FRIENDLY FRIDAY 14TH DECEMBER 2007 7.30PM

Not able to get to this game so the report is based on info supplied by those who did manage to get there but is based mostly on Danny's report in the Standard.

Cirencester Town 1     Weston-super-Mare 0

A SLICK and hungry Ciren totally outplayed Blue Square South outfit Weston in this hastily-arranged Friday night friendly.

With the previous week's matches called off and neither side with a scheduled match on Saturday both were looking for a testing workout. And that's what it proved with Ciren, in particular, playing at a high tempo throughout.

In the first minute, Matt Bulman saved a one-on-one situation after a suspiciously offside-looking through ball and within a minute the ball was put into his net only to be ruled out for a foul on the Town keeper.

From that point, though, Bulman was virtually a observer as Ciren played some bright attacking football, which was never better exemplified than for the only goal of the game on 17 minutes.

A long Bulman kick to the left side of the box was chased down by the ever-willing Nick Stanley. His layback to Andrew Chapman was hit firmly first time into the danger area and there was Matt Shaxton, forcing himself between two defenders, to steer a diving header home.

Otherwise, Ciren's two best chances fell to defender Alex Stanley.

He should have done better on 39 minutes with a free header from a corner which he put wide, and Chapman was again the provider on 52 minutes with a cheeky free kick which found Stanley unmarked six yards out. Not realising he had time to compose himself, Stanley mishit his goalward flick which was easily saved.

Shaxton had been involved in most of the good stuff produced by Ciren until going off injured just before half time to be replaced by triallist Hanin Romhdane.

Though not posing the same attacking threat as Shaxton, Romhdane looked quite a cultured player, winning headers, putting his foot in and regularly seeing and delivering a pass.

Though scoring only one goal for Clevedon Town team last season when he was an ever-present after joining them in October, he almost made a dream start for Ciren, finding Chapman on the left with his first touch and racing on to head the return wide while under challenge.

With Weston unable to control the game, Ciren rotated subs on and off, with Jon Else playing first wide right, then wide left before finishing up in centre midfield while Harry Etheridge had the same sort of exposure as the two youngsters enjoyed themselves

Ciren continued to dominate, with Lee Molyneux showing exactly the right spirit in the team when after a mistake he got himself together and retrieved the error with a strong, determined challenge that surprised former Centurion favourite Gareth Hopkins both with its pace but also with its timing.

Until the latter stages when a lack of concentration almost caused their undoing as Weston desperately tried to retrieve a morale busting situation, Ciren played some delightful, confident football and this will have been a real boost to their progress this year.

An obvious lack of confidence among the Weston players, particularly those presented with goalscoring opportunities, was not what manager Mr Ricketts wanted from this game.

There were positive performances from Ciren wherever you looked on the pitch and the three subs - Else, Romhdane and Etheridge - all confirmed that they are well up to the standard required when called upon.

It was just a shame that such a liberating display didn't count for three points.

Cirencester: Matt Bulman, Lee Molyneaux, Chris Collins (capt), Alex Stanley, Dan Wallington, Andy Chapman (Harry Etheridge 45, Chapman 56), Nathan Haisley, Michael Jackson (Jon Else 45), Matt Shaxton (Hamid Romhdane 40), Robertson (Harry Etheridge 56), Nick Stanley.

Weston: no team sheet made available

Referee:  Mr Richard Collins, Cirencester.     Called up through the Glos Association he was a tiny bit nervous to start but very soon was in the groove and obviously enjoyed a good game, helped by his 2 young but on the ball Assistants

Att: 40 hardy souls on a freezing evening - good bar take after the match, for all that!