Cirencester Town FC
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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
The Second Round Qualifying stage of The Isuzu FA Trophy brought former league rivals Paulton Rovers to The Corinium Stadium and after conceding a goal in the 12th minute the visitors recovered to take the lead but Cirencester levelled before the interval and went on to score early in the second period and secure a place in the next round of the competition.
Paulton Rovers form in the Southern League – South Division finds them in 11th place with 6 points from 4 games – 2 wins & 2 losses – whilst in the FA Cup they secured an excellent midweek replay win against Gosport Borough and were rewarded with a tough away fixture against Hampton & Richmond Borough in the next round.
The Cirencester starting eleven for this match was unchanged from that which took to the pitch on Tuesday evening for the replay against Merthyr Town.
Cirencester kicked off, in cool conditions, playing towards The Shed end of the ground to send the ball up their right flank where Paulton gained possession to switch play to their right flank as James Byrne attacked to the corner to cross. Jake Lee headed the danger clear but it was quickly recycled leading to a corner kick that Joe Turley headed out for Edward Butcher to volley over the crossbar.
Paulton had started the game positively and were soon back again as a cross from their left corner reached Kyle Tooze as he darted to the left channel of the home area where ‘keeper Alex Harris dived at his feet, knocking him to the ground, but appeals for a Penalty Kick from the visitors were stifled when they realised the Assistant Referee had his flag raised to indicate ‘offside’.
This ‘escape’ seemed to wake the home team as immediately Adulai Sambu won the ball on their right flank to charge towards the centre front edge of the Paulton box before slipping it to his left for Levi Irving to collect and move left again for an overlapping Jordan Morris to cross to the near post where Ross Gabriel darted forward to fire wide of the left post.
A few minutes later Cirencester were back again as Joe Shepherd rode two challenges to reach the right corner to send a low cross to Irving – shot blocked, so he laid it back to Reegan Messenger – shot blocked.
A minute later ADULAI SAMBU received the ball, 25 yards out, in a central position and played it out to Gabriel in the right corner before continuing his run into the Paulton box to divert the incoming cross inside the right post. 1-0.
Encouraged by their breakthrough Cirencester pressed forward as another Gabriel cross from the right provided a corner kick that eventually resulted in Irving heading over the target.
As the mid-point approached Morris played the ball down the left touchline for Messenger to collect in the corner and as he reached the by-line he squared the ball to Sambu, near the Penalty Spot, and his shot on the turn nearly squeezed past a wrong-footed Aaron Sainsbury in the Paulton goal.
Almost immediately Ellis Dunton delivered a superb volley pass from inside the Cirencester half to Sambu, near the right front corner of the Paulton box, and he drove to the by-line before sending the ball to the far post where a supporting Gabriel volleyed wide of the left post.
Paulton responded by working the ball down their left flank as Nuno Felix rode two tackles before crossing to the far post where Tooze and Morris were involved in an aerial duel that resulted in the ball dropping for Harris to pick up.
Back came Cirencester as Turley played the ball out to the left corner for an advanced Morris to cross towards the front edge of the 6-yard box where Gabriel produced a diving header that was deflected for a corner kick from the left. This kick reached the back post for Dunton’s strike to be cleared from within the goalmouth and a quick counter attack followed as Will Harvey charged forward to reach the left channel of the home Penalty Area where Harris advanced to dive at his feet to stop his progress. This time a Penalty Kick was awarded and KYLE TOOZE stepped forward to drive it inside the right post as Harris dived in the opposite direction. 1-1.
Three minutes later the visitors doubled their score as Butcher reached the left corner to cross towards the home 6-yard box where KYLE TOOZE arrived to tuck it inside the right post. 1-2.
Cirencester responded to the setback by pressing the visitors but couldn’t find a way through and a neat period of play from the visitors as Byrne, on half-way, slipped the ball forward to Harvey who supplied Tooze, near the right front corner of the home box, eventually led to a shot from Dave O’Hare being blocked at the right post for a corner kick that was defended.
As the half was drawing to a close Gabriel headed the ball on to Sambu who worked his way towards the visitor’s box before slipping the ball to the right channel for the overlapping ROSS GABRIEL to collect and ‘chip’ over Sainsbury and inside the far-left post. 2-2.
