Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester made the long journey to the north of Luton to face Barton Rovers and after another scrappy match returned with the three points to avenge the defeat at the hands of their hosts a few weeks ago.
A review of current positions and form prior to the match revealed that The Rovers 2-0 victory over Cirencester four matches ago was their only victory in their last 9 outings and they remain in 19th place in the league table with 15 points whilst their form, based on the ‘6-Match Form Guide’ table, places them 15th with 5 points from their last 6 games. Cirencester were in 6th place in the both the league and form guide tables – with 42 points and 11 points respectively.
There was only one change to the starting eleven from the previous match as Jordan Morris sustained an injury against AFC Dunstable and as a result Aidan Bennett took his place.
Cirencester kicked-off playing down the slight incline towards the Sun and immediately attacked to the left corner for Levi Irving to reach the by-line but his cross was blocked to be recycled back to the corner where a handball decision brought progress to a halt.
Within a minute though they pressed their hosts again with a neat move, this time down their right flank, as Will Christopher made a strong run before moving the ball on to Aidan Bennett, near the right channel front edge of the home box, and with his back to goal he flicked the ball inside to Irving who slipped it left to a charging Reegan Messenger who fired over the target – a promising start for the visitors.
The home side replied with a move down their left flank as Osei Boffah sent the ball to the corner for Scott Joseph to collect and he in turn laid it back to Kieran Hamilton as he charged down the left channel and this produced a corner kick that Messenger cleared at the back post.
The visitors then worked the ball down their left flank as an Irving cross from the by-line towards the Penalty Spot was met by Joe Turley who volleyed narrowly wide of the left post.
A couple of minutes later Turley won the ball on the right touchline and slipped it inside to Messenger who played it forward to Bennett in the corner and he turned back before sending a left footed cross into the area that yielded a corner kick from the left flank that home ‘keeper Matthew Boylan punched off the top of Messenger’s head. The ball was fed back in from the right flank for Josh Nelmes to head goalwards and this brought another fine save from Boylan as he tipped the effort over his crossbar. Two more corner kicks followed from the right but the pressure was ended when a free kick was awarded to Barton for a foul on Boylan.
All this action and we were only ten minutes into the game.
At the 15-minute mark Nick Hancock delivered a cross towards the Penalty Spot and once again Boylan punched it clear from above Messenger’s head to launch a counter attack as Boffah took it down his flank, inside to Max Ryan, left to Hamilton who passed it down the flank but out for a goal-kick.
As Cirencester worked the ball down their left flank Bennett returned the ball to Ellis Dunton and he clipped it to the busy Messenger who headed wide of the left post from 12 yards.
Following a firm shot from Turley, 25 yards out, that Boylan caught Barton launched a counter attack down their right flank as Hamilton sent a pass from the centre circle towards the corner to release Ryan for a run at goal but he fired well over the target. They then tried the left flank as Ryan moved the ball to the corner for Joseph to exchange passes with Boffah before shooting wide of the left post.
At the mid-point of the half Cirencester came close to opening their account when Christopher delivered a free kick from just inside the home half to the right channel of the home box where Jake Lee headed back across goal for Bennett to produce a delicate volley from 6-yards, to evade the ‘keeper as he spread himself, that was just wide of the left post.
The second quarter was not as eventful as the first as Barton grew in confidence with Cirencester failing to convert their pressure and after Boffah released Hamilton for a run to the side edge of the visitors box the ball was recycled and moved infield before being slipped down the right channel for Hamilton to chase into the box where ‘keeper Alex Harris bravely dived at his feet to secure possession.
Shortly afterwards, following a period of pressure from Cirencester, the hosts mounted a counter attack as Kian Wilkes released Joseph to the right channel of the Ciren box and this brought Christopher across to cover – a couple of corner kicks from the right followed but a foul on Harris ended the threat.
There was little worth mention leading up to the interval.
Half Time: 0-0
The question at the interval was “Would Cirencester regret failing to convert their dominance in the first half into goals?”.
