GOSPORT FAIL TO BURY THEIR CHANCES AND GET AWAY WITH A DRAW

Cirencester Town 1

Gosport Borough FC 1

Gosport Borough were straight into a slick, controlled pass and run game from the off and tore the Cirencester Town midfield and back line to shreds in a scintillating half hour of positive football. But, almost certainly because Gosport had to replace the imperious Mike Birmingham just before the break, Cirencester built on the recovery they had slowly but surely established in the last quarter of the half. They dug in, played for the shirt and pinned 'Boro back second half. In the last quarter it was only the calm, positive display of keeper Nick Hutchings that saved the draw for Gosport.

Mike Birmingham was, for a long time, the creative and competitive heart of a superb, footballing Bognor Regis team. His legs may not now do what his head says they should do. But he still thinks quicker than most. With a lovely touch on the ball, positional sense learned from experience and great passing ability he had Gosport playing some lovely stuff from the start.

Within a minute his cute pass to Bennett was sent on the deck outside to McCormack. He slipped Mike McEnery in. Side stepping right he had the goal open but slashed wide. It was a let off. Ciren looked neat enough coming back upfield but it was a bit too hurried and left little chance for Matt Williams to control and create from up top.

And both Dave Birmingham and Gavin Jones were closing down Steve Davies and Adam Mahdi far too comfortably, aided by some optimistic and sometimes wayward passing from Nathan Haisley and Harry E in the Ciren midfield. Gosport were picking up all the loose stuff.

As soon as they did, the wide men pulled out, Birmingham and James Ford looked to collect and move the ball on and Bennett and McEnery were pulling into the channels to offer the next target. Slick stuff and Ciren were often chasing shadows.

Gosport knew they would have to counter the threat from Julian Alsop but their very first challenge saw Josh Thomas give him a welly in the back that drew the first free kick of the game. And the first, loud and plaintive, bellow from the 'Boro dugout. Oi, ref!

Nothing came from that free but within a couple of minutes Steve Davies had danced inside, made space and aimed for the far top corner but was disappointed instead to give Nick Hutchings a comfortable catch. The keeper had to move smartly a minute later when Ben Pugh freed Adam Mahdi up the left to dip in a swirling near post cross. Matt Williams was in, Hutchings got there first and punched clear and left Willo dazed with a crack to his noggin.

And then Birmingham grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Cajoling, prompting, pointing, he had his team running in neat little triangles of pass and blur and Ciren were swept aside. Kes Metitiri managed to keep Bennett out with a leaping header, Gary Thorne just managed to read the spin and shot of McEnery and blocked him, and Tom McCormack elected to shoot too early and off target when he could (should?) have freed Bennett inside.

On 13 minutes, Birmingham collected a neat set of clearing one-twos out of defence, spun and looked right. The Ciren defence swayed left. Instead he sent Bennett up the left and he slotted a lovely pass into the channel. McCormack was on the run inside Lee Spalding.

Tom King was roaring out to try and cut out the ball with nary a chance of reaching it and McCormack danced past, looked up and picked out Mike McEnery who swept the ball up and into the roof of the net. A minute later McEnery was sent through again, King was once more out to baulk and when McEnery lobbed for goal Gary Thorne had read the move and was on the line to head calmly clear.

It was hairy stuff and Ciren looked shellshocked. The bits and pieces they were picking up were being wasted with some woeful passes. And what was getting forward was going nowhere, with Matt Williams playing as if the earlier knock had de-stabilised both his balance and his positioning.

But, important but, Nathan had now recognised that Birmingham had to be closed down. While it was not always working to perfection, because Birmingham knew it was happening and had handed over the creative baton to James Ford and McCormack, it did mean he had much less time and needed to be a bit brisker in the middle.

