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 travelled to Chesham to face The Ducks of Aylesbury United and after a tough battle scored a goal in ‘added-time’ to come away with the three points.
Examination of the status of the teams in terms of league position and current form before the match revealed that Aylesbury sat in 17th place in the table with 15 points from 19 games played whilst Cirencester have secured 34 points from 21 games played to sit in 5th place. Current form, based on the ‘6-Match Form Guide’ table, placed Aylesbury in 15th place with 6 points and Cirencester in 2nd place with 12 points. In the reverse fixture Cirencester won 3-0.
The Cirencester starting eleven was unchanged from the previous fixture.
The home side kicked off and began to work the ball down their right flank to obtain a throw-in 25 yards inside their visitor’s half where possession was lost for Cirencester to switch play to their right flank but they also lost possession and a pass down the left channel found Tyriq Hunte who shot at the target from 20 yards but the effort was safely gathered by Cirencester custodian Alex Harris.
When Cirencester countered, Josh Nelmes to Jay Simpson, the winger was fouled as he cut inside resulting in a free kick that ultimately came to nought and shortly afterwards a long ball from defence was chased to the edge of the home box by Zac Guinan but as he closed in Jordan Jenkins and ‘keeper Jack Hopwood combined for the latter to collect.
A promising start to the game and almost immediately Jack Moriarty delivered a great cross-field pass, from the home sides left channel, into space on their right flank for Lee Stobbs to collect and charge at the visitors defence. When he reached the side edge of the Penalty Area he sent a low cross towards the far-left post where Hunte was arriving but the alert Harris advanced to smother his shot from 10 yards.
After this initial flurry the game became ‘end-to-end’ with neither side retaining the ball for long but at the mid-point of the half Levi Irving came close to opening the scoring when he charged down an attempted Hopwood clearance for the ball to rebound narrowly wide of the right post.
At the 30-minute point Ellis Dunton clipped a ball into the left corner that initiated a race between Irving and Hopwood that the former won but his cross into the box was cut-out by a covering Jack Wood.
A couple of minutes later Cirencester were back again as Joe Shepherd collected the ball 10 yards out, wide of the right post, and shot at the target – deflected to Guinan, on the front edge of the 6-yard box, and his shot was blocked on the line and eventually cleared.
Cirencester then moved the ball from right to left and back again to release Simpson into the home box but his shot was also blocked and cleared but was quickly returned as Shepherd headed the ball on for Guinan to collect in the left channel of the home box but his shot rebounded off Hopwood’s knee onto Guinan and out for a goal-kick.
At this stage Cirencester were putting the home defence under severe pressure and moments later Guinan fired wide of the left post from the edge of the home Penalty Area.
Aylesbury had survived and countered with an attack of their own as David Pitt released Hunte to the left side edge of the visitors box and he crossed to Stobbs at the back post where his shot was blocked.
As the half was drawing to a close Hunte collected the ball on the right front corner of the Cirencester box, threw a little ‘shimmy’, and crossed to the back post where Pitt volleyed wide of the target and the final action saw Ben Seaton reach the left by-line but his shot was saved by Harris.
Half Time: 0-0
The first half had been a ‘scrappy’ affair due to the ‘sticky’ nature of the pitch after the recent heavy rain and frost but the second was punctuated with free kicks and Yellow Cards so there was little flow to the game.
The home side took the initiative from the re-start and within a couple of minutes Harris had to leave his area to concede a throw-in and a minute later a move from the home side, involving Hunte, Jake Bewley, Pitt and Seaton, as they worked the ball to the left by-line ended with a block on the latter’s cross.
A little later Daniel Stokoe sent a free kick towards the Penalty Spot where Harris pushed it away for Jenkins to head back into the ‘keeper’s arms.
By the hour-mark Cirencester had received three Yellow Cards whilst Aylesbury were issued with their second.
Shortly after this point Guinan chased after an apparent lost cause and managed to stop the ball going out of play with a ‘back-heel’ at full pace for Shepherd to collect and cross. The ball was eventually worked back to Guinan and his low cross from the right corner found the back of the net via Hopwood but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for an ‘offside’ earlier in the move.
Around the mid-point of the half Jordan Morris exchanged passes with Nick Peare to reach the left corner and his cross was headed over an incoming Simpson at the back post by Jenkins. It was then recycled to Simpson who cut inside from the right flank, past three opponents, before being stopped in his tracks and a free kick awarded. Joe Turley sent the kick into the ‘mix’ where after a muddle at the far post it was cleared for Morris to cross back into the box but too long – goal kick.
Cirencester then tried a more direct approach as Peare reached the left channel front edge of the home box to shoot – saved at the second attempt by Hopwood.
In reply Aylesbury worked the ball to their right corner, crossed to the back post for Moriarty to collect and slip forward to Hunte who passed it right for an incoming Ezra Anthonio-Forde who fell to ground as he was tackled but nothing given by the Referee despite shouts from the home support.
A couple of minutes later Shepherd released Simpson who cut left from the right flank before sending a left footed curler over the top left corner of the home goal-frame.
The visitors then mounted an attack down their left flank as Morris reached the by-line and crossed to Simpson – shot blocked, Shepherd – shot blocked for a corner kick that was headed into the grateful arms of Hopwood.
At this point Tom McElroy came to the fore as he shot wide of the left post from the edge of the Penalty Area and was then released by Anthonio-Forde for a 1v1 with Harris that the ‘keeper successfully negotiated by spreading himself to block.
Shortly afterwards a Cirencester free kick was delivered into the ‘mix’ by Will Christopher and an incoming Josh Nelmes headed straight to Hopwood.
A couple of minutes into ‘added-time’ Christopher delivered another free kick into the ‘mix’ around the Penalty Spot and as it dropped following an aerial challenge JAKE LEE reacted quickest to drive it into the net.
Full Time: 0-1
A match of commitment from both sides on a difficult playing surface, for the reasons previously mentioned, with chances at both ends.
Attendance: 107 Referee: Joe Woolmer
Aylesbury United:
1. Jack Hopwood
2. David Lynn
3. Jake Bewley
4. Jack Wood ©
5. Jordan Jenkins
6. Jack Moriarty
7. Lee Stobbs
8. Daniel Stokoe
9. Tyriq Hunte
10. Benjamin Seaton
11. David Pitt
12. Zvikomborero Mukwada (Tyriq Hunte-88mins)
14. Stephen Enow
15. Tom McElroy (David Pitt-59mins)
16. Ezra AnthonioForde (Lee Stobbs-67mins)
17. Jose Prata Fernandes
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Ellis Dunton
3. Will Christopher
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee © 90+2
6. Josh Nelmes
7. Jay Simpson
8. Andrew Lewis
9. Levi Irving
10. Zachary Guinan
11. Joe Shepherd
12. Nick Hancock (Jordan Morris-82mins)
14. Reegan Messenger
15. Jordan Morris (Zachary Guinan-64mins)
16. Nick Peare (Andy Lewis-59mins)
17. Kevin Sawyer (GK)
