Cirencester Town FC
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Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Match photos supplied by Becky Handley
For their penultimate away league match of the season The Centurions made the long journey to Devon to face Bideford AFC and scored a goal in each half to record a rare victory at Kingsley Road.
The last five visits to Kingsley Road have resulted in defeat for Cirencester on 3 occasions, 1 draw and the only victory was way back in October 2014 and with the hosts at the wrong end of the league table and trying to stay out of the relegation places it was always going to be a difficult match and so it proved.
Prior to the match Cirencester sat in 3rd place in the league table and Bideford 15th whilst a review of current form, based on the ‘6-Match Form Guide’ table, reveals the teams to be 5th and 10th respectively.
Cirencester Manager, John Brough, made two enforced changes to the starting eleven from the previous match against Plymouth Parkway as Josh Parsons and Jake Mawford were not available.
The visitors kicked off playing into a slight breeze on a bright sunny afternoon and after dummying to send the ball to the right flank Joe Turley turned quickly to switch play to the left but as they moved forward the ball was lost enabling Bideford to counter to the right by-line.
Ellis Dunton cut out the intended cross and moved the ball up to Levi Irving who made ground before switching the ball to the right flank for Shayne Anson to send down the line for Aidan Bennett to cross to the far post where Irving arrived to collect but was quickly crowded out for a goal kick. A positive start for the visitors.
The home side reacted positively as well and immediately attacked down their right flank as Joe Charles crossed to Charles Hanson, to the left of the Penalty Spot, who was also quickly surrounded so he fed the ball back to Alex Byrne who moved it right to Aaron Taylor, forward to Hanson, back to Ben Wood who shot over the bar from the edge of the area.
A couple of minutes later Alex Moyse delivered a pass into the left corner where George Nancekivell chased to collect and lay off to Taylor who fired over the bar from the left channel – 22 yards out.
Following this period of activity around the Cirencester box the visitors responded as Bennett collected a loose ball and poked it through for Ben Whitehead to collect and shoot – deflected for a corner kick that was defended and cleared but Cirencester were soon back as Tommy Anderson slipped the ball inside from the right flank for Whitehead to cut left before shooting narrowly wide of the right post from 25 yards.
The home side responded with a counter attack to the right by-line as Charles got past two defenders to cross but it was blocked by another enabling ‘keeper Alex Harris to drop on the ball.
During the following ten minutes Cirencester pressed forward and Bideford defended with determination to clear the danger and at the mid-point of the half the home side launched the ball to the left corner where the willing Hanson chased to collect but as he cut inside his shot was blocked by Dunton and then cleared by Anson.
Shortly after the mid-point there was the rare sight of both Managers receiving Yellow Cards, for different incidents within a minute, as they vociferously appealed against decisions made by the Referee.
Around the half-hour mark play became scrappy and frantic but a clearance, from a Cirencester attack to the left front corner of the home box, eventually reached Byrne in the centre channel some 30 yards out and he struck a fierce shot that Harris parried before catching.
As the game moved into the five-minute period before the interval Anson won the ball on the right flank and played it down the line to Whitehead, just inside the home half, and he promptly worked his way inside before sending a reverse pass towards the area near the right front corner of the home box where Anson collected. The full back carried it forward into the box, looked at the target and fired towards the far-left post where LEVI IRVING was arriving at pace to stretch out his left leg to tuck it into the net. 0-1.
In the remaining minutes Bideford worked the ball down their left flank but the resulting header from the cross into the visitor’s box was caught by Harris.
Half Time: 0-1
Almost immediately from the re-start Cirencester won the ball for Tom Handley to supply Whitehead who chipped it to the left corner where Irving collected and a corner kick was awarded that Anderson delivered to the centre front edge of the 6-yard box – Anson’s shot was blocked, Bennett’s shot was blocked, back to Whitehead – blocked and cleared.
Back they came as the ball was worked from right to left for Whitehead to send to the left corner - corner kick - collected by ‘keeper Adam Seedhouse-Evans.
During the next ten minutes the home side pressed their visitors as Moyse delivered a free kick into the box where Anson headed clear, Niall Heeney then combined with Moyse resulting in a throw-in to the hosts, right flank – 25 yards out, that Wood launched into the visitor’s box for Dunton to head out and Turley to send down the right channel for Bennett to chase and cross.
A couple of minutes later Bideford were back as Heeney played the ball down the right flank, resulting in a corner kick that was cleared by Turley but quickly returned for Bideford to concede a free kick for a foul on Jake Lee – thereby relieving the pressure.
Bideford soon returned as the ball was played up to Hanson in the Cirencester penalty area, resulting in another huge throw-in from the left flank by Wood – defended and cleared.
As the home side attacked again the ball was sent down their right channel to an area just outside the Cirencester box where Dunton unceremoniously volleyed it back down the channel. It bounced over the midfield and to the edge of the home box where AIDAN BENNETT pressured the defender to win the ball and as Seedhouse-Evans advanced he cleverly clipped a curling right footed shot into the top right corner. 0-2.
Despite this further setback the home side pressed forward as Moyse fed Wood down the right flank, inside to Henry Cooper – left to Hanson, to the left of the Penalty Spot, who shot over the bar as he turned.
At the mid-point of the half Handley released Irving to the left by-line who played the ball inside to Whitehead and his left footed shot from the left channel of the penalty area was parried by Seedhouse-Evans before he picked it up.
During the next few minutes both sides created openings as Byrne delivered a free kick to the far-left post for Toby Down to head over and Anderson sent a corner kick from the right flank to the near post where Irving headed into the side-netting.
Into the final 15 minutes and Byrne delivered another free kick from the right channel to the far-post where Down sent a firm header into the waiting arms of Harris.
The last few minutes of play became very scrappy although Hanson did attempt another shot on the turn from the centre front edge of the Cirencester box but this too was over the bar.
Full Time: 0-2
A difficult game due to what was at stake for both clubs – keeping the pressure on at the top end and avoiding dropping into the relegation mix at the bottom.
A rare victory for Cirencester after a disciplined performance and a battling performance from their hosts.
Attendance: 273 Referee: ???
Bideford AFC:
1. Adam Seedhouse-Evans
2. Niall Heeney
3. Alex Byrne
4. Joe Charles
5. James Mayne ©
6. Toby Down
7. George Nancekivell
8. Alexander Moyse
9. Charles Hanson
10. Aaron Taylor
11. Benjamin Wood
12. Henry Cooper (George Nancekivell-60mins)
14. Samuel Wright (James Mayne-82mins)
15. Thomas Davey (Joe Charles-85mins
16. Craig Duff
17. Saddam Bello
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Shayne Anson
3. Tom Handley
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Ellis Dunton
7. Tommy Anderson
8. Joe Shepherd
9. Ben Whitehead
10. Aidan Bennett 60
11. Levi Irving 41
12. Josh Nelmes (Ben Whitehead-71mins)
14. Michael Pook (Joe Shepherd-78mins)
15. Jordan Morris (Aidan Bennett-82mins)
16. Nicholas Peare
17. Reegan Messenger