He started to feel the impact of the tackles. When he challenged Gary Thorne for a high ball he was brushed aside and landed in a heap from which, after attention, he was gingerly back on his pegs and clearly winded. But Gosport were still pouring forward. Bennett wasted a great chance, heading over unmarked at a corner on 24 minutes. Just before that, McCormack had, from the right channel, slipped James Ford inside Ben Pugh for a ground shot too straight and not really testing Big Tom.

Ciren slowly but surely dragged themselves back in. Steve Davies was at last found by Lee Spalding with a ground pass, had made himself time to turn and move and more important had both Nathan and Big H looking for space to receive the pass.

Upfield came Davies, easing past first Dave and then Michael Birmingham then playing a one-two with Adam Heath (who had replaced Willo) and an acceleration into the box for a fierce left footer that Hutchings did well to block and send high over the bar. It was the first real Ciren threat, timed at 28 minutes.

The attacks mounted. Heath was providing a pair of boots that stuck to the ball and while Gosport were not diving in they were being moved all over the place and visibly having to work hard to cope now. Every contact was bringing a bellowed appeal from their bench as Ciren turned the screw.

On 31 minutes Hutchings had his first reaction save, tipping an on-target Julian Alsop header, off a well worked corner, up to deflect off the bar. He was admirably aware and pounced to pouch the rebound when it fell away from the lurking Adam Heath.

Birmingham was again on the deck after losing out in a midfield challenge and this time limped off. Moments later Gary Thorne made sure he was first to a clearing header, got himself a dig in the ribs and also limped off. But, typical of the man, he was back on and directing the traffic within a minute even as Andy Minturn was lacing his boots and wondering if he was going to be on the pitch.

Steve Davies wriggled away from Andy Puckett on the edge of the box, turned and was away from Thomas as he looked to turn and strike before he was tumbled. Penno roared The Muppetts. Dive roared the Gosport bench. The ref was in the right place and decided the ball had gone away from Davo.

It had been a disappointing half but the signs were there that Ciren were coming into it. Maybe a half time roasting was necessary. But it did look anyway as if there was sufficient pride in the shirt to ensure Ciren were not going to give this one up, especially since Gosport had tempted fate too many times with their spurning of what were fairly simple chances.

Ciren not only pinned Gosport back, being now much more positive to get to the ball first and then to make sure the next pass was on. First Mahdi, then Heath forced corners with drives up the flanks, off the second of which Nathan turned to collect a second ball and was then bundled down by Andy Culliford, suckered in to try and get there first but beaten by Nathan's speed of reaction. Deffo penno this one but the lino, with a good view, was unmoved. Play on.

Not every Ciren attack was perfect. A couple of times, having forced the turnover, the midfield man was far too hurried and moved the ball on without connecting. It needed somebody with enough breath, and ability to read the play, to tell 'em Time. And then tell 'em what was on. Twice, from the other side of the pitch, you could hear Adi imploring his team to hit the target and then the subsiding echo from The Muppetts side as the ball wafted into nowhereland.

But, each attack was wearing Gosport down. Julian Alsop had been picking his moments and every time something came in that could be attacked, he was there. Thomas had given up trying to budge him out of the way so now Julian was checking, controlling and passing on. As the crosses came in first Puckett, then Thomas, then Puckett again were on the deck as the attack was cleared, like stranded whales gasping and puffing, before climbing back onto their pegs to face the next assault.

Steve Davies teased Dave Birmingham before gliding around him to put a beauty on to the far post. Alsop rose to win the ball against the flailing Hutchings with his guided nod down screaming out for a follow up but both Nathan and Adam Heath were rocking on their heels instead of gambling. But the goal had to come and when it did on 62 minutes it was a cracker.

Again Julian hoisted himself up, this time to reach a return cross off a half cleared corner. The nod down was collected by Adam Mahdi. His half control ended when Ford jabbed the ball free but Adam Heath was in the mix, controlled, spun away and drilled a smart left footer unerringly between Hutchings and his near post.

