Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
55.png){kind=logo}
32.jpg)
Click photo to view a slideshow of photos from the match
Match photos supplied by Graham Hill
The Centurions were back on the road for their latest Uhlsport Hellenic League – Premier Division fixture, after seven successive home League and Cup matches, with a trip to Bristol to play CRIBBS FC and it was their improved performance in the second-half that secured victory at the end of a tough match.
A review of the relative positions of the two teams prior to the match revealed that CRIBBS FC sat in 16th place in the league table with 14 points from the 16 games they have played so far whilst their hosts sat in 8th place with 23 points from the same number of games played.
In their last five league games Cribbs have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 whilst Cirencester have won 4 and drawn 1.
The Cirencester starting eleven had one change from their last match as Aidan Bennett returned in place of Jack Horrell who takes a seat on the bench as he is recovering from a slight strain.
The home side came out of the blocks very positively from the start as they soon had the ball and launched it down the right channel for the speedy Amari McLeary to chase but Kyle Pitts held him off and the ball ran out for a goal-kick – it was however a sign of things to come as the home front line proved to be very mobile with plenty of pace.
A minute later Aaron Sweete also made a run down the right flank before playing the ball back to Louie Farrow who crossed towards the Penalty Spot where Ed Scott headed out for an early corner kick to the hosts that resulted in a strike from Joel Smith that ‘keeper Ronnie Newbery caught.
Cirencester had survived the initial storm from their hosts and gradually they began to work their way into the game but, having played their last seven games on their 3G pitch and following the heavy rain of the previous day, they were struggling to judge the pace/weight of pass on the softer grass surface so retaining the ball was an issue – although by the 10-minute mark they had had a couple of corner kicks.
An exchange of passes between Jordan Morris and Finley Bell released the former to cross from the left corner but the Assistant Referee signalled that it had gone out of play before it struck the top of the crossbar.
As the mid-point of the half approached Cribbs mounted another fluid attack – a run from Aaron Coleman, slipped inside to Sweete, down the right channel to Kosuke Ono who crossed for Pitts to head away but recycled for Max Condie to cross – cleared by Aidan Bennett.
Cirencester responded as they worked the ball across the pitch, right to left flank, for Morris to supply Bennett who crossed towards the Penalty Spot where an incoming Theo Jeremy fired over the target.
Shortly afterwards Cribbs collected the ball in the centre circle and quickly supplied Coleman and from the front edge of the visitor’s box he slipped the ball behind the defence for LUCO PONSILLO to collect, left channel - 12 yards out, and finish inside the far-right post. 1-0.
The sides battled for a while without threatening their opponent’s goal unduly until ten-minutes later when Bennett crossed for Harlie Price to produce a measured strike that was deflected wide for a corner kick – at the end of which central defender Matt Binding was injured and had to be replaced by Oscar Sullivan.
Leading up to the interval Cirencester pressed and the home side continued to counter quickly but there was no change to the scoreline.
Half Time: 1-0
The half-time chat in the Cirencester dressing room during the interval must have been instructive because after the break they came out with more intent and energy to press their hosts.
Leading up to the hour mark and following a Cirencester attack Cribbs countered down their right flank through Ono but Fraser Bell spotted the danger and darted across to deal with the threat and start a counter in the opposite direction as George Peare slipped the ball through to Jeremy as he darted behind the home defence – cleared for a Cirencester throw-in which resulted in a cross from Morris being caught by ‘keeper Hugo Dali-Kemmery.
A few minutes later Cirencester were awarded a corner kick, right flank, that Jeremy laid back to Fraser Bell and he crossed towards the area in front of the 6-yard box where GEORGE PEARE produced a firm header into the top right corner to level the score. 1-1.
Three minutes later Cirencester added another as Morris and Jeremy exchanged passes for the former to cross towards the Penalty Spot where HARLIE PRICE appeared to produce a diving header inside the right post. 1-2.
A couple of minutes later another cross, this time from Pitts, was punched clear but recycled by Bennett to Price who shot from the front edge of the box, right channel, but it was deflected into the grateful arms of Dali-Kemmery.
Cirencester soon returned to work the ball down their right flank for a corner kick that Jeremy delivered to the back post where a scramble ensued before GEORGE PEARE emerged to receive the congratulations from his team-mates with the ball in the back of the home net. 1-3.
The hosts were not done however and a couple of minutes later a dangerous cross from Archie Lock on their right flank was finished by JOE DAVIS inside the left post. 2-3.
Within 3-minutes the two-goal cushion was restored - when Dali-Kemmery launched the ball from the right channel front edge of his box it landed at the feet of KYLE PITTS and spotting the empty goal he immediately drove it, from inside the Cirencester half, back down the pitch into the home net. 2-4.
Nine minutes later, as the final whistle loomed, Cribbs mounted an attack down their right flank as Sweete supplied Corey Stock who crossed towards the far-post where BUSTER REED arrived to produce a diving header from 15-yards that finished inside the left post. 3-4.
Into the final minutes and Jonty Welch combined with Price, in the right corner, before Welch cut left into the home box to dribble past a couple of challenges to the by-line for a corner kick to be awarded that was worked into the box for Price to poke towards the far-left post – cleared but recycled to the left corner and eventually a dropped ball was awarded to the hosts.
Full Time: 3-4
Definitely a game of two halves with the hosts very dangerous in the first and the visitors much better in the second as they scored three goals in seven minutes.
Attendance: 73 Referee: ????
CRIBBS FC:
1. Hugo Dali-Kemmery
2. Louie Farrow
3. Archie Lock
4. Joel Smith ©
5. Matt Binding
10. Arron Sweete
11. Kosuke Ono
12. Aaron Coleman
16. Amari McLeary
17. Luco Ponsillo 24
20. Max Condie
7. Joe Davis (Luco Ponsillo-62mins) 72
8. Oscar Sullivan (Matt Binding-37mins)
14. Keiran Clayton (????-??mins)
18. Corey Stock (Archie Lock -75mins)
19. Buster Reed (Amari McLeary-56mins) 84
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Ronnie Newbery
2. Fraser Bell
3. Jordan Morris
4. Ed Scott
5. Kyle Pitts 75
6. Joe Turley
7. Theo Jeremy
8. Jonty Welch
9. Harlie Price 66
10. Finley Bell
11. Aidan Bennett ©
12. Nick Peare (Aidan Bennett-83mins)
14. Jack Horrell
15. Jack Freeman (Theo Jeremy-77mins)
16. Alfonso Dias
17. George Peare (Finley Bell-55mins) 63, 70