SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION RUGBY TOWN 0 CIRENCESTER TOWN 1

Southern Premier Sat 6th October 2007

Rugby Town 0 Cirencester Town 1

Having moved Phil Hall and Ian McSherry out of the squad earlier in the week, Manager Mr Viveash took further drastic action to move Kevin Davies out after the defender again failed to make training.

Mr Viveash knew he would be down to the bare bones with his squad for Rugby with Harry Etheridge and Nick Stanley both out, injured. That sort of decision is brave and decisive management.

With Luke Hopper in the team, on loan from Chippenham Town, Mr Viveash had only Dan Hilder and Oggy Hunt on the bench for a fixture that Cirencester traditionally manage to turn into a win. This time it was much harder work. VS have got a good team this year and they made us work for this.

After losing Michael Jackson to a nasty injury on 29 minutes Adi's team had to battle against a team in sixth place in the table and unbeaten in the Premier Division since the end of August.

Fielding a 4 4 2 with Danny Wallington at left back and Chris Collins at right back, Cirencester looked very bright in the opening phases with Jon Else giving them quick feet and balance up the right and Michael Jackson having a storming game in midfield against the experienced David Staff and the wily Stefan Morley.

Within 2 minutes, Andrew Chapman had twice opened up the right of the Rugby defence with quick combinations with Jackson and veteran Rugby skipper Andy Herbert had to work hard to deny Ciren debutant Luke Hopper an early sight of goal.

Within 3 minutes, Chapps had been dumped, Ashley Blake catching him in a tackle and, right in front of me, giving Chapps a neat upper cut to the armpit out of sight of the ref. This was going to be an interesting contest.

On 24 minutes, after David Stone and the speedy Akin Alautoun had earlier given the defence of Lee Molyneux and Alex Stanley a thorough working over and had found them impenetrable, a quick reaction pass by Jackson after Nathan Haisley had won a shuddering midfield challenge with the massive Ashley Blake sent Jon Else skating in from the right.

Cool and calm, he set himself, collected the ball and looked up. Went inside David Staff with a lovely switch and change of pace and unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 yards that Simon Lynn did well to reach and push wide. First to the ball on the left, Chapman collected and his rocket shot forced Lynn into a fumble that he just managed to recover off the line and tip the ball around the post.

Minutes later Jackson again thought quickest and reacted fastest in midfield and, after he had got in close to break up a passing move between Morley and Breward, Jacko at once released Collins up the right. He drove on, with Else dragging Herbert wide as Chrissy went into the space that had been made and another rocket shot from the edge of the box was going inside the far post only for Lynn again to get across and palm away.

Chapman was once more fastest to react but, in trying to curl his shot around Lynn and inside the far post, he neglected to pick out the waiting Robertson and Hopper in the middle, unmarked. Hmm. Don't go for glory til we're 6 – zip up. Make sure of the pass into the middle before then. Drive it in, low and mean. Them strikers are there to do the biz.

Cirencester could have been made to pay for the missed chances. Morley was finding space and while the only Rugby attacking ploy was to send the speedy Stone dancing at the defence their set up play and movement was proving dangerous.

Twice, at full stretch, Molyneux got Stone closed down but then had the immaculate Alex Stanley to thank when a mazy pass and move with Staff left Stone clear before the block tackle came in to stop the chance in its tracks.

On 29 minutes Michael Jackson sped across field and beat Ashley Blake to a loose ball on the touchline. Caught by a flailing boot, a total accident in a mistimed challenge, Jackson crumpled with a 4 inch gash in his leg from a bladed boot and was off, to hospital.

Adjusting on the field, with Dan Hilder subbed in Jackson's place and on the left with Chapman now in the centre of midfield, Ciren lost the momentum they had worked so hard to achieve and VS grabbed the initiative.

Stone shrugged off Molyneux as he chased down a through ball but then shot carelessly wide from 15 yards, and Alautoun should have done better than shoot wildly over the top when Morley opened him up on the edge of the Ciren box.

Nathan Haisley, in spite of collecting a card on 15 minutes for a fierce but late challenge on Blake, was still competing hard in midfield and on 44 minutes won yet another shuddering challenge then sent Collins free on the right. His cute pass found Else in space and he beat Staff and then Morley with quick changes of pace and got to the edge of the box.

Holding and looking, Else calmly picked out Nathan Haisley totally unmarked, on the run, on the edge of the box. It needed just a touch and then a shot inside the far post.

Instead, Nathan hit it first time, miscued onto his own standing foot and what should have been the lead went horribly wide. Stone did exactly the same moments later to keep the score at 0 – 0 at half time.

After weathering an opening attacking flurry or two in the second half, with Molyneux and Stanley now looking much more commanding and subduing the sprightly Rugby attack, Ciren started to use the ball well. Both Else and Hilder were staying wide and receiving passes and Rugby were being forced to defend under pressure.

