Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
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Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Match photos supplied by Graham Hill
For the second successive week a re-arranged home fixture was played at The Corinium Stadium, with a very capable HERTFORD TOWN the latest visitors, and after a hard-fought contest The Centurions secured the points.
In terms of current form and league positions – prior to the match Hertford sat in 9th place in the table with 10 points from 7 games played, whilst Cirencester were in 4th place with 13 points from 8 games played. Hertford have secured 10 points from their last 6 games and Cirencester 9 points so a tight match was expected - and so it proved.
There was one change to the starting eleven from the game against Aylesbury United as Charlie McCrae replaced Roger James (who I understand has returned to his former club).
Cirencester kicked-off playing towards The Arena end of the ground and immediately attacked down the centre of the pitch to be repelled by Hertford who carefully worked their way out of defence with some neat passing football – and this was to become a feature of the game.
After a further attack down their right flank resulted in Luca Robinson’s cross being blocked the visitors countered as they too worked the ball down their right flank to the corner where Sudayisi Sendege cut back to send a deep cross to the back post as Kolade Salaudeen was bursting forward but was unable to make contact with the ball.
A minute later Robinson cut inside from his right flank to shoot at the target – blocked but recycled to Charlie Johnson who delivered a cross from the left front corner of the visitor’s box towards the Penalty Spot where ‘keeper Luke Mewitt caught the ball above the incoming Aidan Bennett.
A couple of minutes later Hertford worked the ball down their left flank as Ben Herd slipped the ball down the line to Brian Garzon who produced a clever flick, to evade an incoming challenge as he sent it further down the line to Wilson Palomeque-Bernal, before making ground to the left channel of the home box to collect the return pass and as he neared the by-line his cross was blocked at the near post by a covering Ellis Dunton.
Cirencester responded as Will Christopher delivered a free kick from the right channel, 40 yards out, into the Hertford box where Mewitt punched it away.
A throw-in from the left corner followed and Harry Burns delivered it to the near post where REEGAN MESSENGER arrived to send a looping header over Mewitt and inside the far-right post to open the scoring. 1-0.
Hertford reacted immediately as a long ball was sent to the left corner where Garzon chased it and cut right along the front edge of the home box before shooting – blocked by Dunton who also launched the recycled ball down the left channel for Mewitt to send out of play.
All this in the first ten minutes of play and during the next ten minutes Cirencester pressed and Hertford resisted and worked the ball down the pitch – one of which reached Garzon, on to Wilson Palomeque-Bernal, right to Sendege who shot from the edge of the box to be blocked by Jake Lee.
Cirencester then worked the ball down their right channel as Bennett exchanged passes with Christopher before supplying Robinson near the centre front edge of the Herford box but his shot was comfortably saved by Mewitt.
A couple more attacks from Cirencester followed before a Sendege run and pass to the right corner where Ryan Palomeque-Bernal popped up to pull the ball back for Garzon to shoot wide of the left post.
A few minutes later Sendege exchanged passes with Garzon, as he cut inside from the right flank, before firing his left footed effort into the side netting and shortly afterwards Garzon was involved again as the ball was recycled to him near the left front corner of the home box where he fired over the target.
The visitors had been working hard in search of an equaliser and as the interval loomed it was the home side that pressed as Burns fired over the bar, and a Bennett effort was collected by Mewitt, but deep into ‘added-time’ Cirencester came close as Messenger headed on from wide of the right post, 12-yards out, and Bennett darted forward to attempt to clip it over Mewitt but the ‘keeper caught it above his head.
Half Time: 1-0
The visitors kicked-off the second half and immediately launched the ball to their left corner where Christopher headed for Lee to clear to the Cirencester left flank for Charlie McCrae to send down the flank where the threat to Hertford ended.
Following a Cirencester free-kick the ball was sent up to Garzon who shot from the right channel front edge of the home box – blocked, but recycled back to the same spot for Sendege to cut left and shoot – safely gathered by custodian Stuart Nelson.
After a Garzon shot had cleared the home bar Cirencester worked the ball forward as Joe Turley played a clever half-volley pass inside the full-back for Robinson to latch onto but Herd had spotted the danger and cleared the ball for a Cirencester throw-in that was defended.
The home side were soon back as Christopher sent the ball from the right flank to Bennett, left channel of the visitor’s box, and he slipped it inside for an advanced Turley to shoot – blocked and cleared.
