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 last weekend’s long journey to Walthamstow for a match that was goal-less The Centurions returned to The Corinium Stadium to welcome ‘The Walnut Boys’ of KEMPSTON ROVERS and after a competitive start scored five goals to secure the three points.
Prior to the match the visitors sat in 7th place in the Division table with 20 points from their 11 games played but recent form has seen them lose 3 of their last five fixtures - although two of those defeats were to top four opposition.
In contrast Cirencester have obtained 10 points from their last five fixtures with their only defeat at the start of this run against ‘top of the table’ Berkhamsted and as a result they have risen to 14th place in the table.
The home starting eleven remained unchanged.
The visitors kicked off playing towards The Shed end of the ground in miserable conditions, with the wind and rain behind them, and immediately delivered the ball to their left corner where Will Christopher repelled their advances enabling the home side to work their right flank to the corner but the resulting cross was off the pitch for a goal-kick.
The visitors responded as Ben Stevens was supplied down their left channel to reach the edge of the home Penalty Area but his cross towards the far post was too long resulting in a goal kick.
During the next few minutes both sides attacked down their flanks, Cirencester their left and Kempston their right, but the end result was the same as the resulting crosses were caught by the opposing ‘keeper.
Cirencester were soon back again as they pressed their visitors but they had to be wary as Kempston had shown in these early exchanges that they had come to play with some serious pace in their forward line.
An example of this followed after 13 minutes when a clever cross from their left flank, just inside the home half, curled through and behind the home defence for Ben Baker to collect in the right channel of the Penalty Area and his firm strike was blocked at his left post by ‘keeper Alex Harris – rebounding to Taylor Bakogeorge to the right of the Penalty Spot but as he shaped to shoot Joe Turley challenged and the ball flew over the bar for a corner kick that was defended by Jordan Morris.
Encouraged the visitors attacked down their right flank again but the corner kick was caught by Harris so they tried their left flank as Magloire Muyembe slipped Bakogeorge into the Penalty Area and he squared the ball to Baker as he supported on the other side of the area but the alert Harris denied him again.
Shortly afterwards Joe Shepherd battled for the ball inside the visitor’s half and it broke to Morris who produced a sharp turn to evade two incoming challenges before advancing into the left channel of the Kempston box where his fierce strike was saved by ‘keeper George Rose.
As the mid-point of the half approached Cirencester reached the right corner but the visitors defended and countered down their left flank until Josh Nelmes prevented any serious progress and this enabled the home side to mount an attack of their own as Christopher delivered the ball to the right corner where the hard-working Shepherd collected and delivered a superb cross to the near post for LEVI IRVING to dart forward and produce a firm header that flew past Rose before he could react. 1-0.
Almost immediately Jake Lee defended a swift attack from the visitors to move the ball on to Ellis Dunton who sent it across the pitch to Adulai Sambu who worked his way forward to the right front corner of the Kempston box, cut left and shot – deflected for a corner kick that Joe Turley delivered into the mix from the left flank. The ball was headed clear but fell to Dunton, lurking on the left channel front edge of the box, and he struck a fierce volley at the target that Rose managed to push over the bar.
The resulting corner kick yielded two further corner kicks that the visitors survived – a shot from Shepherd that was deflected over and an overhead from Shepherd that was nearly converted by Irving.
At this stage Cirencester were putting their visitors under immense pressure and as Irving worked his way across the box, to the right front corner, he laid the ball back to Christopher who delivered it to the far-left post and as it was defended it was collected by Reegan Messenger, near the Penalty Spot, who moved right and shaped to shoot but he was brought to ground and the Referee immediately pointed to the Penalty Spot. Cirencester Captain JAKE LEE once again took responsibility and smashed his kick inside the right post with Rose diving in the opposite direction. 2-0.
As the interval approached Sambu collected a throw-in and produced some trickery as he advanced towards the visitors Penalty Area before sending the ball across to Shepherd who had his firm strike blocked and this was followed by a trip that resulted in another Penalty Kick being awarded. JAKE LEE stepped up and drove it inside the right post again and whilst Rose dived to his left, he was unable to make contact. 3-0.
