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
LYDNEY TOWN made the journey from the Forest of Dean to face The Centurions, at The Talent Hire Stadium for this Uhlsport Hellenic League – Premier Division fixture, no doubt looking to impress their newly appointed Management Team and following an entertaining match a brace from Harrison Reeves secured the points for the home side.
Prior to this match the visitors sat in 19th place in the league table with 8 points from their 14 games played and as a result they appointed a new Management Team during the week with Adam Dix and former Centurion Lee Smith taking the reins.
Cirencester Town sat in 16th place with 11 points from 16 games played so the result of this match was extremely important to both sides – the proverbial 6-pointer.
The visitors kicked off in bright sunshine playing towards The Shed end of the ground and almost immediately lost possession, enabling Cirencester to attack down their left flank and across the pitch and back again before the ball was lost for the visitors to drive forward to their right corner and cross into the home box for Lewis Thorne to head clear at the back post.
A few minutes later the busy Thorne clipped a well-weighted ball over a defender and into the space between defender and the front edge of the visitor’s box for ROSS GABRIEL to chase, collect and ‘chip’ over the advancing ‘keeper. Tom Way, and into the net. 1-0.
The visitors responded positively to this early setback as Simon Prangley delivered down the right channel for Brett James to collect and take to the right by-line where Jonathan Aitkenhead came across to end his progress.
Undeterred Lydney were soon back again as Kian Skidmore sent a cross from the left flank towards the far-post where custodian Ronnie Newbery made the catch above James’ head.
This action was followed by Kristan Burnard sending a long pass to the left corner for Skidmore to collect and slip inside to Ryan Dobbins and he laid the ball off for a couple of shots to be blocked before the threat was cleared.
Lydney then produced a neat move as Prangley played the ball up to Dobbins, centre front edge of the home box, who moved it out to the right flank for Dan Brain to charge to the corner and cross towards the Penalty Spot where an incoming Dobbins headed over the target.
Cirencester responded to this period of pressure from their visitors as they mounted a couple of attacks down their right flank and across the front edge of the Lydney box.
Moments later they tried again as Aidan Bennett slipped the ball inside for Finley Bell to collect and pass across the front edge of the Lydney box to HARRISON REEVES who survived two challenges before moving into the box to shoot inside the left post, aided by a deflection. 2-0.
Ten minutes later Cirencester lost the ball as they attacked down their left flank and Sheen sent it to Dobbins who moved into the home box for a 1v1 with Newbery who produced two blocks to deny the striker.
Almost immediately Dobbins returned the favour as he delivered a cross from the right flank towards the Penalty Spot where JORDI SHEEN arrived to head inside the right post. 2-1.
Half Time: 2-1
Cirencester started the second half positively as both Bell and Reeves carried the ball forward before exchanging passes as Bell supplied Reeves who fired wide of the right post.
This was soon followed by Oliver Rejek shooting narrowly wide of the right post from 30 yards, right channel and another strong run from Reeves that took him past a couple of challenges before his shot was blocked by the legs of Way.
A minute later Bell slipped the ball inside to Jack Freeman, right channel of the visitor’s box, and once again Way made the save.
Following this initial pressure from their hosts Lydney mounted a counter attack as they managed to retain the ball tight to the left touchline to work their way from their half into Cirencester’s before slipping it inside to Sheen who sent it further right to a supporting Brain and he took it forward a few strides before firing well over the target from 25 yards, right channel.
Just before the hour mark Cirencester attacked to the right corner where Bennett’s cross was blocked for a corner kick that resulted in another from the other flank and a header across the goal from Aitkenhead to Bennett who laid it off to Bell – cross towards the far-right post and an ‘offside’ decision.
Shortly afterwards James made a couple of strong runs down the right flank to deliver crosses into the home box that Aitkenhead and Bennett defended.
At the mid-point of half Way produced a confident ‘drag-back’ to evade an incoming challenge from a charging Reeves before slipping the ball to a team-mate to clear.
A few minutes later Ethan Rose galloped to the right corner to collect the ball before squaring it to the area between 6-yard box and Penalty Spot where HARRISON REEVES arrived to tuck it inside the right post despite a partial block from Way. 3-1.
Six minutes later Brain received the ball, left channel – 25 yards out, and spotting Newbery advancing he attempted to clip the ball over the ‘keeper who had to back-pedal quickly to push it over his cross-bar and concede a corner kick.
In reply Harley Arnold delivered the ball into the path of Finley Bell who carried it forward for a 1v1 with Way that the ‘keeper won.
Full Time: 3-1
A competitive and entertaining game with plenty of action at each end of the pitch with glimpses of quality from both sides.
Attendance: 177 Referee: Andrew Mawgan
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Ronnie Newbery
2. Lewis Thorne
3. Jordan Morris
4. Jonathan Aitkenhead
5. Dave Bampton
6. Oliver Rejek
7. Aidan Bennett ©
8. Finley Bell
9. Ross Gabriel 6
10. Jack Freeman
11. Harrison Reeves 23, 72
12. Ethan Rose (Dave Bampton-67mins)
14. Jayden Stratford
16. Ogaga Edward (Harrison Reeves-89mins)
17. Harley Arnold (Ross Gabriel-76mins)
18. Freddie Whitehead
LYDNEY TOWN:
1. Tom Way
2. Billy Guest
3. Tristan Murphy
4. Simon Prangley
5. Zak White
6. Kristan Burnard
7. Dan Brain
8. Jordi Sheen © 34
9. Ryan Dobbins
10. Brett James
11. Kian Skidmore
12. Arron Jenkins (Kian Skidmore-61mins)
14. Shaun Warren (Arron Jenkins-90mins)
15. Sam Wines (Simon Prangley-61mins)
16. Tommy Brett (Kristan Burnard-82mins)
17. Lee Smith (Ryan Dobbins-72mins)