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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The Centurions returned to The Talent Hire Stadium for their latest Uhlsport Hellenic League – Premier Division fixture to face PERSHORE TOWN – and following a competitive encounter the visitors left with the three points thanks to two second-half goals and a stubborn defence.
In the reverse fixture, played in early August, Pershore secured a 1-0 victory but their fortunes have dipped since then as their last league win was against Mangotsfield United in mid-October.
With regard to League position and current form – prior to this match they sat in 16th position in the table with 24 points from 25 games played, and in their last five games they have drawn three (Cribbs, Thornbury, Highworth) and lost two (Cinderford, Mangotsfield).
Cirencester currently sit in 6th place in the League table with 48 points from 27 games and are on a 4-game unbeaten run (3 wins and a draw).
The Cirencester starting eleven had a couple of changes from last week at Lydney as Jonty Welch and Joe Turley returned at the expense of Jack Horrell (bench) and Rhys Wells (injured).
The home side kicked-off playing towards The Arena end of the ground by launching the ball towards their left corner, where it was soon returned for a goal-kick to Cirencester that produced an attack down their right flank, before it too was repelled for a fluid counter attack as debutant Tino Shumba collected a cross-field pass on the left flank, slipped it down the left channel for Tyreece Griffin to chase and run into the home box before squaring it inside to a supporting Kyle Clayton who immediately fired at the target – bringing a superb, strong reflex save from home custodian Ronnie Newbery as he parried it into the air before catching.
As Cirencester responded by attacking down their right flank the visitors won the ball and immediately switched it to their right flank where it was eventually delivered into the home box and after two clearance headers it was recycled for Newbery to gather as Jamie Lucas tried to collect.
A few minutes later Fraser Bell clipped the ball towards the right corner where Jonty Welch was arriving at pace and as he stretched his leg to control, he pulled up sharply and fell to the ground in pain and after some discussion with the Physio it was decided he should be replaced and Jack Horrell took his place.
When the match re-started, Cirencester worked the ball to their left corner where Theo Jeremy secured a corner kick that Bell delivered to the far-right post and this resulted in the ball breaking loose for the home side to have a couple of pots at goal blocked on the goal-line and eventually cleared.
The home side soon returned with a series of throw-ins before it was launched down their left flank for Shumba to chase – Bell making the required clearance.
It had certainly been an eventful opening 15-minutes.
Leading up to the mid-point Cirencester pressed and were rewarded with a couple of corner kicks but no breakthrough.
The visitors replied with a quick attack down their left flank as Lucas headed the ball on to Kyle Clayton who exchanged passes with Shumba before sending the ball towards the right channel of the home box – goal kick.
After a period of ‘keep-ball’ by the hosts and little forward movement they eventually lost the ball enabling ‘The Plums’ to counter as Leo Pinches sent the ball across the pitch to Lucas, on to Shimba, back to Griffin who crossed – caught by Newbery.
Around the 30-minute mark Elliott Keightley delivered a cross towards the centre front edge of the visitor’s box for Aidan Bennett to chase but an alert ‘keeper, Joe Cunneen, had spotted the danger and left his box to clear.
Within minutes the action was at the other end as Kyle Pitts deflected a Lucas strike for a corner kick that Pinches sent towards the near post – cleared and recycled for Shumba to return to the home box where it was headed across the goal by Chris Gregan and resulted in another corner kick that was cleared at the back post by Bennett.
As the interval loomed Cirencester mounted an attack involving Ed Scott, Harlie Price, Horrell and Bell before the ball was crossed for an incoming Jeremy to make contact near the left post – caught by Cunneen.
A couple of minutes later ‘the move of the match’ for Cirencester as Joe Turley moved it from right to left, for Horrell to slide it down the left channel for Jeremy to send a low cross towards the left post where Price was arriving at pace as he darted towards the ball – clipping it over the bar.
Cirencester were finishing strongly and a few minutes later Horrell latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the Pershore box but drove it over the bar.
The final action of the half was a Cirencester corner kick that included a ‘dummy’ run and reached Price near the left channel front edge of the Pershore box but his strike on the turn cleared the bar.
Half Time: 0-0
It had been a competitive first half with plenty of endeavour but little quality and the second was much the same and whilst Cirencester had plenty of possession, they could not find a way through the Pershore defence – well marshalled by Jack Neal and Chris Gregan.
Six minutes into the second half Shumba supplied Lucas as he darted down the left side edge of the home box but Newbery had spotted the danger and quickly advanced to block his strike – conceding a corner kick in the process that was returned to the sender (Pinches) and when he tried again it took a deflection for Newbery to catch.
Leading up to the hour mark Cirencester were having plenty of possession but were finding it hard to break through the visitor’s defence and when they did, it just did not fall to a home player to finish as illustrated a couple of times when Jeremy reached the left byline but fired a fierce cross that flew through the front edge of the 6-yard box without a decent contact or any contact at all.
At the mid-point of the half, it all changed when Pershore were awarded a free kick, right flank - 30-yards out, that Pinches delivered to the line of the right post where JAMIE LUCAS was making a diagonal, darting run from the Penalty Spot to send a glancing header inside the right post. 0-1
A few minutes later the game descended into chaos as the Referee issued a Yellow Card to Horrell for a challenge that occurred inside the visitor’s half and whilst all the arguments were taking place the eventual taker of the free kick (Pinches) had managed to ‘pinch’ some yards by taking it 10 yards inside the home half - his kick sailed out of play for a goal-kick.
Shortly afterwards Jeremy struck a free kick into the defensive ‘wall’ and Nick Peare had a strike blocked with the rebound falling to Price who hit the side netting of the right post.
Into the final scheduled ten minutes TINO SHUMBA latched onto a loose ball, left side of the home box, and immediately drove it across the box and inside the far-right post to increase the pressure on the hosts. 0-2.
A couple of minutes later Scott delivered a sublime pass through the Pershore defence for Jeremy to collect and take forward before sending another fierce cross behind his supporting team-mates.
Almost immediately Afonso Dias released Jeremy again and this time his cross was blocked for a corner kick that was cleared at the back post.
As the game reached the 90-minute mark and into the ten minutes of ‘added-time’ Cirencester continued to press but the football had become frantic and it was clear they could play for another couple of hours in this fashion and not score.
Full Time: 0-2
A competitive match with plenty of action and incidents at both ends of the pitch.
Attendance: 102 Referee: Andrew Wertheim
CIRENCESTER TOWN:
1. Ronnie Newbery
2. Fraser Bell
3. Elliott Keightley
4. Edward Scott
5. Kyle Pitts
6. Joe Turley
7. Aidan Bennett ©
8. Jonty Welch
9. Harlie Price
10. Nick Peare
11. Theo Jeremy
12. Jack Freeman (Joe Turley-79mins)
14. Jack Horrell (Jonty Welch-12mins)
15. George Peare (Elliott Keightley-90mins)
16. Afonso Dias (Aidan Bennett-72mins)
17. Bryan Stalley (Jack Horrell-83mins)
PERSHORE TOWN:
13. Joe Cunneen
14. Joe Clayton
3. Tyrese Griffin
4. George Hunt
5. Jack Neal ©
6. Chris Gregan
7. Kyle Clayton
8. Reece Day
9. Jamie Lucas 68
10. Leo Pinches
11. Tino Shumba 81
18. Dan Hanson (Leo Pinches-76mins)
20. Charlie Muir (Jamie Lucas-90mins)
15. Jack Porter
16. Henry Dyde (Reece Day-90mins)
17. Ethan Bowley