CIREN LOSE CONTROL BUT GET BACK INTO THE MATCH TO GAIN A POINT AGAINST A VERY GOOD BEDFONT GREEN

Bedfont Green 2

Cirencester Town 2

League newcomers Bedfont Green, 2009 champions of the Combined Counties League by a wide margin and with a massive goals total, were confident but early on were outplayed by a slick Cirencester Town. They persisted with their own brand of adventurous, quick forward play and dug in at the back, if sometimes using somewhat nefarious techniques, to contain the Ciren forwards. Ciren did very well to drag themselves back into a match after they had fallen behind to an excellent second Bedfont goal.

Bedfont replaced their iconic, famously massive but very effective, keeper Lee Pearce in favour of Gary Ross and set up to attack Ciren with 3 up front. Mr Hughes had Nick Dunn injured after a knock in the Cup match last Sunday but welcomed back skipper Neil Griffiths so slotted Chris Thompson into midfield and also challenged Bedfont by playing 3 up front. It was looking to be a tidy contest, both teams confident they would score more than they would concede. And there were a fair few Centurions, well refreshed pre-match and looking forward to the game.

Early on, they had a lot to enjoy. Bedfont just about managed to keep out a series of flowing Ciren attacks. Fergus Moore is a vastly experienced defender and on 1 minute his positioning allowed him at full stretch to clear a Chris Thompson cross from the left bye-line after Etheridge, Williams and Brown had combined up the left to shred the Bedfont covering.

Scott Griffin had an effort desperately but effectively blocked on the post when he was on the end of another slick move, this time down the right as pass and move between Reid, Bevan, Brown then Williams set Brown free beyond the full back to put in a searching cross. Ray Sherwood then did just enough, tugging unseen on his shirt, to prevent Carl Brown breaking clear when Reid and Thompson worked their way neatly through the Bedfont midfield and placed the pass into the gap. The ref waved it away and Browner, furious, seemed to let the incident affect him for more than a few minutes. Sherwood, perhaps unwisely, just laughed.

Moore may be experienced but he no longer has pace and he was having to work hard to contain Griffin. He was giving nothing away but could not stop Griff turning and scooting away time and again, only for the final pass to just about be nudged clear or for Griff to draw a foul. Bedfont, this early in the match, were not going to roll over in defence. But were having to deal with nigh on constant pressure.

The opener came on 10 minutes when Sherwood fouled Jody Bevan just outside the area. Tom Etheridge drove in a fierce, low free kick and Griffin got a touch and the ball was in the net. The Bedfont reporter in the stand saw it as Tom deceiving the keeper, Griff felt he had got the last touch but in fact it turned out to be Jody Bevan, making himself first in spite of being manhandled by Moore, who got the final, decisive, tickle.

 Neil Griffiths had a big grin as that went in.  It says a lot about Jody's character that, in spite of Tom and Griff jointly celebrating and getting the pats on the back, he made no huge claim but just got on with his job. Sure, he would love to get a clean chance in front of goal to bury one emphatically but his day will come.

Jamie Reid, set up by slick passing to go through the bodies 35 yards out, forced Gary Ross to a good save from distance although he could perhaps have slipped the unmarked Brown through for a close range finish. Again, a frustrated squeak from Browner and rightly so because he had left the defender looking up his own backside with a superb in and out check before darting into the gap. But, if you can see the goal it is not surprising that a midfielder on the run will let one go.

Bedfont were just about hanging on, conceding a series of just about cleared free kicks to contain Ciren. Merritt, already carded for a foul on Griffin, was a fortunate bunny when once again he upended Griff inside the D. The wall was set up to cover the right side of the goal with Ross apparently betting that he would get to anything sent to his left.

It certainly looked very juicy indeed, with a huge gap for a forceful slot inside the post. Tom Etheridge gave it a real welly. Perhaps trying to make sure he did not pull it wide he sent his cracker down Ross' throat for a safe catch. Ciren maybe would have run away with the match if that had gone in.

