Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
55.png){kind=logo}
Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Match photos supplied by Graham Hill
In front of a crowd that contained a number of Juniors from local clubs, that had taken part in a Community Day in the morning, The Centurions faced third-placed Walthamstow for their final home fixture of the season and put on an impressive all-round team display to take a 6-0 lead before their visitors, who were on an 11-game unbeaten run, converted a late Penalty Kick.
A review of the current form for the teams, prior to the game, revealed that Walthamstow sat in 1st place in the ‘6-Match Form Guide’ table with 16 points from their last six matches and Cirencester 12th with 7 points following their recent defeats at AFC Dunstable, Didcot and Hertford Town.
The league positions confirmed that following their strong run of results (9 wins and a draw in their last ten fixtures) the visitors were in 3rd place in the league table with 63 points from 33 games whilst Cirencester were in 7th place with 52 points from 34 games. The reverse fixture produced a hard-fought 0-0 draw in October.
The Cirencester starting eleven returned to the team that dominated play at Hertford Town (but lost) and drew with neighbours Highworth Town on Easter Monday as Reegan Messenger and Levi Irving returned in place of Andy Lewis and Nick Hancock who took part in the mid-week victory at FC Romania.
The visitors kicked-off proceedings, playing towards The Shed end of the ground, by launching the ball to the left corner for Bilal Sayoud to chase and cross from the by-line to the back post where Ellis Dunton headed away from the Penalty Area to start an immediate response to the left corner.
The attack was ultimately defended but the home side were soon back again as they worked the ball down their left channel – ‘keeper Alex Harris to Joe Shepherd who headed on to Levi Irving, right to Aidan Bennett, back to Shepherd, right to Reegan Messenger, right to Adulai Sambu as he entered the right channel of the visitor’s box to be flagged ‘offside’. A very positive move that indicated the home side were up for the challenge against their high-flying opponents.
During the next couple of minutes both sides had promising moves brought to a halt due to ‘offside’ flags.
Walthamstow’s Callum Ibe then tried an ambitious volley on the turn from 35-yards, left flank, that Harris comfortably caught.
Cirencester replied as they broke quickly down their right flank - Will Chrstopher to Sambu who sent a low cross through the 6-yard box without contact – goal-kick.
With ten minutes on the clock ‘keeper Bradley Robinson delivered a free kick to the visitors, from just inside the home half, towards the far-right post where Harris caught it above Carl Mensah’s head.
A minute later Cirencester opened the scoring when Messenger headed-on a punt down field for LEVI IRVING to collect near the left channel front edge of the Walthamstow box and as he advanced, under pressure, he struck a firm low shot that nestled inside the far-right post. 1-0.
Cirencester continued to press as they worked both flanks – Bennett chased a Messenger pass to the right corner to force a hasty clearance from Robinson and Shepherd battled for possession on the left by-line and a couple of other crosses were too long resulting in goal-kicks.
At the mid-point a low cross from Cirencester was cut-out by the Walthamstow defence and immediately sent down their left flank for Ibe to chase but Jake Lee quickly came across to cover the danger, win the ball and start another attack that eventually produced a corner kick from their left flank. The kick was caught by Robinson above the head of Josh Nelmes and launched downfield to be returned as Shepherd and Dunton combined for Dunton to send a cross-field pass towards the right corner where Sambu chased Robinson for another hurried clearance and a Cirencester throw-in. Will Christopher supplied it to Sambu and he reached the by-line before clipping the ball to the back post where AIDAN BENNETT arrived to bundle it over the line from a yard out. 2-0.
Walthamstow responded to this further setback as Caoilan McGettigan embarked on a strong run down their left channel before moving the ball on to Ibe who was immediately surrounded – free kick to Walthamstow. Duncan Culley took responsibility for the kick, left channel – 20 yards out, and sent it towards the right post where Harris made the catch.
Cirencester then worked the ball down their right flank to Irving who cut left and sent his pass across the pitch but it was intercepted and once again McGettigan took flight before moving the ball on to Culley but the home defence came out on top.
Just after the half-hour Bennett won the ball back to supply Joe Turley, left channel – 35 yards from goal, and he slipped it right to REEGAN MESSENGER who moved forward and struck a fierce shot from 30 yards inside the left post. 3-0.
A couple of minutes later Walthamstow sent the ball to Sayoud, who had switched to the right flank, and he cut inside to the front corner of the home box before crossing – Nelmes headed it to the corner where Sayoud was bundled to the ground for a free kick that was delivered to the edge of the 6-yard box where Harris punched it away for a throw-in to the visitors that was cleared downfield by Bennett.
It wasn’t long before Cirencester were pressing again as Dunton supplied Sambu and he slipped it to the centre front edge of the visitor’s box where Bennett twisted and turned before shooting – blocked but rebounded to Irving to his left who immediately moved forward into the box where he was brought down and a Penalty Kick awarded. JAKE LEE stepped forward to strike a firm kick inside the right post. 4-0.
As the interval loomed there was action at both ends of the pitch. Following a Cirencester free kick on their left flank the ball reached Dunton who cut inside to the right front corner of the Walthamstow box to fire a low left footed shot at the right post where Robinson pushed it away for a corner kick that was cleared to Sayoud who moved it on to Anyadike – resulting in a corner kick from the right flank that Harris punched clear for a counter attack, a Christopher cross, and glancing header from Sambu past the left post as he darted across the 6-yaard box.
