GODALMING QUALITY PROVES TOO MUCH FOR BATTLING CENTURIONS

FA Trophy Qualifying Sunday 18 October 2009

Cirencester Town 1

Godalming Town 3

In spite of a bright start by Cirencester Town, taking an early lead, a very impressive Godalming steadily worked their way into the match. After equalising they bossed the rest of the first half. Snatching the lead early in the second half, the composed and well organised Ryman Leaguers clinched their win with a superb third on 71 minutes.

Ryan Parker twice skipped beyond Liam Pestle within the first two minutes, latching onto accurate passes from the quick thinking Dan Wallington, but both times chose to shoot for Wilkinson to save well though on the second opening Rob Dean was supporting unmarked inside and well placed to score.

Godalming had been conceding free kicks from the off and when Sintim dropped Thompson 35 yards out, Lyndon Tomkins met Dan Wallington's perfectly flighted cross and nodded inside. Scott Griffin swivelled on the edge of the box to strike a first time left footer inside the post to score for Ciren.

Godalming could have conceded twice more, first when Jody Bevan was inches away from connecting at the far post from a sublime low cross from Parker, played in at pace when he had once again been given a run at Pestle by Wallington. A minute later Parker was again on his way.

This time, double teamed as Kiri came back to help Pestle, he laid back to Mark Pritchett. Scott Griffin came roaring in on the blindside of Elliott at the far post to meet Pritchett's raking cross with Wilkinson vainly flailing. Griff was at full stretch yet still got there to connect only to head just wide. Close but no cigar. A goal then and who knows what would have happened.

Even under pressure Godalming had already shown they were confident on the ball and, playing an adventurous 3 up front, were impressively adept at keeping the ball. It was noteworthy also that they kept it within the touchlines as they sent well judged passes into the gaps for Williams and Purdie to challenge. It made the Ciren defence work hard to retrieve the ball instead of getting the chance to settle at a throw in restart..

The pressure on them from the nearest Godalming front man meant their clearances lacked the necessary accuracy to allow Bevan and Griffin to press the Godalming back line. Within 10 minutes of the start, Godalming were now calmly bossing the match.

Tiny midfielder Victor Kiri, all muscle and quick feet and even more impressively a quick awareness of what was on around him, was popping into space time and again to get the ball off a defender under pressure, moving it on and keeping himself mobile. From winning loose balls and using the possession neatly, Dan Wallington was now being hustled off the ball and chasing shadows as Ciren tried to keep Godalming out.

Phil Williams was already showing a free spirited elan in attack up the Godalming left when, on 12 minutes, he chased a pass from Guthrie down the left flank. Craig Curtis had twice just about bested him so far and this time again got first to the ball. Williams twice got his challenge in to nick the ball back, twice Curtis snapped back in and won it back.

Williams came again, got a rebound off his own challenge and was away behind Curtis and driving for the bye-line. Everybody had been watching Craig try to win his battle, with no other defender or midfielder near enough for an out ball nudge from him. With Williams now away and racing to the by-line, it had to pull a central defender across. Chris Thompson had come back to cover the middle but nobody else saw the danger and Williams put his low cut back inside to pick out Chris Wales coming on like a train to support the break and he drove a 12 yarder first time into the roof of the Ciren net.

Godalming grabbed hold of the match. The lively Andy Ottley on the right had been dragged back to help out Pestle but now was able to offer for out balls much further up the park. And, unerringly, Benson Paka and Victor Kiri were hunting and gathering through the midfield and now bringing him into play as well as the by now mercurial Williams.

Ciren were very much on the rack but held on, though it took a superb covering block by Curtis, tracking across to close down Graeme Purdy as the bustling centre forward went to the near post to meet a right wing cross from Ottley. The Godalming move had been lightning quick, stemming from a hustle on Bevan by Richards 80 yards upfield, a switch left to Elliott, an inside pass to the unchallenged Benson in the centre circle and then a neat one two with Kiri finally letting Ottley get beyond the exposed Pritchett. Seven crisp passes, 60 yards made and Ottley looked up and deliberately aimed his low driven cross to land on the edge of the near side 6 yard box. Curtis had read it all the way and was in with a great stop even as Guthrie was acclaiming his 'goal'.

Battered as he was by Sintim and Taylor, the pair taking it in turn to let him know he was not going to be allowed an easy ride today, Griffin still kept showing for the ball. When a by now rare pass came that he could control he was looking to do something. Up to yet, disappointingly, all the front men coming back to collect had turned and banged the ball back into the space they had just left. Giving the ball straight back was not going to put any pressure on a by now comfortable Godalming defence.

Godalming were so much in control it was very nearly a surprise when on 45 minutes Griffin collected up the left channel 35 yards out, looked outside, swayed inside then spun to slot a beautifully paced pass behind the Godalming back line. Rob Dean had made a 30 yard sprint to get into the space up top, appeared in the gap and actually had time to take a touch before slotting. But, with no shout of time to let him know he was clean through, he tried a first timer and made an air shot. It was enough to keep the scores level at half time.

Within five minutes of the restart, when Jamie Reid and Carl Brown replaced Rob Dean and Jody Bevan as Mr Hughes looked to shake up the mix and regain the initiative, Williams had again twice escaped down the Godalming left to threaten Ciren. On 49 minutes Ciren worked the ball across the backline while the front line worked for space to attack. Craig Curtis was wide right and was there to collect as the series reached him. But was suddenly losing control as Williams challenged and just about covered back to concede a corner.

