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
After a month of ‘knock-out’ competitions Cirencester finally returned to league action with a home fixture against WALTHAM ABBEY and following a match littered with free kicks, Yellow Cards, injury delays, 6 goals and a dismissal the points were shared.
Prior to this match the visitors had obtained 5 points from 5 games to put them in 12th place in the table whilst Cirencester had one point from 4 games played to sit in 20th place.
The Cirencester starting eleven remained unchanged for the third successive match.
The Abbotts kicked off playing towards The Shed end of the ground and conceded a free kick on their left flank, 10 yards inside their half, that Joe Turley delivered to the far-left post for Ellis Dunton to head towards goal but it was diverted wide for a corner kick from the left flank. Joe Turley sent the corner kick into the mix to be headed goal-wards again but it was cleared to JOE SHEPHERD, waiting near the Penalty Spot, and he promptly headed it back through the mass of players and into the back of the net to give Cirencester the perfect start. 1-0.
Within minutes the home side were back again as Levi Irving collected a Dunton pass to the left corner and took it to the by-line where his cross was blocked for a corner kick that led to a drive from Shepherd being diverted for a corner kick from the right flank and a Cirencester throw-in near the left corner before culminating in a header over the visitors cross-bar.
At the 7-minute mark another Cirencester corner kick was fumbled by the visitors ‘keeper and as he recovered possession it led to contact with a Cirencester player that resulted in the home player surprisingly being awarded a Yellow Card – a strange decision based on what was to be ignored as the game progressed.
Upon the resumption Waltham worked the ball down their left flank to the corner a couple of times and then to their right flank where Richard Asamoah produced some nifty footwork near the touch-line before squaring the ball across the front edge of the home box into the path of DECLAN RYDINGS who placed his drive into the top left corner. 1-1.
Encouraged by their breakthrough The Abbotts continued to press as Asamoah’s cross from the right flank was caught by home custodian Alex Harris and another passed wide of the far-left post. In between these efforts the visitors had a corner kick from their left flank defended and recycled for Nathan Twum-Koranteng to deliver into the grateful arms of Harris.
At the mid-point Cirencester mounted a series of attacks as Jake Lee sent a 40-yard pass from the half-way, right channel, into the visitors Penalty Area, left channel, for Reegan Messenger to chase and this resulted in a corner kick that was cleared to Irving who slid it down the left flank for Jordan Morris to take to the by-line before crossing – corner kick and header over the bar being the end result.
Shortly before the 30-minute mark an under-hit back-pass caused a moment of concern for the home side as ‘keeper Harris had to dart from his area to clear before Christian Adu Gyamfi could reach it and the clearance kick was collected by Rydings who immediately shot over the vacant goal from 35-yards.
Leading up to the interval Osaretin Otote fired over the bar from the edge of the home Penalty Area and a Cirencester free kick into the visitor’s box resulted in an aerial challenge and injury to the combatants that required treatment.
In the final minutes of the half the visitors ‘keeper, Arthur Janata, was busy as he caught a Messenger header, made a low save near his right post as Messenger was played in by Adulai Sambu, and caught a Sambu cross near his left post following some neat approach play.
Half Time: 1-1
The second period began at a brisk pace as both sides sent crosses into their opponents Penalty Areas within the first 3 minutes but five minutes later a Cirencester attack resulted in a goal for the visitors as they launched the ball down their right flank for CHRISTIAN ADU GYAMFI to collect and charge towards the home box. As he approached the Penalty Area he dummied his marker left then right and as he entered the box he shimmied this way and that before tucking his shot inside the right post. 1-2.
Four minutes later CHRISTIAN ADU GYAMFI added another following a free kick that resulted in a corner kick that was recycled back to the taker, Twum-Koranteng, who cut along the front edge of the home box from the left flank before unleashing a fierce right-footed strike that rebounded down off the underside of the bar into the goalmouth where the striker was quickest to react to force it into the net. 1-3.
Almost immediately Cirencester reduced the arrears as Sambu fed Ross Gabriel, central position – 30 yards out, who slid the ball into the path of LEVI IRVING as he cut into the Waltham box from the right flank to collect in the right channel and complete a composed finish inside the far-left post. 2-3.
Shortly after the hour-mark Dunton intercepted a pass inside his half and quickly moved the ball up to Sambu, near the left front corner of the Waltham box, and he cut right before sending a low strike towards the left post where Janata blocked and Gabriel’s follow-up was deflected wide for a corner kick.
At the mid-point of the half Lee headed a free kick wide of the left post and Janata was forced into a hurried clearance just outside his area.
At 70 minutes the visitors were reduced to 10-men when Twum-Koranteng was dismissed for a second Yellow Card offence and they promptly made a change to their personnel as Junior Appiah replaced Otote.
With their man advantage Cirencester pressed forward with corner kicks from both flanks defended before Turley switched play to the left flank for Morris to gallop to the corner and cross to the far post where Irving headed back across goal and Gabriel was just short of making contact at the left post.
A few minutes later Gabriel and Adam Sidky were involved in an aerial challenge that resulted in a lengthy injury delay as the Waltham player required his head to be heavily bandaged before he could continue – not surprisingly he eventually had to depart the pitch and we hope his injury is not too serious. Ross Gabriel was replaced almost immediately after the duel by Nick Peare.
Cirencester pushed forward with shots from Sambu and Messenger blocked and a cross from Morris caught before they finally equalised from a corner kick that Nick Hancock delivered from their left flank to the front edge of the visitors 6-yard box where REEGAN MESSENGER rose to head into the net. 3-3.
Two minutes later Messenger blocked an attempted clearance from Janata inside the visitor’s area with the rebound being collected by Lee who rounded the ‘keeper but his shot was blocked for the ball to break to Hancock, left channel of the Penalty Area, and his attempted ‘chip’ towards the empty goal was too high.
In the final few minutes of the 13 minutes of ‘added-time’ Hancock was very busy as he sent a free kick just over the top left corner, had a corner kick punched away and another free kick caught by Janata.
Full Time: 3-3
This was certainly a competitive match, played in a difficult cross-wind, that had occasional glimpses of quality but was very disjointed due to the number of stoppages for free kicks, bookings and injuries.
Attendance: 129 Referee: Joshua Brookland
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Jordan Lymn
3. Jordan Morris
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Ellis Dunton
7. Adulai Sambu
8. Reegan Messenger 90+3
9. Ross Gabriel
10. Levi Irving 58
11. Joe Shepherd 1
12. Nick Hancock (Joe Shepherd-54mins)
14. Josh Nelmes
15. Nick Peare (Ross Gabriel-79mins)
16. Kenneth Mills
17. Kevin Sawyer (GK)
Waltham Abbey:
1. Arthur Janata
2. Kieron Cathline
3. Nathan Twum-Koranteng
4. Declan Rydings 12
5. Adam Sidky
6. Edwin Mensah
7. Richard Asamoah
8. Billy Holland ©
9. Christian Adu Gyamfi 53, 57
10. Acea Laurent
11. Osaretin Otote
12. Ros Helke
13. Jimmy Parker (GK)
14. Junior Appiah (Osaretin Otote-70mins)
15. Babadi Kamara (Adam Sidky-86mins)
16. Solomon Baugh