Clearing a series of corners on the hour, under increasing difficulty, Simon Lynn finally fumbled the last one and Alex Stanley sent his snap shot inches wide of the far post. With 64 minutes gone, Ciren had made all the direct chances and could well have been comfortably in the lead.

Instead, it was still edgy. Luke Hopper, heavy legged by now without any matches since pre-season, was replaced by Oggy Hunt. Who drove the already fully stretched Rugby defence to distraction through his ability to hold the ball and keep the pressure on.

Not everything was coming off for Oggy but, inspired, Steve Robertson who had already flogged himself to a standstill with his unceasing effort, somehow found more energy and supported bravely.

Rugby were now trying long passes from the back to use Stone's pace. By and large he was contained, though on 69 minutes he skipped through 4 attempted tackles going in up the left and it took superb timing for Alex Stanley to sweep the cross off the toe of the waiting David Staff.

Jon Else had a half chance for Ciren on 79 minutes, his shot from the edge of the box just clearing the bar with Lynn scrambling. And Chapps, put in by a nice combination from Hilds and Oggy, got to the byeline and fired in a perfect cross that Plataneur just managed to get away from the onrushing nut of Robbo. It was a certain goal but for that intervention.

Michael Mabbutt was by now with me behind the goal and saying “We just need one clear shot, we can win this” But when, on 84 minutes, Stone set up Staff 18 yards out with a clear shot it looked curtains for Ciren.

Hard and true, the shot was aimed for the base of the far post until Matt Bulman got across and tipped what looked like the winner away to safety. It was not only agility that made the save but top quality reading of the play and the setting of his feet to get across when the shot came in. Most keepers in this League would have been beaten.

Stone again nearly worked the what was now going to be the winner on 85 minutes. Collecting on the right, when Wallo and Hilds between them allowed a long ball to bounce, he danced in from the right and cut back to Singh-Manak. Right onto his boot, all he had to do was hit the target. But got too excited and blasted wide of the near post with the Ciren defence in tatters.

On 86 minutes Moly won a towering tackle to dispossess Stone and as the ball went loose and forward Nathan Haisley yet again won a midfield challenge and fed Chapman. Ciren had been pushed back and pushed back but had dealt with everything and just needed a moment of clear ball.

Calm and composed, Chapps controlled. Looked up and instead of kicking the ball away upfield picked out Hilder overlapping into the space free on the left. His cross was not cleared and when Jon Else controlled the loose ball from the clearance he calmly stepped inside and then fed Hunt with a superbly disguised reverse pass up the right. Ciren had an overlap and Robbo and Hilds were clear in the box.

Michael and I were suddenly paying close attention. Was this it?

The low driven cross was too close to Lynn. I was saying 'Jeez, Oggy!' a shout echoed from the other side of the goal by Abbers and Davie B when suddenly Lynn once again fumbled. Where was the camera? Hanging uselessly around me neck. It was that tense.

Dan Hilder was all on his own 3 yards out. Seemed like slow motion but calm as you like there he was to slot the ball into the net for his first senior goal for Cirencester Town on 87 minutes. The first player in the club to have come all the way through the Junior teams and then the Academy, he has now scored at every level for the club. He quite enjoyed that goal, in a quiet sort of Hilds way.

Ciren withstood the desperate final barrage from Rugby and claimed the win that, to be honest, has been coming for a long time.

The smile on Mr Viveash's face at the end lit up a grey afternoon. He had good reason to be proud of a brave performance. Robbo said afterwards, as he tottered into the clubhouse, “We won that for Jacko”.

The top side fans made sure they had a word with Oggy when the final whistle went. And Michael M was off to the bar to start chugging down the celebration pint. Great stuff. We needed that.

I always think of them as VS: Simon Lynn, Aaron Stringfellow, Stephan Morley, Craig Herbert (c), Leigh Plataneur, Tom Breward, Ashley Blake, Mark Edge [Rammon Singh Manak 45], Akin Alautoun [Stefan McGrath 80], David Stone, David Staff
other subs: Brad Harris, Tristan Torango

Centurions: Matt Bulman, Chris Collins (c), Dan Wallington, Nathan Haisley Y15, Lee Molyneux, Alex Stanley, Jon Else, Michael Jackson (Dan Hilder 29), Steve Robertson, Luke Hopper (Paul Hunt 63), Andy Chapman
other sub: Adi Viveash

Ref: Mr S Barrow, Tamworth Att: 271 Ciren MoM: Votes for Moley, Alex, Chapps and one for Elsey and one for Hilds. Naturally. A lot of votes for Bully for 'that save' and his once again immaculate handling and control of his box.

But, maybe because he would not let that yellow stop him playing and in spite of that horrible snatched miss in the first half, the majority of the votes went to Nathan Haisley. He's got a shirt with a heart on it's sleeve. Nice one, Nath.