There was still time for Irving to supply Sambu, near the Penalty Spot, and for Rose to deny him by diving to his right to push it away to be cleared.
Half Time: 3-0
As expected Kempston came out for the second half looking to get back into the game as Bakogeorge released Stevens to the left corner where progress was halted. They then tried their right flank as Jake Kerins delivered a cross to the back post where Lee cleared the threat.
The Kempston right back, Kerins, was to feature a lot for the visitors during the second period as he advanced down his flank to reach the front corner of the home box, moved left then sent the ball to Perry Ronayne, left to Stevens where progress ended.
After another period of Cirencester pressure Kempston replied as Baker reached the right corner to be denied leading to a throw-in that Kerins eventually crossed towards the far-post where it was collected by Stevens who shot wide of the left post.
Undeterred Kempston tried again as Kerins and Baker combined but Morris was back to deny them and deliver to Irving who headed on for Sambu to chase to the left corner – defended.
On the hour Kerins supplied Baker again and this time he reached the by-line before crossing but it was blocked and as Cirencester were working it clear a foul was committed on a home defender.
Shortly afterwards Irving chased another pass to the right-side edge of the Kempston box where he was challenged with the ball breaking to Sambu who slipped it left for a supporting Messenger to shoot – pushed wide of the left post for a corner kick that Turley delivered to the near post where Irving’s glancing header passed wide of the far post.
At the mid-point a Kempston attack was broken up and the ball sent forward for Irving to collect near half-way, right channel, and as he moved across the pitch he sent the ball to Morris who was charging forward in space to reach the front corner of the visitors box where his cross was deflected for a corner kick that Lee headed into the ground at the near post and Rose caught above his head.
Despite the score Kempston were still attacking at every opportunity and a cross from Stevens into the home box was launched by Dunton down the centre of the pitch. As it dropped Ronayne was put under pressure by Irving enabling the Ciren man to collect and shoot from right of the Penalty Spot but Rose had advanced to block his effort.
Five minutes later Irving supplied Morris who crossed into the box where it was cleared to Shepherd, near the right channel front edge of the Kempston box, and he struck a tremendous right footed volley that Rose did well to block.
The ‘keeper was soon back in action as Christopher supplied Sambu, near the right front corner of the visitor’s box, and after some more trickery he clipped the ball towards the top left corner where Rose pushed it over his cross-bar.
A minute later Rose blocked a fierce strike from Messenger and Shepherd fired the rebound wide of the right post.
Into the final five scheduled minutes and another Cirencester attack resulted in a corner kick and when Turley sent it into the mix it briefly bobbed about inside the 6-yard box until JAKE LEE forced over the goal-line to complete his hat-trick. 4-0.
A few minutes later Sergio Mills supplied Sambu who was initially blocked but recovered to lay the ball across the box to the Penalty Spot where Nick Hancock, who had recently joined the contest, fired over the bar.
As the game drew to a close Christopher crossed from the right flank to the right channel front edge of the Kempston box where JOE SHEPHERD collected, turned sharply and tucked his shot inside the right post to complete the scoring. 5-0.
Full Time: 5-0
Another fine team performance from The Centurions with everyone playing their part against opponents that showed they could play if afforded the time and space.
Attendance: 143 Referee: Joshua Brookland
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Will Christopher
3. Ellis Dunton
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee © 38p, 45p, 85
6. Josh Nelmes
7. Adulai Sambu
8. Reegan Messenger
9. Levi Irving 23
10. Joe Shepherd 90
11. Jordan Morris
12. James Mortimer-Jones
14. Kenneth Mills (Reegan Messenger-87mins)
15. Nick Peare
16. Nick Hancock (Jordan Morris-82mins)
17. Louie Barnfather (GK)
Kempston Rovers:
1. George Rose
2. Jake Kerins
3. Jack Quigley
4. Harry Stratton ©
5. Perry Ronayne
6. Emmanuel Dahie
7. Benjamin Baker
8. Dean Drummett
9. Taylor Bakogeorge
10. Magloire Muyembe
11. Ben Stevens
12. James Hatch
14. Rafal Wielblad (Harry Stratton-43mins)
15. Coree Wilson (Benjamin Baker-73mins)