Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester have made a number of long away trips in the last three weeks so it was a comparatively short journey to face Bristol Manor Farm, a team that sat immediately below them in the league table (before the match), and after a game littered with free kicks it was the home side that secured the points by the solitary goal scored 20 minutes into the second half.
The Centurions are in the midst of a series of away fixtures and within 5 minutes of their kick-off they had created three very good chances to open their account although they had an initial scare in the opening minute when ‘keeper Alex Harris was called upon to block Ben Bament on the edge of his area before the attack was declared to be ‘offside’.
The first of the three chances came as a defender miss-controlled a cross on the edge of the home box enabling Josh Parsons to collect and shoot – parried by custodian Ben John and cleared.
A minute later Parsons collected the ball in the right corner and delivered his cross to the near post where a fast-arriving Levi Irving dived to head narrowly wide of the right post. The busy Parsons then sent a free kick just wide of the right post from 25 yards, right channel.
It had been a promising opening period for The Centurions but the home side responded for Jake Gosling to collect near the right front corner of the Cirencester box before darting to the by-line to cross – defended, but he was soon in action again to deliver a free kick into the mix from 40 yards, left of centre, that resulted in a free kick to the visitors.
In this hectic opening period Kyle Tooze charged down the left flank before cutting right to send his shot past the far right-post from 25 yards and ten minutes later he embarked on a long diagonal run across the pitch to release Jamie Short to the corner where progress was halted.
In between Irving headed a free kick back across goal where it was cleared for the Tooze run previously mentioned.
Around the half hour mark Cirencester produced the semblance of a decent move as Ellis Dunton played the ball to Tommy Anderson, left to Parsons and back to Josh Nelmes who sent it to the left corner where the move petered out. Five minutes before Nelmes had latched onto a clearance, following a corner kick, to volley over the bar.
During the remaining period there was little to write about as the sides cancelled one another out, although in the final couple of minutes a Dunton volley was deflected to ‘keeper John and Jake Gosling’s shot was headed out by Jake Lee to be fired wide of the left post by Ben Bament.
Half Time: 0-0
Almost immediately from the re-start Joe Shepherd nearly latched onto an under-hit back pass but the home side countered for Gosling to reach the penalty area and Bament to have his shot blocked.
Cirencester then produced another well-constructed move as Nelmes fed Anderson who exchanged passes with Shayne Anson before supplying Parsons who had his shot blocked and cleared to Lee – fouled near half way for a Cirencester free kick that was defended.
The travelling fans were then treated to the rare sight of a 30-yard run, down the centre, from Joe Turley who reached the edge of the home box before slipping the ball left to a supporting Shepherd who was unable to take it in his stride and was forced wide.
When the home side countered Lee produced a firm tackle, near the centre circle, to stop their progress and had to be strong to retain it.
Shortly before the hour mark Cirencester constructed a move down their left flank – Dunton to Anderson, right to Parsons, left to Irving, back to Tom Handley who sent a terrific curling cross towards the far-right post and somehow it avoided contact to pass narrowly wide.
Six minutes later Handley cleared the ball downfield and when it bounced over the defender, near the edge of his penalty area, Parsons latched onto it and attempted a lob over the advancing John – deflected for a corner kick that was delivered to the far-right post and eventually cleared leading to a counter attack and a pass from the centre, 35 yards out, to the right channel for BEN BAMENT to collect, in space, and drive into the Cirencester box. As the defence closed-in he struck a firm, accurate shot across goal to enter the net just inside the far-left post. 1-0.
Cirencester reacted to the setback as Brad Gray struck a free kick wide of the left post and crossed the ball onto the roof of the net before he was just unable to reach another dangerous cross from Handley at the far-right post.
The visitors were making a determined effort to level but the home defence was not to be breached and just before the 90-minute mark Lloyd Mills fired a low shot towards the left post where Harris saved and into ‘added-time’ they worked the ball to the right corner where they managed to ‘run the clock down’ and secure victory.
Full Time: 1-0
A competitive, but scrappy, match as the two sides cancelled one another out – littered with free kicks that also prevented any flow to the match as neither side could gain the upper hand.
Attendance: 166 Referee: George Enever
1. Ben John
2. Mason Winter
3. Aaron Robbins ©
4. Josh Ford
5. Steve Kingdon
6. Lloyd Mills
7. Jake Gosling
8. Michael Bryant
9. Ben Bament 65
10. Kyle Tooze<
11. Jamie Short
12. Theo Llewellyn (Jamie Short-60mins)
14. Sam Boulton
15. Stuart Tovey
1. Alex Harris
2. Shayne Anson
3. Tom Handley
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Ellis Dunton
7. Tommy Anderson
8. Josh Nelmes
9. Levi Irving
10. Josh Parsons
11. Joe Shepherd
12. Bradley Gray (Tommy Anderson-60mins)
14. Ross Gabriel (Josh Nelmes-68mins)
15. Aidan Bennett (Josh Parsons-78mins)
16. Elliott Keightley
17. Michael Pook