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
Match photos supplied by Graham Hill
Following Saturday’s hard-fought drawn game The Centurions travelled to Clevedon for the mid-week return match in the Preliminary Round of The Emirates FA Cup and it was finally decided by an extra-time goal.
The Cirencester starting eleven had one change from Saturday’s fixture as goal-scorer Joe Shepherd was suffering from concussion following the match.
The home side kicked-off but quickly lost possession for Cirencester to counter down their right flank as Josh Nelmes supplied Jordan Lymn and he charged to the right corner to cross. His cross was met by Levi Irving, left of the Penalty Spot who instantly shot at goal – blocked, rebounding to Joe Turley who also had his shot blocked with the ball being cleared for a Cirencester throw-in near the right corner flag. From there the ball was fed across the pitch via Lymn and Turley to Jordan Morris and his cross from the flank was headed over by Irving.
A very promising start for the visitors.
Not to be outdone the home side responded a few minutes later as first Alex Camm reached their right corner and then Freddie King cut in from their left corner but both attacks were defended and the threat cleared.
Shortly afterwards the home side lost their goal-scorer from Saturday, Ethan Feltham, as he pulled up with an injury and Archie Ferris came on as his replacement.
During the first quarter Lymn had been particularly busy and at the mid-point of the half he was thwarted from collecting another pass down the right channel by the alert home ‘keeper, Luca Smith, who was quickly out to collect on the very edge of his area.
A couple of minutes later Cirencester tried a more direct approach as Jake Lee launched the ball towards the right front corner of the home box where Ross Gabriel struck a first-time volley at the target forcing Smith into a save at his left post.
Shortly before the half-hour mark Lymn delivered another excellent cross into the home box for Nick Hancock to strike his effort wide of the left post from near the Penalty Spot.
Clevedon replied as Glen Hayer sent a long ball to the right corner for Elliot Nicholson to slip it inside for King, on the burst, to collect and cross but it was intercepted.
A minute or so later Mitch Osmond sent a free kick from 40 yards narrowly wide of the right post.
Into the final ten minutes of the half and the home side worked the ball down their right flank a couple of times but were unable to break through the Cirencester defence whilst the visitor’s countered down both flanks and also failed to break through.
Half Time: 0-0
Immediately from the re-start Cirencester pressed the home defence as Irving reached the right corner to supply Theo Lewis who in turn fed Lymn and on to Hancock – shot blocked. Irving then combined with Gabriel to provide Hancock and this time his attempted lob was collected by Smith.
Having tried their right flank Cirencester worked their left but no break-through.
As the hour approached Clevedon pressed as King and Osmond combined leading to a cross from their right flank and a far-post header from Archie Ferris that Cirencester custodian Alex Harris caught.
A King shot from near the centre front edge of the Cirencester box was blocked by Ellis Dunton and a timely tackle from Nelmes prevented further progress but King was soon back again as he was supplied by Ferris, on half-way, to embark on a long run down the right channel before shooting wide of the right post.
At the mid-point of the half Dunton sent the ball forward to Gabriel who headed on to Irving – resulting in a throw-in and a corner kick that Smith punched for Callum Kingdon to acrobatically complete the clearance.
A few minutes later Ferris nearly latched onto a back header but his attempted lob passed over the bar.
In this ‘end-to-end’ encounter the action quickly reached the other end as Hancock delivered another corner kick towards the Penalty Spot where Regan Messenger headed goal-wards for it to be caught under the bar.
Alex Harris then launched the ball down the pitch for Irving to head to Lymn who made ground to the corner to cross for Messenger to shoot – pushed over the bar for a corner kick from the left flank that was fed into the mix in front of the goal-mouth where it was headed away then back in for Smith to push over his bar – another corner kick from the same side. This time it bobbed about until REEGAN MESSENGER powerfully headed home from just outside the centre front edge of the home 6-yard box – breaking the deadlock and providing him with his first Senior goal for the Club. 0-1.
Almost immediately from the re-start the home side launched the ball to the right channel front edge of the Cirencester box and from there it was played across to the other side of the box for MITCH OSMOND to drill it inside the far-right post. 1-1.
With tension building as the game was drawing to a close a couple of tackles from behind as Cirencester twice countered quickly were penalised – with the second one leading to a melee - but once Yellow Cards had been issued the game continued at the same frantic pace.
For the home side King fired past the right post and for Cirencester Lymn supplied Sergio Mills at the back post and he crossed for Irving to strike the right post and as Messenger put the rebound wide he was declared ‘offside’ so it remained all-square at full time.
Full Time: 1-1
Extra-time First Half:
Cirencester kicked off and worked the ball down the right channel before switching left for Mills to lay it back to Morris who delivered it to the Penalty Spot where Irving headed over.
Shortly after Mills displayed some clever footwork to create room for a cross to Lymn who had his cross blocked for a corner kick that was eventually fed back to Hancock - but his cross was caught by Smith.
Around the mid-point Irving sent a Lymn cross narrowly wide of the near post and a Messenger punt downfield was controlled with sublime skill by Lymn on the right channel front edge of the home box before his shot was saved by Smith.
Extra-time Second Half:
In the opening minutes of this period Nicholson fired over the bar from the edge of the Cirencester box and a long clearance for King to chase had to be dealt with by a very advanced Harris.
At the mid-point a Lymn cross was blocked at the near post by Smith and cleared to be recycled as Hancock delivered the ball to the far post from the right flank where Mills stooped to head back across the goal-mouth for LEVI IRVING to head home from close range at the right post. 1-2.
With minutes on the clock Ferris supplied Josh Pitt in the right corner and he slipped it to Camm near the front edge of the Cirencester box but his left footed shot was over the bar.
The final minutes saw Mills carry the ball down the left flank before switching to Frankie Johnson and Irving on the right.
Final Score: 1-2 (AET)
Another very competitive game that was well contested throughout.
Cirencester will now travel to Larkhall Athletic on 3rd September for the First Qualifying Round of the competition.
Attendance: ??? Referee: Andrew Hobbs
Clevedon Town:
1. Luca Smith
2. Elliot Nicholson
3. Syd Camper
4. Callum Kingdon
5. Glen Hayer
6. Callum Eastwood
7. Alex Camm
8. Mitch Osmond © 78
9. Freddie King
10. Ethan Felham
11. Sol Kent
12. Tom Kemble (Callum Kingdon-69mins)
13. Charles Lovell (GK)
14. Stan Irving (Sol Kent-100mins)
15. Josh Pitt (Elliot Nicholson113mins)
16. Archie Ferris (Ethan Felham-13mins)
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Josh Nelmes
3. Jordan Morris
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Ellis Dunton
7. Jordan Lymn
8. Theo Lewis
9. Ross Gabriel
10. Levi Irving 112
11. Nick Hancock
12. Kenneth Mills (Ross Gabriel-73mins)
14. Reegan Messenger (Theo Lewis-61mins) 77
15. Frankie Johnson (Nick Hancock-113mins)
16. James Mortimer-Jones
17. Louie Barnfather (GK