A couple of minutes later Lee delivered 40-yard cross-field pass, from right to left, for Morris to collect and exchange passes with Irving before galloping forward to feed Irving again, but his path was blocked so he played it across the front of the Paulton box to Jordan Lymn who struck a fierce shot towards the top right corner from 25 yards, right channel, that Sainsbury did extremely well to push over his bar.
Just before the interval Dunton clipped a pass down the centre for Gabriel to collect on the edge of the visitor’s box but as he advanced so did Sainsbury to block the attempted ‘chip’.
Half Time: 2-2
During the opening few minutes of the second period both sides advanced to their opponents Penalty Areas with Lee cutting out a cross from Butcher and Sambu having his strike from the edge of the box blocked after an interception, run and pass from Dunton created the opportunity.
Nine minutes into the half Cirencester produced a neat move involving several players as Sambu laid the ball off to Lee who played it inside to Turley and on to Morris on the left flank, down the line to Irving who cut inside to the Paulton box where he fell to ground as he was challenged, but nothing awarded, and they managed to recycle the ball back to the left corner for Morris to cross – blocked and goal kick awarded.
Two minutes later Sambu produced some nifty footwork before slipping the ball through to Gabriel, as he burst down the right channel to enter the visitor’s box, and he managed to get his shot away as he was challenged for his effort to strike the base of the left post for a supporting REEGAN MESSENGER to bundle the rebound over the line from a few yards. 3-2.
Cirencester continued to press with Sambu, causing the visitors problems with his tidy footwork, being fouled shortly before the hour mark and this led to Lymn crossing to the far post where Messenger and Sainsbury’s aerial challenge resulted in a collision and short delay for injury.
Almost immediately Sambu supplied Messenger as he arrived at the edge of the Paulton box to shoot – saved by Sainsbury as he dived towards his right post.
Leading up to the mid-point Paulton mounted an attack down their right flank that yielded a free kick but the delivery was too strong and the ball went out for a goal-kick. They then tried their left flank as Tooze drove into the left channel and this resulted in a corner kick from the left, followed by one from the right that Turley initially headed out to be fed back in for Lee and then Dunton to block.
The game entered an end-to-end phase as Harvey charged down the left touchline before laying it back to Martin Lenihan but Harris was able to gather the pass into the home box at his left post.
Cirencester replied as Sambu produced more trickery before supplying Shepherd, on the burst down the right channel, and he turned sharply to shoot with his left foot but it was blocked.
Back came Paulton as Charlie McLachlan and Tooze combined for the former to move the ball on to Neil Martin, right to Daniel Dempsey who was instantly put under pressure for Shepherd to supply Sambu as he darted forward but he didn’t get enough power into his shot to trouble Sainsbury.
A few minutes later Gabriel had two efforts blocked so he slipped the ball to his left for Morris to collect and send a low cross through the front of the visitors 6-yard box without contact from the incoming Shepherd and Sambu.
Paulton attacked down their left flank as Butcher supplied Harvey who reached the corner and was awarded a corner kick that was delivered to the area in front of the 6-yard box where Harris was fouled as he was making the catch – free kick to Cirencester.
As the 90-minute mark approached Irving exchanged passes with Sambu before smashing the ball at the target for Sainsbury to bring off a strong save with Aidan Bennett collecting the rebound but his follow-up from near the Penalty Spot was blocked.
Full Time: 3-2
Another very competitive and entertaining game that was well contested throughout.
Attendance: 139 Referee: Michael Wright
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Jordan Lymn
3. Jordan Morris
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Ellis Dunton
7. Adulai Sambu 12
8. Reegan Messenger 56
9. Ross Gabriel 40
10. Joe Shepherd
11. Levi Irving
12. Kenneth Mills
14. Nick Hancock (Adulai Sambu-90mins)
15. Nick Peare (Reegan Messenger-87mins)
16. Theo Lewis
17. Aidan Bennett (Ross Gabriel-83mins)
18. Josh Nelmes
Paulton Rovers:
1. Aaron Sainsbury
2. James Byrne
3. Nuno Felix
4. Leo Eglin
5. Daniel Dempsey
6. Neil Martin ©
7. Will Harvey
8. Martin Lenihan
9. Kyle Tooze 29p, 32
10. Dave O’Hare
11. Edward Butcher
12. Pablo Burges (Leo Eglin-69mins)
14. Christopher Peck (Dave O’Hare-53mins)
15. Mircea Ilea
16. Kai Williamson
17. Charlie McLachlan (Nuno Felix-53mins)
18. Kaylan Mapstone