At the 45-minute mark Dunton headed the ball to Sambu, right channel – 35 yards out, and he turned and charged forward to the edge of the box where he struck a fierce shot towards the top right corner for Robinson to push it wide for another corner kick.
Half Time: 4-0
It had been a dominant performance from the home side so the question was – would they be able to maintain it and how would Walthamstow react?
During the interval Walthamstow made two changes to their line-up for the second half.
Cirencester kicked-off but the ball was almost immediately in the hands of Robinson who launched it downfield for Kai Davis to collect, right channel – 40 yards out, and run at the home defence before passing right to Anyadike who slipped it down the line as Davis had continued his run behind the defence to collect. He entered the home Penalty Area but as he attempted to cross he miss-kicked and the ball rolled out for a goal-kick.
Almost immediately Cirencester worked the ball across the pitch to supply Dunton who delivered a cross from the left side edge of the Walthamstow box to the far post where JOE SHEPHERD swept it inside the post. 5-0.
A Walthamstow free kick followed soon after as George Ironton sent it from the right flank, 25 yards out, to the centre front edge of the 6-yard box where Culley headed downwards but Harris made the save to deny him.
The visitors pressed again to reach the home box to be repelled but they recovered the ball for Ironton to cross from the right by-line - blocked resulting in a corner kick that Ironton took with Harris pushing it away from his goal to be recycled back to Ironton and this time Harris collected the cross at his left post.
A few minutes later Mensah launched the ball into the home box where Christopher turned to head back to Harris who immediately launched it downfield for Sambu to display some trickery as he reached the right by-line before laying it back to the right channel where Messenger was arriving but his shot sailed high over the bar.
Once again Walthamstow responded as Anyadike produced some trickery of his own as he cut inside from the left corner to shoot – Harris saved the low shot at his right post.
On the hour McGettigan made another driving run along the left touchline but Lee was quickly across to stop his progress 20 yards inside the Cirencester half.
Having survived the visitors surge Cirencester began to press again as Messenger reached the right corner and this resulted in a free kick and a cross that Lee delivered into the box with the clearance being collected by Bennett who fired wide of the left post.
Cirencester soon returned as an attack down their left flank yielded a corner kick followed by pressure in the right corner that Walthamstow survived to counter.
At the mid-point of the half a cross from the left corner to the centre front edge of the home 6-yard box was headed wide of the right post by Ibe and immediately Cirencester countered down their left flank as Irving reached the by-line to lay the ball into the path of AIDAN BENNETT, near the Penalty Spot, to wrong foot Robinson as he added his second goal. 6-0.
During the next four minutes Cirencester made their allotted three substitutions and one of them Nick Hancock was soon in action as Lee made a driving run down the right channel before slipping the ball to him to send a low cross-cum-shot past the far-left post from the right corner edge of the visitor’s box.
A couple of minutes later the busy Anyadike fired at the target from the left side edge of the home box for Harris to block at his right post but the ball ran loose and Jared Small latched onto it for Nelmes to block on the goal-line and Lee to complete the clearance.
Carl Mensah collected the clearance near half way and immediately launched it towards the far-left corner where Anyadike collected and cut right into the home box to be knocked to the ground and awarded a Penalty Kick in the process. DAMARAY ANYADIKE picked himself up and took responsibility for the kick and confidently tucked it inside the left post as Harris dived in the opposite direction. 6-1.
Walthamstow then defended another Cirencester attack before working the ball down their left flank as Ibe and Davis combined but Cirencester survived and countered as Hancock galloped to the right corner and his cross was diverted to a supporting Nick Peare who saw his shot from the edge of the box saved by Robinson.
A couple of minutes later Walthamstow were reduced to 10 men as Mensah had to leave the pitch due to injury.
Cirencester then worked their left flank as Hancock exchanged passes with Sergio Mills before laying it back for Dunton to cross to the back post where it was cleared to Peare who struck a shot towards the right post as he fell - Robinson saved.
The final action of the game was a cross-field pass from Christopher to Mills and a lay-off to Dunton who drove the ball towards the far-right post where it was cleared.
Full Time: 6-1
A very entertaining match, certainly from a home point of view, as Cirencester produced an all-round team performance and some excellent finishing in front of some excited Juniors.
To their credit Walthamstow kept trying but Cirencester didn’t allow them any time or space to play.
Attendance: 407 Referee: Luke Bowles
Cirencester Town:
1. Alex Harris
2. Will Christopher
3. Ellis Dunton
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee © 38p
6. Josh Nelmes
7. Adulai Sambu
8. Reegan Messenger 31
9. Aidan Bennett 26, 68
10. Joe Shepherd 48
11. Levi Irving 11
12. Kenneth Mills (Aidan Bennett-69mins)
14. Nick Peare (Reegan Messenger-72mins)
15. Andy Lewis
16. Nick Hancock (Adulai Sambu-72mins)
17. Kevin Sawyer (GK)
Walthamstow:
1. Bradley Robinson
2. Jordan Watson ©
3. Caoilan McGettigan
4. Jack Green
5. Carl Mensah
6. Te Wihongi
7. Damaray Anyadike 78p
8. Kieran Turner
9. Duncan Culley
10. Callum Ibe
11. Bilal Sayoud
12. Jared Small (Duncan Culley-56mins)
14. George Ironton (Bilal Sayoud-46mins)
15. Fabion Simms
16. Kai Davis (Jordan Watson-46mins)
17. Percival Winter