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 latest visitors to The Talent Hire Stadium for an Uhlsport Hellenic League – Premier Division fixture was near neighbours FAIRFORD TOWN and following an entertaining match the visitors secured victory to continue their positive, unbeaten start to the new season.
Following their defeat to OLDLAND ABBOTONIANS in the Isuzu FA Vase at the weekend The Centurions faced the team that inflicted a 7-0 defeat on them in The Emirates FA Cup a few weeks ago with another change to their central defence as Dave Bampton and Jack Horrell returned to replace Lewis Thorne (unavailable) and Aidan Bennett (who returned to a more advanced position).
Prior to the match Fairford sat in 9th place with 8 points from their opening 4 games (two wins and two draws) whilst Cirencester have yet to obtain any points and sit bottom of the table.
The visitors kicked-off playing towards The Shed end of the ground and after introducing all of their defence to the game they eventually launched the ball to the left corner where it was ultimately lost for Cirencester to work it forward down their left flank as Finley Bell slipped the ball to Jordan Morris who moved it down the line to Jack Freeman where it was lost for ‘keeper Harry Ellis to launch it to their right corner.
A few minutes later Cirencester produced a slick, quick multi-pass move as they worked the ball down their right flank, involving four players, that ended with a free kick to the hosts near the front corner of the Fairford box – defended and cleared.
Fairford replied as they worked the ball from left to right for Ollie Bradbury to cross from their right corner but it was deflected to a waiting ‘keeper Sam Ayres.
The match had started in a very open fashion and Cirencester mounted several attacks to their right corner – one involving an Aidan Bennett chase and cross but no-one was there to meet it at the far post, and another that started with a Morris cross-field pass and quick passing from Bennett, Bell and Ogaga Edward before his cross to the far post.
An early feature of the game for Fairford was the availability of Charlie Holliday on their left flank as he was the recipient of several cross-field passes – the first of which he charged down his flank before laying the ball inside for Josh Blyth to fire over the bar.
A few minutes later there was a delay as Dave Bampton received treatment for a head injury, eventually leaving the field for a few minutes, and whilst he was off the pitch Fairford mounted an attack down their right flank that culminated in Joe Shutt delivering a cross that was inadvertently headed inside the near right post for an OWN GOAL. 0-1.
The unfortunate Bampton returned to the action but a few minutes later, suffering from double-vision, he had to be replaced.
Within a couple of minutes of entering the contest, his replacement Jonathan Aitkenhead, also received a blow to the face as he blocked a shot that resulted in a corner kick whilst he was off being treated.
Whilst Cirencester’s defence was settling Fairford increased the pressure and as the interval loomed a pass to their right corner was collected by Jamal Lawrence who barged his way along the by-line before playing it to the centre of the 6-yard box where CHARLIE HOLLIDAY was waiting to tap it into the open net. 0-2.
A minute later Joah Hall intercepted a pass and charged into the home box, left channel, before firing narrowly wide of the far-right post.
Jordan Morris responded with a run down the left channel and a pass to Jerzy Marszalek that resulted in a free kick for handball that Freeman delivered towards the right post where it was headed away for Ollie Rejek to head back into the mix – caught by Ellis.
Half Time: 0-2
Cirencester came out of the blocks quickly in the second period with Morris making several strong runs down the left flank that culminated in crosses to the far-right post – one of which dropped for Bennett but he shot over the bar from 10-yards.
A couple of minutes later a Lawrence strike was diverted for a corner kick that Ayres punched clear and during the next few minutes Cirencester mounted a number of attacks, with quick passing, a couple ending with strikes over the bar - from Ethan Rose and Morris
Around the hour Fairford pressed to be awarded a corner kick that was headed over the bar at the back post and Cirenceser replied as Bell fired over the bar from 25 yards.
This action was quickly followed by Holliday making ground to the left byline before squaring the ball to Lawrence but his effort was deflected wide of the far-right post for a corner kick that Bennett headed clear.
Early in the final quarter Ayres advanced to challenge Lawrence for possession 35 yards from his goal and the ball rebounded to Shutt who attempted to lob the stranded ‘keeper from near half way but it drifted over the bar.
Substitutions were now being made, thick and fast, and this disrupted the flow of the game although Cirencester had a corner kick from each flank in quick succession before Freeman fired over the target.
A minute later Fairford did put the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out – ‘offside’.
Six minutes from the scheduled final whistle Bell embarked on a long ‘mazy’ run down the left channel that took him into the Fairford box where he cut right before shooting narrowly wide of the top left corner of the visitor’s goal-frame.
At the 90-minute mark Bell collected a loose ball and moved it left to Bonsa Teshome who played it forward to Craig Graham who took it into the left channel of the Fairford box - cross blocked for a corner kick that was defended, recycled and ended when Bell ran out of room near the left byline.
Deep into ‘added-time’ Fairford were awarded a Penalty Kick and skipper JAMAL LAWRENCE duly drove the ball into the net a few seconds before the final whistle was blown.
Full Time: 0-3
Cirencester once again displayed plenty of effort to mount some encouraging moves with their quick passing but unfortunately lacked an end product.
Attendance: 182 Referee: Christopher Kidd
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Sam Ayres
2. Ogaga Edward
3. Jordan Morris
4. Finley Bell
5. Dave Bampton
6. Jack Horrell
7. Oliver Rejek
8. Ethan Rose
9. Jerzy Marszalek
10. Jack Freeman
11. Aidan Bennett ©
12. Bonsa Teshome (Ogaga Edward-66mins)
14. Craig Graham (Oliver Rejek-77mins)
15. Edward Taylor (Jerzy Marszalek-77mins)
16. Jonathan Aitkenhead (Dave Bampton-25mins)
FAIRFORD TOWN:
Own Goal 19
1. Harrison Ellis
2. Josh Blyth
3. Will Davidson
4. Danny Way
5. Cameron Thomsen
6. Henry Birkett
7. Joe Shutt
8. Joah Hall
9. Jamal Lawrence © 90+5p
10. Ollie Bradbury
11. Charlie Holliday 43
12. Ellis McSharry (Henry Birkett-76mins)
14. Harrison Edwards (Joah Hall-65mins)
15. Charlie McCrae (Ollie Bradbury-61mins)
16. Tristan Haswell (Will Davidson-65mins)
17. Tom Spencer (Joe Shutt-76mins)