Cirencester Town FC
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Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
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TUFFLEY ROVERS visited The Talent Hire Stadium for a revised Hellenic League - Premier Division fixture and following a tough match, and despite striking the woodwork twice, ‘The Rovers’ returned to Gloucester empty-handed.
Examination of the league performances for each team prior to this fixture reveals that the visitors sat in 14th place in the Premier Division table with 19 points from the 16 games they have played so far whilst their hosts were in 10th place with 20 points from 15 games.
In the reverse fixture, played early in October, Cirencester secured a 2-0 victory.
The visitors kicked-off playing towards The Arena end of the ground but soon lost the ball enabling Cirencester to counter and test visiting ‘keeper Alex Hammond who made the required catch cleanly to settle any early nerves.
Tuffley replied as Kieran Alder made a darting run down the right channel before being forced left by the number of home defenders – resulting in a free kick that was headed wide of the left post by Alder and declared to be ‘offside’.
Cirencester responded to the early pressure by working the ball down their right flank to the corner a couple of times for the ball to be lost - followed by quick counter attacks.
During the early stages neither side retained the ball for long, with little time to control the ball before an incoming challenge, but gradually the game settled as Cirencester pressed with their more patient build-up play and Tuffley responded with quick counter attacks.
An example of this was a break by Callum McLean down the right flank to half-way where he released Alder for a run across the front of the home box before slipping the ball in behind the defence for Karnell Chambers to collect, as he cut inside to the left channel, and fire into the side-netting as defenders closed in on him.
At the fifteen-minute mark Joe Turley made a timely interception near half-way and immediately supplied Jonty Welch who slipped the ball to Theo Jeremy who darted down the right flank – resulting in a home throw-in that was worked across the pitch to Jordan Morris and he delivered a dangerous cross towards the Penalty Spot where an incoming Harlie Price was just short of making contact.
A few minutes later Cirencester worked their left flank again – Welch to Finley Bell who made a run to the corner before being brought to ground for a free kick to be awarded that Jack Horrell laid to the left channel front edge of the visitor’s box where Finley Bell fired narrowly over the top right corner.
Within minutes Cirencester were back again as Finly Bell sent a low cross through the front edge of the 6-yard box to be collected by Jeremy at the back post and he promptly returned it into the mix where Price was unable to make the required contact.
By the mid-point the action was frantic as each side mounted attacks and their opponents countered – Jeremy cutting in from the right for Hammond to save and collect at his left post before Mclean galloped to the right corner to ‘win’ a corner kick, followed by a Welch effort that was deflected over for a corner kick at the other end.
Shortly after the 30-minute mark Chambers was once again slipped through and into the left channel of the home box but a superbly-timed tackle from Ed Scott prevented any further progress.
As the visitors pressed again some neat defensive play dealt with the threat enabling Scott to launch the ball down the left flank to the corner – resulting in a corner kick. Jack Horrell laid the kick across the visitor’s box and a couple of ‘dummy runs’ wrong footed the defence for THEO JEREMY to collect, right channel – just inside the box, and drive through the crowded goalmouth into the net. 1-0.
The response from the visitor’s was almost immediate as Chambers chased a long ball to the left corner and cut inside (drawing defenders across) before laying the ball to a supporting Alder as he reached the front edge of the home box to fire towards an empty goal but once again Scott came to the rescue as he recovered to block the attempt and clear the danger.
As the interval approached Tuffley were back again as the ball was slipped to Alder, left channel front edge of the home box, and his shot took a deflection that wrong-footed ‘keeper Ronnie Newbery who produced a reflex save to his left to pounce on the ball.
Half Time: 1-0
At the start of the second half Tuffley produced a slick passing move as Corey Warrington sent the ball to their left flank for Eli Simpson to slip inside to Jamie Creed and he in turn moved it right to Alder who took on the shot from a central position, 20 yards out, but it was blocked by Morris. It was however a clear indication that the visitors were up for the challenge ahead.
A few minutes into the half a Cirencester throw-in on their right flank was inadvertently diverted across the pitch by a defender to Welch, central position – 20 yards out, and he produced a clever ’chip’ behind the defence for Price to latch onto as he burst into the left channel of the visitor’s box but his instant left footed shot flew over the top left corner.
A couple of minutes later as Cirencester worked the ball down their right flank a cool piece of defending from Sam Kelly as he calmly turned to evade incoming challenges from a couple of opponents is worthy of mention.
Cirencester were soon back again however as a multi-pass move, involving Finley Bell, Morris and Welch, retained the ball whilst they worked it down their left flank before Bell’s shot was deflected for a corner kick. Jack Horrell delivered the kick into the ‘mix’ and a scramble ensued before ED SCOTT smashed it into the roof of the net from the edge of the 6-yard box. 2-0.
Within minutes Scott was prominent again as he sent a 40-yard pass down the left flank for Finley Bell to collect and under challenge he was knocked over, yet managed to keep control of the ball, and lay it off to Morris who saw his cross blocked for a throw-in that eventually led to a corner kick and a Kyle Pitts header that was narrowly wide of the target.
At the hour mark Fraser Bell supplied Welch, right flank - 15 yards inside the Tuffley half, and he delivered a terrific curling cross that dropped behind the visitor’s defence, but inside their box, for Finley Bell to flick into the path of Price who stopped and cut back, to prepare for a shot, but was flattened by a challenge from McLean and a Penalty Kick awarded. HARLIE PRICE got back to his feet and drove the spot kick inside the right post with Hammond diving in the opposite direction. 3-0.
Despite this further setback for the visitor’s the game remained ‘end-to-end’ as Jeremy fired over the top right corner from 20-yards and Harley Mustoe fired over from the edge of the box.
As the game entered the final ten scheduled minutes a Mustoe ‘snap-shot’ from 20-yards rattled the home crossbar and a Brad Bevan strike from the edge of the box rebounded off the bottom of the right post.
Full Time: 3-0
A hard-fought match that was a little disjointed at times - due to the speed of incoming challenges denying space and time to pick a pass – but full of endeavour.
Attendance: 158 Referee: Callum Bennett
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Ronnie Newbery
2. Fraser Bell
3. Jordan Morris
4. Edward Scott 55
5. Kyle Pitts ©
6. Joe Turley
7. Theo Jeremy 36
8. Jack Horrell
9. Harlie Price 61p
10. Jonty Welch
11. Finley Bell
12. Nick Peare (Joe Turley-81mins)
14. Aidan Bennett (Jack Horrell-63mins)
15. Ethan Rose (Theo Jeremy-77mins)
16. Jack Freeman (Finley Bell-70mins)
17. George Peare (Harlie Price-70mins)
TUFFLEY ROVERS:
1. Alex Hammond
2. Callum McLean
3. Ellis Clifford
4. Elijah Simpson
5. Sam Kelly
6. Callum McGuirk
7. Corey Warrington
8. Kieran Alder ©
9. Karnell Chambers
10. Jamie Creed
11. Preston Mason
12. Gino Valenti (Kieran Alder-63mins)
14. Macaulay Herbert (Ellis Clifford-46mins)
15. Brad Bevan (Callum McLean-81mins)
16. Connor Walters (Jamie Creed-81mins)
17. Harley Mustoe (Corey Warrington-63mins)