Commendably, Bedfont had persisted in trying to get their forwards away with calm passes from the back whenever they did get a brief moment to compose themselves. Zak Westlake was up against the obviously tricky Chris Henry, a small but muscular bundle of energy and movement and showing a good touch and awareness. The Ciren defence was coping more than adequately with what was coming through to them but it was noticeable that Miner, Hart and Henry were giving them no time to compose themselves with some highly effective closing down.

Sentence and the visibly influential Craig White were starting to get their angles right in midfield, and it was becoming obvious that if Bedfont got any space they were more than capable of exploiting it. For some reason Ciren started to give the ball away – were they thinking that maybe a route one pass would leave Moore stranded? Whatever reason, the play was opening up and Bedfont were starting to play much better than Ciren in the key zone of midfield creation.

Then, on 28 minutes, Reid was isolated by an exchange of passes around him, Chris Henry came down the line of the pass to collect in the left side channel with no chance of Zak getting to the ball and jinked and checked inside. He immediately slotted the supporting Phil Merritt through the defence and the lad was clear in space just inside the corner of the box and connected for a cool, first time finish with the outside of his right boot to just stroke the ball inside an immobile Matt Bath's right hand post. Good goal, no argument.

Ciren surged back but Bedfont were now playing more confidently and when a poor defensive header let the ball drop 20 yards out Matt Bath had to get down to a strong shot from Russ Miner to tip the ball around the post. Still conceding a lot of free kicks, and now arguing with the ref and chuntering at the apparent injustice of having many of their nudges seen and punished, Bedfont were nevertheless containing Ciren. Ross was no longer under as much pressure in the home nets in what was now an end to end battle.

Even with a sprinkler going off the players did not take the hint to cool off and give the referee any option other than to continue to be strict with his decisions. Somewhat surprisingly on 44 minutes he called over and booked both Neil Griffiths and Lyndon Tomkins, apparently for unsporting conduct, when a fiercely challenged Ciren corner had ended in an unseemly scuffle after Ross had come for and dropped the ball.

Some of the ref's decisions had already created uncertainty in the players' minds at this crucial stage in the game, with Merritt again lucky when he had once again poled in and taken Brown a bit after the ball had been moved on. Once again, Bedfont had defended the free kick successfully so they must have been thinking they now had the boss hand in the match. It certainly felt that way.

There needed to be some calm reflection in the dressing rooms.

In the club house there was no such thing, with some serious refuelling taking place

That mood of aggression and grievance, on both sides, continued into the second half with the Bedfont back line completing a full house of cards for persistent fouling within a minute of the restart when Morley just plain tripped Brown as the lad turned him and was on his way.

Bedfont's Chris Henry had increasingly looked to be their main threat, very quick and neat in possession and despite his diminutive size very determined in possession. His run, check, then dart into the gap between Zak and the middle of the defence ended with a fierce drive from 18 yards that had Matt Bath watching as the ball fizzed across him only to hit the post.

On 55 minutes Jamie Reid covering the Ciren right flank 35 yards out, ill-advisedly dived in to win the ball off Lee Morley. Down went the lad, the ball squirting into touch, and straight back up on his feet to clonk Reidy. The pair were immediately surrounded by a whirl of players and, when the dust settled, Reid was sent off for having both feet off the ground and Morley and Sherwood both sent off for punching.

Bravely, Bedfont went to just 3 defenders and continued to take the game to Ciren. Given the ability of White to offer himself for the ball then make sure possession was kept, it was playing to their strengths. With Ciren still persisting in trying to find the one-pass killer ball there was enough possession available for the nine man team to get something if they could make an opening. And, they had the players to do it.

It came on 63 minutes. A high ball went out of the Bedfont defence, both Griffiths and Tomkins went up to clear and Henry dug Tomkins in the ribs, unseen, and the ball dropped loose. Admirable player that he is, and aware, Henry was first to recover the loose ball with Gavin Hart at once running in support on his right. 

A quick one-two between the pair and Hart was not tracked into the area. His cross shot went across Bath to hit the net.  Some very fair pictures on  the Bedfont site - not quite big enough resolution to pop on here but not a bad series of pics there. 

Bathy would not have been happy with his positioning. Cue delight in the Bedfont section of the support and Ciren would now really have to do something different or just fade away.