Mr Hughes replaced him with Lee Stevens before the flag kick, presumably a tactical switch. But, from the near post centre, Matt Bath went up to collect in a crowd of bodies, failed to punch cleanly and as the ball dropped Dan Sintim was on the spot to prod home for a 2 -1 Godalming lead on 51 minutes. They knew how important that was and it pumped up their already high levels of self belief.

To their credit, for the next 20 minutes Ciren gathered themselves, made sure they passed much more accurately, and gave Carl Brown and Ryan Parker plenty of chances to zip through the gaps. More important, instead of the one pass killer ball they had been trying during the first half under pressure the Centurions were now deliberately trying to put their foot on the ball, make sure Kiri and Paka did not get the ball back in silly positions, and make the Godalming defence move around to cover the gaps.

Doughty defending by Sintim and Richard Taylor, aided by sparklingly quick reactions by the covering back trio of Wales, Paka and Kiri to clear the second ball, kept the Ciren shooting chances to a minimum. Though a failure to pick out a Ciren shirt with the final ball, in contrast to Godalming's accuracy in attack, contributed to their inability to grab the goal their attacking pressure needed.

Far too often, with Godalming again conceding a bunch of dangerous free kicks, the final ball in was just not good enough to test the back line or put Wilkinson under any pressure at all. He had nowt more to do than a series of training ground catches.

On 61 minutes Jamie Reid had surged through onto a neat Brown pass but his cross shot beat Alexander only to kiss the angle of post and bar and fall clear of Griffin racing up in support. Godalming continued to concede defensive free kicks, sharing their malfeasance across the team and still avoiding the attention of the referee. Ciren's efforts to take advantage were repelled by determined defending as the crosses rained in.

On 71 minutes a quick Godalming counter had Andy Ottley collecting the ball wide right and interpassing with the ultra alert Victor Kiri. When the sparky little midfielder fed up the line to Richard Shittu his aware back heel laid the ball back into the path of the supporting Chris Wales. Again not tracked as he came roaring upfield in support, his first time finish, with a superb outside of the right foot shot from the angle of the penalty area across Bath and into the far corner of the net, was a worthy clincher.

Much as Ciren battled, Godalming defended now with uncompromising determination, their efforts gained no reward and they now have to concentrate on cementing their position in the League.

Full credit to Godalming. After a shaky start they dug in, clearly know how to play and made themselves space to pass the ball to players who could control it. And when they had passed it at once moved on again to keep the covering Centurions on the back foot and never having a moment to settle. It was very impressive. Ciren have played like that this season but this time they came up against a team with no weaknesses anywhere on the park and ran out of ideas far too quickly.

Andover on Tuesday will be a test. They have had a good run recently; and opened the season with a win over favourites Totton. But, as always, that game with Godalming is now gone and we start again.

Cirencester: Matt Bath, Craig Curtis [Lee Stevens 50], Mark Pritchett, Neil Griffiths (c), Chris Thompson, Lyndon Tomkins, Rob Dean [Jamie Reid 45], Dan Wallington, Jody Bevan [Carl Brown 45 Y67], Scott Griffin, Ryan Parker subs: Jason Welsh, Rob Hoskin

Godalming: David Wilkinson, Liam Pestle, Shaun Elliott, Chris Wales Y89, Dan Sintim, Richard Taylor (c), Benson Paka, Victor Kiri, Graeme Purdy [Richard Shittu 66], Andy Ottley [Luke Pigden 83], Phil Williams [Glen Stanley 90 +2]

Ref: Mr I Parsons, Salisbury Got a lot of lip from the Godge bench, who could not quite believe he had the capability to see the somewhat subtle infringements they were committing. Got a wry smile from Griff when for the umpteenth time he was dropped, looked up and saw that it was yet another Godalming lad who had taken on the Drop Griff Job.

Mr P may have made Godalming think twice if he had put his hand in his pocket a bit earlier but hey, he saw it as it was played and chose not to do so. Though his card on Carl was a bit harsh, the lad getting to a dilatory Elliott, nicking the ball and taking the full brunt of the kick on his own boot. But maybe he was admiring the full pike and double roll the lad produced after his contact on Carl's boot?

Att: 136 paid to get in, including, admirably, Mr McC who turned up at kick off and happily paid Danny the equivalent of 2 weeks wages. Our best Sunday gate of the season – a good dozen or so visitors who must have been confused when a team wearing white and grey turned out while they were all proudly decked in a fetching yellow and green garb. Why do teams change strips when there is no clash?

More in the ground than the gate but in good conscience we could not ask the U15's and U11's to pay when they came in after finishing their matches on the outside pitches.

MoM: I was very impressed with the impact Victor Kiri [Godalming] had on this match. What a good little player, in a good team. Ciren fan votes were reluctant, not surprising when we have subsided to a defeat, but in time votes came in.

For Dan Wallington, a lot for Lyndon Tomkins, who did well with two good forwards giving him a hard day, and votes for a returning Jamie Reid. But, close but he was ahead when the poll closed, Scott Griffin got the Four Pillars MoM award. No doubt for his wholehearted effort in a match when he was buffeted from start to finish but gave as good as he got in a rousing contest. Played, Griff.