Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
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
‘The Romans’ of ROMAN GLASS ST. GEORGE visited The Talent Hire Stadium for the second time this season - but this time in the Wiseman Lighting (UHL) Floodlit Cup at the semi-final stage - and after another entertaining 7-goal thriller in a ‘game of two halves’ as the saying goes the score-line was reversed in favour of The Centurions.
The visitors currently sit in 4th place in the league table with 71 points from 33 games played whilst The Centurions sit in 16th place with 35 points from 35 games played.
The two ‘League’ meetings between the sides have resulted in victories for The Romans – 6-1 at Oaklands Park, in the opening fixture of the season, and 4-3 at The Talent Hire Stadium a few weeks ago in a much closer game.
The visitors started the match very strongly as they moved the ball about with confidence, as befits their position in the league table, to test home custodian Ronnie Newbery - Jordan Williams making ground to the left byline to cross and Lewis Gilchrist through for a 1v1 – Newbery caught the cross and parried Gilchrist’s effort from the just outside the home box – but a couple of minutes later Williams and Gilchrist combined to supply NIEKELL PLUMMER who received the ball in space in the right channel of the home box and smashed it into the net to open the scoring. 0-1.
Undaunted Cirencester responded with some neat play of their own as they made ground down their left flank before switching to their right but were unable to penetrate the visitor’s defence.
Leading up to the mid-point of the half Cirencester suffered a further setback when the influential Harrison Reeves had to be replaced due to injury and by this time the visitor’s fluid formation and passing enabled them to retain possession for periods with Chris Lines low shot testing Newbery from inside the home box, right channel, and Plummer attempting to lob an advanced Newbery from 30 yards but wide of the target.
The Romans were soon back as Jack Smith received the ball from Louis Ward to cross – blocked for a corner kick that resulted in a back post header and a stretching catch from Newbery.
The visitors were certainly enjoying plenty of possession and Newbery did well to gather another dangerous cross from the left corner by Jordan Williams on the half-volley.
As mentioned earlier Cirencester were working their flanks when they had the ball but they did not retain it for long enough to seriously test their visitors defence but on the stroke of half time Jack Freeman delivered a deep cross from the left touchline for an advanced KYLE PITTS to collect just inside the visitor’s box, and he calmly wrong-footed ‘keeper Joel Manning-Butler as he tucked it inside the left post to level. 1-1.
Half Time: 1-1
From the re-start Cirencester continued to attack down their flanks and The Romans replied with efforts from Charlie Boorman and Harvey Tierney before another attack was repelled to be recycled to the left channel front edge of the home box for JORDAN WILLIAMS to unleash a thunderbolt that flew into the top right corner – a sensational strike. 1-2.
At the hour mark Ross Gabriel completed a ‘chest trap’ and won the incoming tackle to supply Freeman and he returned the ball in close proximity to be lost but this seemed to spark Cirencester as a few minutes later Jordan Morris sent a pass down the left touchline for Finley Bell to collect near the corner – lost for a visitors throw-in.
Within minutes the visitors pressed again but it ended in a goal-kick and from that Morris played the ball down the left flank to Gabriel, and facing his own goal he slipped the ball inside to Bell who in turn sent a superb pass to the right touchline for Ethan Rose to collect and advance to the right corner to deliver a low cross to the front edge of the Romans 6-yard box where ROSS GABRIEL was arriving to finish. 2-2.
Around the mid-point of the half Ogaga Edward completed a couple of superbly timed tackles to win the ball off his opponent and start counter attacks – the first reaching Bell who crossed to the far-left post for Aidan Bennett to collect but his effort was saved by Manning-Butler.
A few minutes later a free kick for the visitors reached Joe McLennon near the right channel front edge of the home box and he completed a couple of ‘shimmies’ as he entered the box to shoot – saved by Newbery.
Thirty minutes into the second half Cirencester were awarded a throw-in on half-way, left flank, that Freeman clipped to the corner to yield a corner kick that Bell delivered to the near post where it was headed away to be recycled as Freeman slipped it to Bell, right to Jack Horrell who played a superbly weighted pass behind the visitors defence for an overlapping Morris to collect and cross from the corner to the back post for ROSS GABRIEL to jump and at full stretch head back across goal, over Manning-Butler, inside the far-left post to give Cirencester the lead. 3-2.
Cirencester now had the bit between their teeth and moments later another multi-pass move reached Bennett, left channel – 20 yards out, but his right-footed curling shot just cleared the top right corner of The Romans goal.
The visitors replied as Laurent Davis-Wilson charged down their left channel to reach the edge of the box where he fired a shot that cannoned off the top left corner of the goal-frame and out.
Within a minute another fine flowing move from the hosts had increased their lead – as Rose sent a pass down the right flank for Bell to collect, advance and send a low cross into the 6-yard box where an arriving ROSS GABRIEL completed his hat-trick with a near post finish. 4-2.
The action was end-to-end as both sides pressed at every opportunity Lines launching a free kick into the home box and Morris a cross that Manning-Butler pushed out for a defender to slice into the air for the ‘keeper to leave his box to clear near the corner.
In the 90th minute a Cirencester attack and cross reached Gabriel near the left post where he toe-poked the ball past the far-right post.
In the 5th minute of ‘added-time’ a ball into the home box resulted in a scramble and eventually it was poked into the net from close range by LAURENT DAVIS-WILSON. 4-3.
A minute later it was all over and Cirencester were through to the Final.
Full Time: 4-3
A game of two halves as the visitors dominated possession with their fluid formation and flowing passing in the first, whilst after the break Cirencester didn’t allow them as much time and space and worked hard to score some excellent goals with their own free-flowing football.
Attendance: ??? Referee: Andrew Bower
Cirencester Town:
1. Ronnie Newbery
2. Aidan Bennett ©
3. Jordan Morris
4. Ed Scott
5. Kyle Pitts 45
6. Jack Horrell
7. Finley Bell
8. Ethan Rose
9. Ross Gabriel 64, 76, 83
10. Jack Freeman
11. Harrison Reeves
12. Dave Bampton
14. Harry Titchener (Jack Freeman-86mins)
16. Ogaga Edward (Harrison Reeves-19mins)
17. Edward Taylor (Aidan Bennett-90mins)
18. Christian Oliver
Roman Glass St. George:
1. Joel Manning-Butler
2. Harry Tierney
3. Jordan Williams 58
4. Chris Lines
5. Lloyd Mills ©
6. Louis Ward
7. Jack Smith
8. Jennison Williams
9. Niekell Plummer 7
10. Charlie Boorman
11. Lewis Gilchrist
12. Laurent Davis-Wilson (Niekell Plummer-55mins) 90+5
14. Joe McLennan (Charlie Boorman-55mins)
15. Josh Jenkin (Lewis Gilchrist-77mins)
16. Tom Anthony (Harry Tierney-77mins)
17. Anthony Beecham