Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
32.jpg)
55.png){kind=logo}
Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Match photos supplied by Graham Hill
Match report by Dave Pyzer
Following their victory at Barton Rovers last week Cirencester returned to the Corinium Stadium to take on league leaders Berkhamsted and after a seven-goal thriller of a match lost to an ‘added-time’ winner.
It is believed that ‘The Comrades’ of Berhamsted were visiting Cirencester for the first time and after the previous encounter between the sides at Broadwater in October 2022 resulted in an odd goal in five defeat for Cirencester the league results for ‘The Centurions’ improved and they began to climb the league table.
Examination of the positions and form for the teams reveals that Berkhamsted are on a 14-game unbeaten run (winning 13 of them) that places them top of the league table and clear of the second placed team (Biggleswade) by 18 points and inevitably top of the ’6-Match Form Guide’ table. Cirencester sat in 7th place prior to this match in the league table and 6th in terms of current form with 11 points from their last 6 games.
The Cirencester starting eleven was unchanged from the previous match against Barton Rovers.
Berkhamsted kicked off, playing towards The Shed end of the ground, and immediately launched the ball to their left corner where possession was lost for Cirencester to switch flanks and mount a counter attack down their left flank but the visitors were awarded a free kick that enabled them to return to their left flank as Ryan Blake reached the side edge of the home box to send a low cross towards the 6-yard box where Josh Nelmes cleared the threat.
Cirencester worked the ball across the pitch for Ellis Dunton to send it to the left corner for Reegan Messenger to collect and lay it back for Aidan Bennett to cross - deflected for a corner kick from the left flank. Joe Turley delivered the kick into the mix and ‘keeper David Saunders punched it away from his goal for Dunton to collect, near the right-side edge of the Berkhamsted box, and clip towards the centre front edge of the 6-yard box where Nelmes headed narrowly over the target.
As is often the case after a narrow miss at one end the ball is soon at the other and in this case as Nelmes cleared the ball, 10 yards outside his Penalty Area, he was flattened by a challenge and his pass intercepted and fed to JONATHAN LACEY on the edge of the home box and he instantly sent a firm, low shot inside the left post to open the scoring. 0-1.
A couple of minutes later Berkhamsted worked the ball down their right flank to the corner before slipping it inside for Blake to clip the top right corner of the goal frame.
The Cirencester response was immediate as Bennett fired an effort from the left front corner of the visitor’s box just over the far-right top corner of the goal frame.
As both sides looked to get in on goal the ball was being moved quickly from end to end as one side attacked and the other countered.
After a Cirencester attack Berkhamsted countered to the right corner where Adam Watkins cross to the back post was pushed over the incoming Blake by custodian Alex Harris and cleared by Will Christopher.
The visitors were soon back as a cross-field pass from Ryan Kinnane was collected by Connor Toomey, slipped inside to Watkins and forward to Blake before a free kick was awarded and comfortably dealt with by the home defence.
At the mid-point of the half Lee launched the ball to the right corner for Levi Irving to collect and this resulted in a corner kick from the right flank that reached Andy Lewis, left channel – 10 yards out, who fired over the bar.
Two minutes later a similar result occurred at the other end as Blake also fired over when fed from the right flank.
Shortly afterwards Cirencester worked the ball to the right corner as Irving combined with Nick Hancock who laid the ball back for Christopher to send to the far-post where Bennett’s header was caught by Saunders.
The visitor’s busy midfield were using quick short passes to make progress and as Lacey began a run down the left channel he exchanged passes with Toomey before slipping the ball into the left channel of the home box for Toby Coker to chase – Lee came across to cover and conceded a corner kick that resulted in a goal kick.
Cirencester were employing a more direct approach as Harris launched the ball downfield for Messenger to head to Irving, back to Bennett who shot narrowly wide of the left post from 25 yards - left channel.
The home side then mounted an attack down their left flank as Dunton supplied Messenger and this produced a corner kick from the left that Turley delivered to the back post for Lee to head back across goal for REEGAN MESSENGER to head home from the edge of the 6-yard box. 1-1.
The only threat on goal in the remaining minutes of the half was a Blake shot from 25 yards, left channel, that cleared the bar.
Half Time: 1-1
Within minutes of the re-start Irving collected the ball 10 yards inside the visitor’s half, right channel, and drove across the pitch before moving down the centre to the edge of the Penalty Area to shoot – deflected for a corner kick from the left and from the scramble that followed at the back post a goal kick was awarded instead of the expected corner kick from the right.
