SOUTHERN PREMIER TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2007 7.45PM

Chippenham Town 2      Cirencester Town 0

Mr Viveash fielded Jacob Giles, from Bradford Park Avenue in the Unibond Premier, in place of Matt Bulman who was serving his one match ban from our recent Glos Senior Cup tie. Except for the short term custodian, he played the same team that had played with composure and verve on Saturday.

Chippenham are typical of the better teams in this League, putting a premium on being physically competitive, with pace across the front and a busy, well organised midfield. It is never easy to go to their patch and a midweek game always has a different atmosphere to a Saturday afternoon.

But Cirencester should have been optimistic about their visit on a wet, blowy Tuesday evening to Hardenhuish Park given the verve, organisation and determination they had shown 3 days previously in containing and then outplaying Tiverton.

Instead, almost from the off they were disjointed and lacking in precision and Chippenham brushed them aside with almost disdainful ease. Cirencester were being hustled out of possession in midfield and their defence were under almost instant challenge as they tried to find their forward players. It was no more than could be expected but it left their attack without time and position to sustain pressure on the Chippenham defence.

Twice, early on, first Lee Molyneux then Chris Collins were closed down deep in defence and Chippenham were first to react to collect the ball when it was cleared. On 7 minutes an instant return pass into space by Mark Badman allowed Luke Gullick to step inside an off balance Molyneux, with Giles having to make a tip over to clear the 18 yard shot.

There was visible unease in the Ciren defence, immediately spotted and exploited by a lively Chippenham. Pressing up the right through Dave Pratt, it drew Andy Chapman back to cover. On the other flank, Matt Shaxton was also drawn back to check the lively Aaron Cornwall who was constantly offering for passes from Kevin Halliday on the left for Chippenham.

Isolated, both Steve Robertson and Chris Davis were working hard and while they were doing well were not always able to bring Nathan Haisley and Michael Jackson into play. Davis was being closely marked, and on 10 minutes collected the ball up the left.

Ross Adams drove in hard and made sure that even after the ball had been released Davis would hit the deck. Cynical foul but it had its effect, with Nick Stanley replacing Davis within a couple of minutes.

The opening goal on 17 minutes was typical of the match. Chippenham won a throw in when Adams chased down Nick Stanley and got a rebound in the tackle also to claim the throw. Sent up the line, standard fare from deep in defence, Chippenham hustled enough to force a loose ball then won the next header as Mark Badman hustled Nathan Haisley off the ball in midfield.

Passing Gullick up the left, he sent Allison outside Chris Collins, who had slipped in trying to plug the gap. So far this season lacking in confidence in front of goal, this time Sam Allison sent in a looping shot from the edge of the box inside the far post. Two quick, accurate passes had split the Ciren defence, a defensive slip on the greasy surface had allowed the opening, and Chippenham had been deadly.

On 28 minutes Molyneux passed out to Collins wide on the right but, under instant challenge from Allison, the ball spun free to the supporting Gullick whose fierce shot was well parried by Giles. In spite of being on the back foot, Ciren commendably battled back into the game and established a 20 minute camp in the Chippenham half.

Twice, Shaxton was given time and space to go at Kev Halliday and cross with Steve Robertson lurking in the middle but unable to connect. And on 34 minutes, under pressure from the defence, Nick Stanley shielded and laid back to the supporting Michael Jackson whose first time shot from the edge of the box was tipped around the post by James Bittner.

Another cross from Shaxton split the defence but also caught Steve Robertson back on his heels and unable to take advantage as the ball soared dangerously across the six yard box. An even better chance came on 41 minutes, a short corner routine being whipped in by Andy Chapman to loop invitingly to the far post. Nobody had gambled and the ball went just past the post when the cross deserved better.

There was still time for Ciren, by now making a game of it and creating uncertainty in the middle of the Chippenham defence, to force Badman into a miscue inside his own penalty area only for Chapman to send his instant volley from 18 yards straight at Bittner.

The next goal would decide the game. Ciren pressed, sometimes perhaps too hurriedly, at the start of the second half. Matt Shaxton shot early and over the top when Haisley won a midfield tussle and freed Jackson who instantly sent Shaxton in on his run.

On 51 minutes a loss of possession deep in the Chippenham half by Nick Stanley saw Chippenham react with pace and menace. Gullick collected the loose ball and transferred sideways to Badman. His 20 yard ground pass freed Dave Pratt up the right, with Alex Stanley scrambling to close him down but having to deal with a forward with a lot of space in which to manoeuvre.

