BEDFORD TOWN VS CIRENCESTER TOWN

Southern League Premier Sat 08 Sept 07

Bedford Town 2 Cirencester Town 0

The spine of a side is traditionally goalkeeper, centre back and centre forward.

At Bedford on Saturday the home team had young Andy Stevens, recently at Rushden and Diamonds in the League, in goal. At the centre of defence is veteran Eddie Lawley with nearly 600 games for The Eagles. Youngster Ian Draycott, already with over 60 games for the club under his belt, is up front. All three had sparkling games and their efforts did a lot to secure the win for a young and very sprightly Bedford side.

Ciren have Matt Bulman in goal, outstanding again in this match. But the rock so far this season in defence, Chris Collins, suffered a groin strain before kick off and, though playing the first half, was replaced at half time. Ciren clearly need his influence and experience, well though Ollie Holder played in this match.

And up front Mark Draycott, making his first start after returning from playing in the USA, obviously needs time to adjust to the pace and style of his new team.

By the end of the game the difference between the two spines in the teams explained a lot about the result. However the Ciren defence, so far this season steady and dependable, made two very avoidable mistakes to make it even easier for Bedford to express themselves.

The mistakes came in each half, and clearly the Ciren squad are starting to feel a bit edgy about their play. They gave Bedford what was in the end an easy win.

After James Hatch had been worked all too easily through the visiting defence in the 2nd minute by simple, accurate one touch passing by the youthful Jon Woolf and Ian Draycott to set him up in the space behind Kevin Davies, the forward then hit the post when it seemed easier to score. It was an escape for Ciren but it set the tone for the match from the outset.

Ciren settled and worked hard to get into the match, but not before Jon Darby got a free header off a corner only for Matt Bulman to make an instant, arching flip over the top.

Harry Etheridge broke in midfield after Nathan Haisley had set up Mark Draycott for the lay-off but the shot was too close to Stevens to cause any threat

Ollie Holder was calm on the ball and accurate in his passing from defence. Andrew Chapman, on loan from Weston super Mare, showed why he is such a good prospect with incisive covering at the back and accurate passing up the left.

Ciren were starting to play some good stuff but it was noticeable that when an early opening appeared our reaction was neither quick enough or accurate enough to find Mark Draycott, who was thinking faster and moving quicker than the redoubtable Eddie Lawley. Twice, he quite rightly demanded that Snakes did not linger on the ball but just move it on into the space he was already filling.

Nathan Haisley was inches off a clever Etheridge ball in to the far post, with Stevens rooted to his line and the Bedford defence pulled all over the place by the clever running off the ball by Draycott and Stanley.

It was the tipping point in the game. If that had gone in, Bedford's already slightly fragile 'feel' would have been even more obvious.

Instead, Ciren revealed their own fragile side. On top by the 38th minute, and forcing Bedford to defend in depth, Kevin Davies moved to collect a half cleared Ciren corner. All it needed was a first time volley wide left into space, sending the Bedford defence turning again.

Trying to beat his man, the cunning and effective Bedford skipper Derwayne Stupple, he signalled the move and lost the ball. At this level of football, you are punished.

Ian Draycott, just outside his own 'D' and defending in depth, instantly collected the loose ball and slipped Derwayne Stupple, who had at once set off on a run to get behind the defence, back through the middle of the park and veering left, clear of the Ciren defence. The Bedford skipper very rarely scores but this time he had an absolute gift and gratefully tucked it behind the rapidly advancing Bulman.

Andy Stevens kept Bedford in the game at the start of the second half. With Chris Collins replaced, Dan Hilder on at left back and Chapman switching to right back meant the defence was rejigged. Ciren nevertheless kept Bedford pinned back.

Harry Etheridge got on the end of a good move that sliced right through the Eagles defence to force a steady stop from Stevens. Nick Stanley was first to a poor clearance, by Woolf on the edge of his own box, from a superb move started and finished by Harry Etheridge and sent in a fierce shot dipping under the bar that Stevens did very well to reach and tip over.

On 57 minutes Stanley shot narrowly wide, reacting first to a loose ball in the box after a cunning cross from Chapman tempted Stevens out and forced the young keeper into a fumble.

Nathan Haisley got on the end of a corner only for Lawley to deflect the header wide and over for yet one more corner in a long series as Ciren kept the play within 25 yards of the Bedford net.

Back in the game and looking for parity, Ciren’s defence then again self destructed. Alex Stanley sliced a clearance wide and Stuart Sinclair was on to it in a flash to send in a cross that Draycott slashed wide when unmarked. It was a bad miss. But it gave Bedford heart.

Within minutes the Ciren defence was easily unpicked. Stuart Sinclair, moving and thinking far ahead of the defence, nipped in to a telegraphed pass infield from Dan Hilder and dispossessed a startled Michael Jackson.

Sinclair's quick thinking and movement gave him a yard of space up the right and he at once flicked the ball over Hilder into the space where Rob Millar was already bursting free on the overlap. With time to place his cross, he sent it for the middle of the goal where Ian Draycott had got himself in front of a day dreaming defence to nod home the clincher.

The defiant Nathan Haisley again took the game back to Bedford, forcing Stevens to a superb tip round off a fulminating volley. But it was Bedford who closed out the match with ease, their young forwards now playing with verve and confidence. The ball was kept out, with Bully immaculate in his handling as a series of corners flew in.

Michael Jackson somehow contrived to shoot wide from 6 yards when Haisley put him through on 86 minutes, but before that Bedford had brought four top class saves out of Matt Bulman as they cut the Ciren defence apart almost at will in the final 20 minutes.

Eagles: Andy Stevens, Rob Miller, Ed Lawley, Jon Darby, Shane Brown, Ben Farrell Y51 [Luke Knight 82], Jon Woolf, Derwayne Stupple (c), James Hatch [Andy Phillips 72], Ian Draycott, Stuart Sinclair
Other subs: Mike Davis, Mike Armitt g/k

Centurions: Matt Bulman, Kev Davies [Dan Hilder 45], Andrew Chapman, Alex Stanley, Ollie Holder, Chris Collins Y29 [Phil Hall 45], Nathan Haisley, Michael Jackson, Mark Draycott [Ian McSherry 72], Nick Stanley, Harry Etheridge
Other subs: Paul Hunt, Jon Else

Ref: Mr P Kirkup [Northampton]     Att: 278      Ciren MoM: Matt Bulman   not a shadow of a doubt today from the majority of travelling Centurions, though I had rated Nathan Haisley as my pick. Quite amazing, considering he had seemed to be crocked only four days before, that he not only got onto the pitch but was by far the most effective midfielder on the pitch.