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
The New Year’s Day league fixture brought near neighbours Highworth Town to The Corinium Stadium for the first reverse fixture of the season and after a well contested game honours were even with neither side able to open the scoring.
Earlier in the season Cirencester defeated ‘The Worthians’ 1-0 in the reverse fixture and the visitors would undoubtedly be looking to avenge this result and impress their new Management Team who were installed in recent days. In terms of form Cirencester have secured 13 points from their last 6 games whilst Highworth have obtained 5 points from the same number of matches.
Highworth kicked off towards The Shed end of The Corinium Stadium and immediately worked the ball from right to left until the ball was lost for Cirencester to do the same as Levi Irving reached the left channel of the penalty area to win a corner kick.
Having mounted their first foray into Highworth territory the home side pressed for the next few minutes with one move starting from the right bye-line as Jordan Morris, under pressure from Ben Lodge, managed to keep the ball before sending a cross-field pass from the corner to Irving in the left channel, 15 yards inside the Cirencester half, who headed it back to Will Tunnicliff who sent a 30 yard cross-field pass to Lewis Thompson as he attacked down the right channel but determined defending stopped him in his tracks.
Cirencester were enjoying plenty of possession at this stage but a strong challenge from Will Wellon earned him a Yellow Card and the opportunity for Highworth to test the home side from a central position, 30 yards out. The kick was driven into the ‘defensive wall’ by Sean Wood but recycled into the right channel of the home area where an attempted cross was blocked and a follow-up shot fired over the bar.
Around the 15 minute mark Morris sent a superb pass from the right channel that ‘arced’ into the path of a charging Jonny Dennis as he approached the Highworth box. Once there he cut right and attempted to back-heel the ball into the path of a supporting Thompson but it was intercepted.
Moments later Cirencester were back again as two shots at the target were blocked on the edge of the 6 yard box before the ball was cleared to Mike Pook, 30 yards out – right channel, and he immediately returned it to the far post where Jack Twyman headed back across goal and narrowly wide of the far right post.
As the mid-point of the half arrived Ed Mbunga made a strong run down the right flank for the visitors before moving the ball on for Ashley Edenborough to collect near the corner where Josh Nelmes was quickly across to block leading to a throw-in for Highworth that led to Matt Grabe firing wide of the right post.
Cirencester replied with another sweeping move as Irving, Twyman, Thompson and Jack Freeman combined to supply Dennis on the right flank and as he neared the corner he delivered a tantalising cross that evaded an incoming Thompson and passed just wide of the left post.
Whilst the home side were pressing they were finding it difficult to break through a resolute Highworth backline and had to be mindful of the quick counter attacks of their visitors – one such attack as Lodge burst down the left flank resulted in an Edenborough shot, from near the right channel front edge of the home box, that ‘keeper Lewis Clayton parried.
As the half entered the final 15 minutes Highworth were beginning to press more often with Mbunga a particular threat down the right flank where he and Tunnicliff were having a great battle and with a couple scheduled minutes remaining it was Mbunga who broke down the centre - after a Cirencester free kick had been defended - to slip the ball right to Edenborough, near the right channel front edge of the home box, and he wasted no time in shooting but his strike crashed against the bar and was cleared.
The home reply quickly followed as Dennis made another run to the right corner before slipping the ball left to Freeman who ‘shimmied’ his way past a couple of challenges in the box to shoot but his effort was blocked.
Half Time: 0-0
Cirencester started the second half very positively as within five minutes they had won two corner kicks, two free kicks and had an appeal for ‘handball’ in the area turned down.
During the next ten minutes Highworth responded with a couple of breaks down their left flank whilst for Cirencester a Dennis break led to him shooting into the side netting from a narrow angle.
As the mid-point arrived Pook clipped a well weighted half-volley pass into the path of debutant Nick Hancock who fired over from 30 yards but generally there was a lot of ‘huff & puff’ with no real threat at either end.
A few minutes later Morris intercepted a pass on his right flank, 30 yards out, and cut left to drive down the right channel before moving left to shoot from the edge of the visitors area for Connor Johns to push it wide to concede a corner kick that reached Twyman but once again the Ciren man was denied.
As the game entered the final scheduled minutes Mbunga cut left from the right channel and was brought down and he picked himself up to fire the resulting free kick over the home bar from 20 yards.
As Highworth finished with a flurry a free kick from their left flank to the back post was headed back into the mix near the penalty spot and there was a shout for ‘handball’ from their players and supporters when a shot was blocked but the referee rejected the appeal.
Full Time: 0-0
Cirencester pressed for much of the game with Highworth countering quickly to ask a few questions of the home defence but generally it was the defences that were on top as neither side could find a ‘cutting edge’ and on reflection a draw was probably the right result.
Attendance: 228
Referee: Alan Cox
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Lewis Clayton
2. Jordan Morris
3. Will Tunnicliff
4. Michael Pook (C)
5. Josh Nelmes
6. Will Wellon
7. Jack Freeman
8. Jack Twyman
9. Levi Irving
10. Lewis Thompson
11. John Dennis
12. Tommy Ouldridge (Jack Twyman-83mins)
14. Lewis Spurrier
15. Tommy Anderson (Lewis Thompson-62 mins)
16. Nick Hancock (Jack Freeman-62 mins)
17. James Mortimer-Jones
HIGHWORTH TOWN:
1. Connor Johns
2. Dan Comer
3. Matthew Grabe
4. Ryan Morgan (C)
5. Leon Morrison
6. Matthew Cheetham
7. Edjidja Mbunga
8. Sean Wood
9. Ashley Edenborough
10. Samual Morris
11. Ben Lodge
12. James Harrison (Ashley Edenborough-71mins)
14. Daniel Drewett
15. Tom Rejek (Ryan Morgan-84mins)