Pratt did what was needed, instantly flighting in a cross to land in front of the back-pedalling Ciren defence. Luke Gullick had run unmarked from his own half and was still unmarked to head the cross from 12 yards across Jacob Giles to bounce into the net inside the far post. Again, two passes and determined support running had split the defence and there would be no way back for Cirencester.

Chippenham relaxed. And took control, now playing as if in a practice match. Doing enough to ensure Ciren continued to be challenged in midfield and denying them the time and space to free the valiant but increasingly weary Stanley and Robertson, their forwards were coming off the Ciren defenders to try and set up a return pass move to get behind the defence.

Again, Gullick surged through only for Giles to be even quicker to the ball to deny him. Kevin Halliday tried his luck, surging forward to collect a neat lay-off from Gullick who by now was bossing the match but then screwing wide. Good old Gumbo, sometimes he does show he is human because, out of all the ex-players on the field from both sides, he would have wanted to notch a goal in this game.

Another ex-Ciren player Tom Etheridge, on the field as a sub after 75 minutes, hurled a throw in fully fifty yards down the slope to bounce over everybody in the goal mouth to score a goal kick from the ball's final resting place – inside the net but untouched by another player. The ref got that one right.

Having thoroughly irritated the Ciren staff and fans with some of his apparent 'homer' decisions as Chippenham continued to try and impose a physical dominance, he then started to blow for all the infringements he had allowed to pass in the previous 80 minutes. Chapman stuck one free kick over the top, an optimistic effort from 20 yards that matched his equally optimistic first half attempt.

Adams, conceding a series of free kicks, was out passed when Dan Wallington, who had been cool in his control and very accurate in his distribution since replacing Alex Stanley before the hour mark, slotted Nick Stanley in on the left. He shot for the near post with Bittner making a smart stop – and both Robertson and Jackson burning the grass to get to the open spot at the far post.

A consolation goal would have been reward for the effort of the beleaguered front pair. But, in truth, Ciren did not deserve to get anything out of this match. While they battled manfully without ever really getting to grips with the much more mobile and streetwise Chippenham midfield, they were no match for a much more inventive and accurate team.

Chippenham had not only worked just as hard as Ciren but had done so to much more effect simply by reacting quicker to control the ball, being happy to stick their shoulder or hip or body in to unbalance Ciren attempts to get the ball under control. And when they won possession they had better control and movement to get the ball into space and then to pass it with a standard of accuracy that Ciren did not match.

Except for Michael Jackson and Dan Wallington. Even when their attempts did not come off, neither dropped their heads or allowed the miscue to influence their effort, and they stood out in a Ciren equipe that today showed an untypical hesitance at the back and an all too frequent choice of the wrong option in trying to wriggle free of the Chippy defence when the ball went up top.

It was disappointing to subside without reward and the team will need to grit their teeth and make sure they do put their foot on the ball, pass accurately and support run with a determination to match the game King's Lynn will play on Saturday. It has been done before – that match has now gone and it is the Linnets that we'll have to sort out in the next one.

Bluebirds: James Bittner, Ross Adams, Kev Halliday, Kes Metitiri, Ollie Price Y72, Luke Gullick [Tom Etheridge 75], Scott Lye [Kye Holly 75], Mark Badman (c), Dave Pratt, Aaron Cornwall [Luke Hopper 75], Sam Allison
other subs: Dale Peckham, Iain Carr

Centurions: Jacob Giles, Chris Collins (c), Alex Stanley [Dan Wallington 56], Nathan Haisley, Lee Molyneux, Mike Taylor, Matt Shaxton [Rhys Carpenter 76], Michael Jackson, Steve Robertson, Chris Davis [Nick Stanley 12], Andy Chapman
other subs: Harry Etheridge, Alex Frost

Ref: Mr E Smith, Mayfield, Surrey. Seemed to have one view when Ciren bit in and another view when Chippy did. Maybe our lads will have to learn how to be cute and determined and to stand strong but not dive in if there is no chance of winning possession. That in itself is a real skill and one only achieved by constant drilling and practice.

Att: 463    looked to be far fewer than that but there you go – 463 is not bad at all on a drizzly November night and from what I could see no more than 20 or so Centurions made the trip.

MoM: Luke Gullick, closely followed by his midfield partner Mark Badman, were the top dogs by a mile tonight.    Ciren MoM: Michael Jackson – never stopped trying to play and always managed to get the ball under control and use it well.