When Cirencester tried their left flank again the ball was lost for a counter attack that released Coker for a run down their right channel and as he reached the Penalty Area he fell to the ground under challenge and the Referee awarded a Penalty Kick that JONATHAN LACEY drove low and hard inside the left post and whilst Harris dived to his right he was unable to make contact with the ball. 1-2.
The home side responded to this further setback as they mounted an attack down their right flank as Christopher supplied Irving who cut inside for his progress to be brought to an abrupt halt. The free kick was delivered to the Penalty Spot where Nelmes stretched to head over the top right corner of the goal-frame.
Cirencester then replaced the injured Hancock with Jordan Morris and he had an immediate impact as he received the ball 35 yards from goal, left channel, and drove to the side edge of the visitor’s box before crossing towards the back post where Saunders was unable to make the catch above Irving’s head and the ball dropped for REEGAN MESSENGER to poke home from a few yards. 2-2.
The Berkhamsted reply was a run from Watkins down the right channel before slipping it right to Ryan Neufville who crossed to the back post for Harris to push away from his goal and Blake to fire over the bar.
A couple of minutes later Lacey tried an ambitious 40-yard effort that was wide of the target and Blake and Watkins had shots blocked but they were soon back again as Blake cut in from the left corner to lay the ball off to ADAM WATKINS, near the left channel front edge of the home box, and he displayed some clever footwork to evade incoming challenges before striking the ball inside the left post. 2-3.
At the 70-minute mark both sides made a substitution and the Ciren man, Nick Peare, could have had an immediate impact as a free kick to Lee was headed towards the right post where Peare arrived but failed to make contact.
Cirencester pressed again as following a free kick the ball was worked back across to their right flank for Christopher to deliver into the box where Peare headed and there was an appeal for handball that was rejected.
Back came Cirencester down their right flank, switched inside for Dunton to supply Messenger who had his cross from the by-line blocked for a corner kick from the right and when this was headed clear it fell to Bennett, in a central position 25 yards out, and he immediately volleyed it goalwards to be diverted by Kinnane past Saunders for an OWN GOAL. 3-3.
As the game entered the final five scheduled minutes Cirencester reached the left corner and a throw-in was headed on to the back post where Bennett’s shot was blocked and almost immediately the ball was in the other box as a Berkhamsted free kick to the far-left post was deflected for a corner kick from the left that bobbed around the front of the 6-yard box before being caught by a grateful Harris.
Three minutes into ‘added-time’ Berkhamsted were awarded a free kick on their right flank, ten yards inside the home half, and Lacey delivered it to the left side edge of the home box for Kinnane to head back across goal to the front edge of the 6-yard box where a header followed that struck the bottom of the left post before RYAN BLAKE reacted quickest to bundle over the line from a couple of yards. 3-4.
There was just time for Messenger to shoot narrowly wide of the far-left post, from the edge of the visitor’s box, after collecting an Irving header.
Full Time: 3-4
An exciting 7-goal thriller with Cirencester showing great character to come from behind three times against the runaway league leaders only to lose in the final seconds of the match.
Berkhamsted continue their march towards the title with their 14th victory in their last 15 outings.
A game that was certainly enjoyed by the neutral spectators sitting behind the writer of this report.
Attendance: 196 Referee: Ian Parsons
Cirencester Town:
Own Goal 80
1. Alex Harris
2. Will Christopher
3. Ellis Dunton
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee ©
6. Josh Nelmes
7. Nick Hancock
8. Andy Lewis
9. Levi Irving
10. Reegan Messenger 37, 60
11. Aidan Bennett
12. Kenneth Mills
14. Nick Peare (Andy Lewis-70mins)
15. Jordan Morris (Nick Hancock-59mins)
16. James Mortimer-Jones
17. Kevin Sawyer (GK)
Berkhamsted:
1. David Saunders
2. Ryan Neufville
3. Connor Toomey
4. Ross Oulton
5. Ryan Kinnane ©
6. Ben Walster
7. Jonathan Lacey 5, 55p
8. AdamWatkins 67
9. Ryan Blake 90+3
10. Oluwatobi Coker
11. Bradley Wadkins
12. Cameron Groom (GK)
14. Luke Andrews (Oluwatobi Coker-70mins)
15. Lynton Goss (Ross Oulton-83mins)
16. Joshua Chamberlain (Bradley Wadkins-90mins)
17. Jack Tompkins