the far left post.
Shortly before the mid-point of the half a Cirencester free kick reached the penalty spot and two headers later it sailed over the home bar.
Evesham responded with a neat move down their left channel and a through ball to Brian Smikle who fired wide of the right post.
In the final quarter play was more even as the players struggled with their footing on the soft pitch with many a pass going astray and those that reached either penalty area were quickly cleared.
During the final minutes Evesham probed around the front edge of the Cirencester penalty area but some resolute defending from the Cirencester back line denied them a breakthrough and the game ended all-square.
Probably the right result on the day.
Full Time: 0-0
Not a particularly exciting game despite the best efforts of the players involved as neither side was able to seize control with the soft pitch playing a major part in the quality produced as players struggled to keep their balance to deliver telling passes.
Attendance: 243
Referee: James Cox
EVESHAM UNITED:
1. Jonathan Brown
2. Aaron Roberts
3. Brian Smikle
4. Ryan Paddock
5. Bradley Maslen-Jones
6. Jordan Sangha
7. Harry Franklin
8. Daniele Bragoli (C)
9. Paul Sullivan
10. Lee Chilton
11. Adam Page
12. Jordan Staten
14. Thomas Chamberlain
15. Jack Cresswell (Jordan Sangha-62mins)
16. Joe O’Neill (Harry Franklin-87mins)
17. Aaron Bashford (Adam Page-62mins)
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Lewis Clayton
2. Jordan Morris
3. Will Tunnicliff
4. Mike Pook (C)
5. Josh Nelmes
6. Will Wellon
7. James Mortimer-Jones
8. Jack Twyman
9. Levi Irving
10. Lewis Thompson
11. John Dennis
12. Jack Freeman (James Mortimer-Jones-67mins)
14. Tommy Ouldridge
15. Lwis Spurrier
16. Ashley Harper (Lewis Thompson-74mins)
17. Sam Farr