Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Match photos supplied by Graham Hill
The Centurions latest Pre-Season Friendly match took them to BISHOPS CLEEVE to face the current Champions of the Hellenic League who return to the Southern League - Division 1 South for the 2022-23 season with a new 3G pitch.
As is often the case in local matches there were a number of players in both sides that had either played for the opposing Club or the opposing Manager and as a consequence it was certainly a well contested match with the home side taking victory by the odd goal in three.
The home side kicked off playing away from the Clubhouse, into a very strong wind, and after Cirencester had repelled their attack a quick counter attack followed to the left corner where Theo Lewis crossed to the far post for the ball to be fed into the 6-yard box - but Ross Gabriel was just short of a meaningful contact enabling Lewis Clayton to drop on the ball.
In the next few minutes Lewis fired over the bar and Cleeve responded with a well worked free kick involving Turner(?) and Pearce(?) who slipped the ball into the right channel of the Cirencester area for George Box to collect but ‘keeper Louie Barnfather had spotted the danger and was quickly out to smother his effort.
Shortly afterwards Jack Watts fed the ball to the right front corner of the visitor’s Penalty area for Box to collect and contest with Ellis Dunton leading to a throw-in for the home side on their right flank from which the ball was worked to their left channel and slipped through for HARRISON REEVES to collect before striking a low left footed shot that clipped the inside of the far post on its way into the back of the net. 1-0.
A minute later it was all-square again as Jordan Lymn played a superb pass from the right flank, just inside the Cleeve half, for ROSS GABRIEL to collect on the left channel front edge of the home box before striking a firm shot inside the far-right post. 1-1.
The game became end-to-end as neither side was able to retain possession for long due to the strong wind and competitive nature of the match but as the interval loomed Theo Lewis struck the bar with a free kick from the edge of the home box and whilst the rebound was eventually in the net it was ruled out for an infringement earlier in the action.
On the stroke of ‘half-time’ the Watts/Box partnership repeated the earlier move with the latter striking the Cirencester bar.
Half Time: 1-1
The game re-started at the same frantic pace and five minutes into the half Cirencester worked the ball forward to Theo Lewis but progress came to an abrupt end - resulting in a Yellow Card for the culprit – Lewis fired the free kick over the home bar.
Shortly before the hour mark Reegan Messenger delivered a great cross-field pass from the left flank for Lymn to collect near the right front corner of the home box and dart towards the by-line – his right foot shot passing narrowly wide of the far post.
This was soon followed by Nick Hancock winning the ball and slipping it into the left channel of the home box for Levi Irving to collect and shoot but it was blocked by Clayton.
Almost immediately the action transferred to the other end as Cleeve delivered a corner kick from their left flank into the mix and when it was cleared it fell to veteran goal-scorer KEVIN SLACK on the left channel front edge of the Cirencester area and he promptly despatched it into the bottom left corner. 2-1.
Before the mid-point of the half Cleeve had pressed to win a couple of corner kicks in succession that Cirencester defended and the visitors had replied with attacks to the corners that the home side defended.
This was generally the pattern of the second half and despite plenty of possession and effort Cirencester were unable to level.
Full Time: 2-1
A good competitive game with both sides working the ball and having periods of possession.
BISHOPS CLEEVE:
Starting eleven:-
Clayton, Turner, Gowan, Blackie, Anson, Pearce, Waugh, Haskayne, Box, Watts, Reeves.
Subs:- Nine warming up but no names available.
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
Louie Barnfather, Josh Nelmes, Jordan Morris, Joe Turley, Jake Lee ©, Ellis Dunton, Jordan Lymn, Nick Hancock (Sergio Mills 61), Ross Gabriel (Levi Irving 46), Theo Lewis (Dan Austin 70), Frankie Johnson (Reegan Messenger 46).