CIREN DRAW AT HUNGERFORD AS JULAIN ALSOP OPENS HIS ACCOUNT WITH HIS HEAD

Hungerford Town 1

Cirencester Town 1.

Julian Alsop came off the bench to grab an equaliser on his first outing for Cirencester as they began their pre-season campaign at highly-rated Hellenic Premier side Hungerford Town.

With Mr Viveash attending a family wedding it was Assistant manager Oggy Hunt who took charge for this opening pre-season game of the 2008-09 campaign.

The home side had the best of the skirmishes in the first 45 minutes, but then scored against the run of the play (a Robert Dean own goal) soon after the hour mark.

With Cirencester dominant as the half progressed, Julian Alsop showed that he had lost none of his predatory instincts when stooping to convert a diving header with about 15 minutes remaining.

The Cirencester team was almost unrecognisable compared to the one which ended last season, with ever-present last campaign Nathan Haisley taking the captain's armband in the first outing of pre-season.

In front of new signing Tom King in goal was a completely new back line of Kes Metitiri, Gary Thorne and Andy Minturn.

Academy player Dan Thompson, though right-footed, was asked to play left wing back with another Academy youngster, Sean Bailey, his opposite number.

Haisley and Harry Etheridge, both of whom have signed from last season, played in central midfield. Matt Williams, also now signed, started up front with triallist Luke Clennell, who had been under the tutelage of Oggy Hunt when a junior at Forest Green.

The one player to particularly catch the eye, however, was Hartpury and England Universities squad player Steve Davies, who played for Afan Lido in Wales last season. In the first half, he played in the hole behind the strikers and oozed class.

Without a naturally left-footed player, Town looked unbalanced, however, and the 3-5-3 system failed to work on this occasion.

Changing to 4-4-2 at the start of the second half, Ciren looked much more solid. Andy Minturn was sacrificed in defence as Rob Dean and Dan Thompson became full backs.

Matt Williams went to the left side of midfield with triallist Ben Ngwa on the right, while Alsop was partnered in attack by the pacy former Andover (and therefore Oggy Hunt old boy) Adam Heath.

Both Davies and Ngwa appeared in the BUSA Final played at Loftus Road last season, when Hartpury retained their title against Southern Prem runners up Team Bath.

Heath spurned a couple of good chances, but it was Alsop who gave Cirencester the share of the spoils that their second half performance merited.

Tom King, Sean Bailey [Adam Heath 45], Dan Thompson, Gary Thorne, Andy Minturn [Rob Dean 45], Kes Metiteri, Steve Davies [Ben Ngwa 45], Nathan Haisley (c), Local Triallist [Julian Alsop 65], Matt Williams, Harry Etheridge Sub: Oggy Hunt