MATCH REPORT FIRST TEAM VS SWINDON TOWN

Pre-season friendly Wed 18 July 2007 7.30pm

Cirencester Town 0       Swindon Town 1

                                           Arrieta 17

Centurions: Matt Bulman, Kevin Davies [Nathan Haisley 45], David Etale [Dan Hilder 45], Alex Stanley, Lee Molyneux, Chris Collins, JP Mills [Toby Clapton 77], Michael Jackson [Andy Sheppard 77], Phil Hall [Ian McSherry 60], Nick Stanley, Harry Etheridge

Robins: P. Smith [P.Brezovan 60], J. Smith, J. Vincent, L. Peacock [M. Pook 75], H.
Aljofree, J. Ifil, S. Adams [C.Easton 60], M. Comminges [C. Blackburn 60], B. Sturrock
[Guima 60], I. Arrieta [C.Allen], S. Zaaboub [A.Everiss 55][S. Morris 85]

Ref: Dermot Gallager (Banbury) Att: 867

The Robins, fresh from a goal romp two days previously at Swindon Supermarine, brought very much a full squad for this opening pre-season friendly for Cirencester and started with the bulk of what is likely to be their season opener team plus some experienced players on the bench to come on later.

They sure started like a team that had played together many times before, switching not only direction and distance but also the pace of their passes with considerable aplomb. It could have opened the floodgates, because Swindon had fielded a very competitive line-up and were obviously looking to repeat their 8 goal tally from last season. It did not happen.

Ciren matched them, with both Snaky Stanley and Phil Hall getting on the end of good passes from Michael Jackson and Harry Etheridge to hurry the Swindon defence into encouragingly inaccurate clearances.

Lee Molyneux, Alex Stanley and Chris Collins were rocks in front of Bulman. Every Robins probe was countered, every cross had a Ciren head to it first, and with Harry E, JP Mills and Jacko making sure that the challenges were going in upside of the defence the Robins were not having it all their way.

Sure, after their opening flurry it became increasingly difficult for the Ciren front line to get and hold the ball. That had something to do with the quality defending being shown by Jerel Ifil, Hasney Aljofree and Jamie Vincent.

On 17 minutes Ivon Arrieta got himself into position as a clearance looped up outside the left edge of the Ciren box. He looked across as the ball was coming down, set himself,and then volleyed a superb shot into the top right hand corner of the net - the only place Matt Bulman could not cover, although he got all the way across and nigh on touched it round the post.

Snaky was still making them work hard, together with Phil Hall giving the Swindon defence little time to stroke the ball wide. Though, to be honest, there were moments when the combination and touch of the League 1 team was a class way above what we usually see at The Corinium.

Sturrock could have buried a header on 23 minutes from a good give and go between Peacock and Comminges. And the stocky little Frenchman got way high to a Zaaboub cross to head home, though by first impeding Matt Bulman, a cute pro-trick spotted by the otherwise never noticed Dermot Gallagher.

Second half Swindon kept the same team (a minor compliment to us - they wanted a good run out and were getting it) and did not stick on their subs until the hour mark was past. Mind you, putting Michael Pook, Chris Blackburn and Peter Brezovan on was a bit daunting!

While Ciren were still finding it difficult to get shots in, there were flurries of excitement.
And it must have been very satisfying for the Ciren managers when they ran a corner drill to perfection and Moly was a hairsbreadth from getting it back to 1 - 1 when his shot clipped the bar.

Make no mistake - during the last 20 minutes The Robins were going for the clincher. The pressure piled in. And - credit to the Centurion lads here, they were miles fitter than this time last year - all the shots were blocked.

At the other end, with Nathan Haisley who had been on the field since half time with JP Mills switching to right back, rampaging on to cute touches from Ian McSherry and the
very impressive Nathan Lightbody, there still was a threat from the Ciren attack. We were working hard enough to ensure Jerel Ifil and Hasney Aljofree were kept on the pitch until the very end to protect that one goal advantage to Swindon.

My Man of the Match? I thought Dan Hilder, who has never claimed to be a defensive left back, did really well when he came on for the second half and was ready to counter attack every time he made the space.

Snaky ran his rocks off - when has he not done that? - and got the sponsors award.

But for me the display of the 3 at the back, with Chris Collins perhaps shading it as my MoM just in front of the Moly whom we already know is also a top class defender, tells me that our management pair have sorted out the foundations very well and will now build on them.

Ian S