The pass out of the Hertford defence was intercepted by Johnson and supplied to Dan Grieve, before he continued his run towards the visitor’s box, but the return ball was collected by Mewitt before Johnson could collect it.
Around the hour mark a Hertford move across the front edge of the home box reached Wilson Palomeque-Bernal who fired wide of the far-right post.
Cirencester responded with a couple of attacks down their right flank as Grieve controlled a long punt from Nelson before slipping it wide to Robinson but his cross from the by-line was caught by Mewitt and shortly afterwards Dunton intercepted a pass near half-way and also slipped it wide to Robinson to run to the by-line and cross – collected by Mewitt at his left post.
As the home side pressed again the ball was cleared to Sendege who embarked on a long run that took him to the right front corner of the home box where his shot was pushed over the bar by Nelson and the resulting corner kick headed over the target by Harry Gilzean.
The visitors returned a couple of minutes later as Garzon slid the ball down their right channel for Ryan Palomeque-Bernal to collect and take into the corner before delivering a low cross towards the near post. The alert KOLADE SALAUDEEN quickly darted forward to tuck it inside the right post to level the score. 1-1. Game on.
Encouraged the visitors Sendege made another burst down the right channel but his final shot, from near the front corner of the home box, was wide of the far-left post.
A couple of minutes later it all changed again as Nick Peare cut-out a cross-field pass, moved forward, and struck a fierce shot that was deflected wide of the left post for a corner kick. Luca Robinson delivered the kick to the back post where Dunton headed it back towards the far-left post and at this point REEGAN MESSENGER intervened to head home from a couple of yards. 2-1.
With nothing to lose Hertford pushed forward with Nelson saving a low shot at his left post from Sendege, and Dunton defending a threat from Garzon before the home side threatened through Peare heading to Mewitt and Messenger latching onto a head-on by Grieve to shoot from inside the visitor’s box – Mewitt pushing it wide to concede a corner kick.
As the 90-minute mark arrived Hertford pressed again with an Emmanuel Robe effort leading to a corner kick that was recycled to him to cross from the by-line to the back post where Sendege’s downward header was pushed away by Nelson for Lee to clear.
Minutes later Josh Nelmes was heavily involved in the action as after Turley had won a heading duel he collected the lose ball, chipped it over an incoming defender, and volleyed it wide of the left post from 25 yards, - soon to be followed by him taking the ball into the right corner to ‘run the clock down’ but once there he decided to slip it inside to a supporting Peare who crossed it towards the centre front edge of the visitors box where LUCA ROBINSON struck the ball against his standing left foot, diverting it inside the right post as Mewitt dived in the opposite direction.
Full Time: 3-1
A game full of action that required a determined team performance from The Centurions against a formidable Hertford Town who produced some excellent passing football to test their hosts resolve.
ELLIS DUNTON
After 374 appearances in the ‘Red & Black’ (345 starts plus 29 as a substitute, with 30 goals along the way) this match was his final appearance for The Centurions as he departs for Australia in a few days.
Thank You for your commitment and effort over the years and Good Luck in Australia.
Attendance: 137 Referee: Andrew Sheppard
Cirencester Town:
1. Stuart Nelson
2. Will Christopher
3. Charlie Johnson
4. Joe Turley
5. Jake Lee
6. Ellis Dunton
7. Luca Robinson 90+5
8. Reegan Messenger 9, 75
9. Aidan Bennett
10. Harry Burns
11. Charlie McCrae
12. Daniel Grieve (Charlie McCrae-51mins)
14. Nick Peare (Harry Burns-67mins)
15. Josh Nelmes (Reegan Messenger-86mins)
16. Willem Pooley
17. James Mortimer-Jones
HERTFORD TOWN:
1. Luke Mewitt
2. Ryan Palomeque Bernal
3. Horickson Assi
4. Charleio Payne ©
5. Harry Gilzean
6. Benjamin Herd
7. Sudayisi Sendege
8. Ergys Pepaj
9. Kolade Salaudeen 70
10. Brian Garzon
11. Wilson Palomeque Bernal
12. Emmanuel Robe (Wilson Palomeque Bernal-61mins)
13. William Kiers (GK)
14. Deimar Cardosa Queni (Kolade Salaudeen-80mins)
15. Conor Clarke (Ergys Pepaj-80mins)
16. Christopher Eccles