Tom Etheridge was at once replaced by debutant Ryan Parker. Sending in a series of desperately cleared crosses he gave Ciren more width and pace on the left flank with Sentence doing a sterling job of at least getting to him. If not preventing the crosses he was at least forcing the youngster to check inside rather than making the break all the way to the bye-line. Carl Brown was replaced by the lively Max Etheridge but, try as they might, Ciren could not get a clear shot on goal. Griff was being blocked off and beginning to wave his arms around as the ref continued to wave play on.

Bedfont were defending against a now grimly determined Ciren, cranking up the pressure all over the park. The Bedfont midfield were tracking back to fill the final third whenever Ciren had possession. Though Chris Williams and Chris Thompson were at last finding midfield space and controlling the passes Griff and Jody, then replaced by Jason Welsh, were still not getting any openings.

On 85 minutes the chance finally came and Lyndon Tomkins banged in the loose ball when the increasingly beleaguered Ross dropped a Max Etheridge corner at his feet for 2-2. Still time for a winner, Bedfont had the first chance. Craig White had a tiny gap on the left of midfield, surged into it but, thankfully, sent his shot in too early, from too far out and over the bar.

Ryan Parker was getting more and more passes and with Bedfont now throwing themselves in, he sucked centre forward Russ Miner into a challenge on the edge of the box and had his legs taken away. It looked to be just inside the box but, on the wrong side of the area for the lino to see and the ref not quite in line his decision was a free kick actually on the line.

Up went Walsh to a superb free kick, with Gill throwing himself in front of him to try and get in the mix but timing it way, way wrong. Falling forward, he did enough to nudge Welsh and the ref in any case decided Welsh had fouled. Somewhat strange but, hey, he gets only a microsecond in what is by now a very tense situation.

For the second League match in a row, the dropped points felt like a loss to Ciren. In truth they had lost control of the match after 30 minutes and if Bedfont had not been daft they could well have won it. Bedfont fully deserved the result. Indeed, they will give many more teams a shock as their first season at this level progresses.

For Ciren, they face Abingdon in the FA Cup next Saturday with some uneasy thoughts no doubt echoing inside their heads. Though, as Neil Griffiths sensibly pointed out afterwards, “They weren't bad at all but we won an away point while with 3 forwards up all match they would have been expecting a result at home. We came back and deserved that point.” It is a game Ciren can win but they will have to focus on making sure that when they have the ball they keep it enough to make enough chances to put that game away. It will be an interesting week for the squad, for sure.

Bedfont Green: Gary Ross, Lee Morley Y46 R55, Tom Baddeley, Fergus Moore (c) Y40, Ray Sherwood R55, Phil Merritt Y26, Billy Sentence, Craig White, Russ Miner, Gavin Hart [Chris Gill 68], Chris Henry [Aaron Samuel 79] subs: Tom McCarthy, Lee Grant, Lee Pearce g/k

Cirencester Town: Matt Bath, Zak Westlake, Tom Etheridge [Ryan Parker 63], Neil Griffiths () Y44, Chris Thompson, Lyndon Tomkins Y44, Jamie Reid R55, Chris Williams, Jody Bevan [Jason Welsh 79], Scott Griffin, Carl Brown [Max Etheridge 70] subs: Lee Stevens, Rob Dean

Ref: Mr A Gillett, Aylesbury Got criticism from the teams on the pitch and in my opinion perhaps created some problems for himself with his cautions. But in my opinion actually had a very good game overall in terms of getting his decisions right and his positioning was spot on. As was his work with his very efficient linos. Much to the disappointment of The Muppetts, who had but two half hearted efforts to wind them up.

Att: 71   The usual 20 or so suspects turned up, on the coach, by car and by chuffer train. Depleted set of Muppetts and Alan and Davie B both required to work so not the full complement this time. Relatively cheerful early on but, like the rest of the crowd, by the end somewhat bemused how what could have been a cracking football match turned into a shapeless mess.

MoM: A real mix of opinions here – mentions for Matt Bath, Carl Brown, Scott Griffin, debutant Ryan Parker, Chris Williams and a lot for Zak Westlake. By my casting vote in a full poll, Chris Thompson got it but only by a whisker.