The home side kicked off by sending the ball to the left corner and when this was repelled by Lee they tried again as Boffah mounted a driving run to the corner where his cross was blocked by Christopher for a corner kick that was defended at the near post and although a throw-in for Barton was the outcome this was soon hooked down the line by Bennett to Irving in the right corner and as he cut inside he crossed the ball to the back post for Hancock to collect for an exchange with Dunton and a cross to Turley who was quickly surrounded and possession lost.
Around the hour mark Cirencester pressed again and Barton countered as Boylan launched the ball to their left corner for Joseph to collect and cut inside but Christopher won the encounter and the danger was cleared only to return down the home sides right flank as Taylor Keely reached the corner to lay the ball back to Joseph but his cross was headed away by Dunton to be collected by Boffah and this led to a corner kick as his cross was blocked by Hancock. Jake Lee headed the kick out of the visitor’s box for Hamilton to shoot – blocked but collected by Nathan Tshola who had his shot saved by Harris.
Almost immediately the ball was at the other end of the pitch as Messenger battled for possession on the centre front edge of the home box and the ball broke free, assisted by the toe of Messenger, to his left to a lurking AIDAN BENNETT who instantly despatched it inside the left post to open the scoring. 0-1.
From the re-start Barton were awarded a free kick on the left corner front edge of the Cirencester box and this was delivered to the back post by Lewis Williams for Wilkes to collect and clip to the far post where Hamilton headed wide.
Ten minutes later Harris punted the ball up to Messenger and he headed on to Irving but as he cut in from the right flank he was fouled and a free kick awarded. Andy Lewis stepped up to take the kick, 25 yards from goal – right channel, but sent it over the crossbar.
Barton responded as Boylan punted the ball to the left corner where it was worked inside to slightly right of the centre front edge of the visitors box for Hamilton to attempt a right footed volley as he turned – straight to Harris.
As the game entered the final ten minutes of scheduled time Joseph collected, near the right front corner of the Ciren box, but his cross was blocked for a corner kick from the left flank. A shot from Lewis Thomas followed that Alex Harris tipped over for a second that was defended.
Another effort from Thomas was saved by Harris and immediately launched down-field where it was recovered by Nick Peare and slipped to Dunton and he clipped it over the advanced home back line for LEVI IRVING to chase and collect for a run at goal. As Boylan advanced Irving slipped the ball around him to the right, whilst darting to the left, and collecting for a straight forward run to the empty goal to finish from 10 yards. 0-2.
The home side responded as the hard-working Joseph collected the ball in their left corner before laying it back to Williams who was fouled but the resulting free kick was too long and a goal-kick followed.
Jake Lee then launched the ball down the Cirencester right flank for Irving to collect and once again as he cut inside a free kick was the result and Turley’s kick was met by the head of Peare but he couldn’t get enough power on the header to trouble Boylan.
A few more free kicks followed leading up to the final whistle but little goalmouth action.
Full Time: 0-2
A match with plenty of commitment from the players as both sides were going for the win but two second half goals secured the points for the visitors.
Attendance: 102 Referee: ????
Barton Rovers:
1. Matthew Boylan
2. Taylor Keely
3. Osei Boffah
4. Lewis Williams
5. Mathieu Racine
6. Paul Andrews ©
7. Martel Powell
8. Kian Wilkes
9. Scott Joseph
10. Maximillian Ryan
11. Kieran Hamilton
12. Lewis Thomas (Paul Andrews-62mins)
14. Nathan Tshola (Maximillian Ryan-54mins)
15. Jameel Murshid
16. Jervon Campbell (Osei Boffah-78mins)
17. Joseph Sutton
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Will Christopher
3. Ellis Dunton
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Josh Nelmes
7. Nick Hancock
8. Andrew Lewis
9. Levi Irving 81
10. Reegan Messenger
11. Aidan Bennett 65
12. Kenneth Mills
14. Nick Peare (Nick Hancock-80mins)
15. James Mortimer-Jones
16. Jordan Morris
17. Kevin Sawyer (GK)