An hour gone and now Ciren, perhaps not with quite the stylish passing of Gosport but boy did they battle for the ball, were on top. Wave after wave of attack came in on what was now an almost permanent 6 man Gosport backline with McCormack previously so often free for the out-pass now battling on his own 18 yard line.

Certainly Gosport had as much pride in the shirt as Ciren were now so obviously demonstrating. And while they were not going to cave in they were wobbling badly. Heath broke away onto a neat Harry Etheridge pass, now sending the ball away on target unlike his wayward first half performance, and the youngster galloped at the frantically retreating Gosport defence.

Zig one way, zag the other he was getting clear, with Nathan busting a gut to get outside him as they reached the edge of the box. Maybe the pass should have been made but maybe because earlier Nathan had let one go so off key it nearly cleared the Arena Heathy turned inside again and was tripped. It was a chance.

McEnery had an even better chance on 69 minutes when Bennett got control up the right, calmly jinked infield and laid the ball on a plate. The Gosport youngster slashed horribly then fell to his knees as he cleared the Shed End from 6 yards out.

Every time one team gets on top there is almost always one chance that falls the other way. It would have been a sickener if it had gone in but Ciren had been warned and closed the door for a last 20 minute siege of Gosport..

That they held out owed a lot to Nick Hutchings – he was calm, confident and very positive. Although when Alsop rose to a Davies cross and, under desperate pressure from Thomas, sent a rocket header screaming over the bar Hutchings visibly ducked in front of me standing behind the net. It was an awesome sight and if Jools had got his forehead properly on it that one was in.

The best save was when another intense bout of pressure ended with the ball falling to Harry E, slightly off balance just beyond the far post and five yards out as the ball dropped. He did not quite connect but still hit the target. Cool as you like Hutchings just scooped the ball up and sent it away. Impressive stuff.

Though he was helpless in the very last minute when a shot from the edge of the box from Adam Mahdi deflected off Gary Thorne and then smacked the post to bounce out to Adam Heath. Deemed offside, he had it seems been coming back. Tho the ball had come back off the post he was now 'in play' again. Up went the flag.

And that was it. Whether Gosport would have won it if Birmingham had stayed on the pitch means nothing now. By the same token, Ciren had already started to get to grips with the game and second half they played a proud, committed game to get themselves on top. You can't ask more than that with the team showing, as every minute ticked past, that as much as anybody else on that pitch they really wanted it.

Cirencester: Tom King, Lee Spalding, Ben Pugh, Gary Thorne (c), Kes Metitiri, Harry Etheridge, Steve Davies, Nathan Haisley, Julian Alsop, Matt Williams [Adam Heath 21], Adam Mahdi

subs: Andy Minturn, Rob Dean, Steve Robertson, Paul Hunt

Gosport: Nick Hutchings, Gavin Jones, Dave Birmingham, Josh Thomas (c), Andy Puckett, James Ford, Andy Culliford, Michael Birmingham [Lee Chudy 39], Mike McEnery, Justin Phillips, Tom McCormack

subs: Nathan Lynch, John Wilson, Scott Gilham, Dan Sturman

Ref: Mr A Shilston, Lydney Never far away from the play, made his decisions and if needed made sure players understood the reason. And used his nowse – we never see or hear the best refs take centre stage.

The antics of the Boro gaffer as his team lost control of the match in the first half left nothing to the imagination – one day, a gaffer will get in real bother for abusing officials. This team of three in black just left him to it, even when he had them pinned on the centre spot at half time, and got on with officiating this game.

Att: 108 Fair bunch of Gosport committee folk turned up but only 3 other fans were seen. Seems to confirm that August Bankie is not ideal for a 200 mile round trip for the visitors.

Ciren MoM: Adam Heath got a lot of mentions, as did Gary Thorne who I thought did one heck of a job in trying to contain Gosport when they were running all over us first half. But, and no doubt because at the other end of the field he also did one heck of a job of proving the formula that the best form of defence is attack, the vote went to Julian Alsop. He gave everything in an immense physical contest.