Town's four-goal salvo destroys Casuals in FA Trophy (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Town's four-goal salvo destroys Casuals in FA Trophy

HAVING destroyed Corinthian Casuals by four goals to nil in an impressive second-half period on Saturday, Cirencester Town now find themselves having to visit another Rymans League Division One side, Canvey Island, in the third round of the FA Trophy.

On a rain-sodden pitch, it was clear that both sides were going to find it difficult to string any serious passes together.

On their home territory, Corinthian Casuals made it clear from the off that they intended to close everything down very quickly.

And to make matters worse for the visitors, Nick Beaverstock suffered a nasty facial injury early on and was replaced by Stuart Hopkins coming back from injury.

For the next half-hour or so, both sides seemed to cancel each other out and very few clear-cut chances were created.

Unluckily for Town, Gareth Hopkins' headed a Keith Knight corner just wide and Knight saw his curling free kick from 25 yards just go the wrong side of a post.

With half-time approaching, the visitors seemed to step the game up a gear.

Knight and Andy McCabe stretched the home defence and McCabe's final ball found G Hopkins in space.

Unfortunately, he couldn't control the ball in the slippery conditions and this gave John Russell-Smith a chance to recover to get in a telling tackle.

From another good move, it was G Hopkins again left in the clear and this time he was denied by a brave save from John Hotchkiss.

The second half was only five minutes old and Cirencester were now looking fully committed as G Hopkins forced another fine save from Hotchkiss.

It came as no surprise when, five minutes in the half, Cirencester took a deserved lead.

A great move involving Adam Mayo and James Hughes finished with Ben Fitch's perfect lay-off that left the way clear for Knight to fire home an unstoppable angled shot from ten yards.

Within five minutes, Town went two up when a great through ball from Dave Hunt found Knight completely in the clear and he made no mistake from 15 yards.

In a bit of reorganising, 'flu victim Matthew McEntegart was replaced by Stuart Fraser making his comeback after a long injury lay-off.

With 30 minutes to go, the Centurians put the game beyond doubt when Hughes and Mayo again linked up, leaving Knight in space for his perfect cross to be headed home by G Hopkins.

In a desperate measure to stem the tide, the home side made several changes with Simon Shergold, Jamie Goodwin and Iain Waghorn being replaced by Elliott Lywood, Justin Georgiou and Ian McDermott.

Casuals threw everything at their rivals, but with Stuart Hopkins and Dave Hunt in such commanding form, the home side were very much restricted to only the odd foray.

It was some ten minutes before the end that Cirencester completed the scoring with a peach of a goal.

When Knight picked out G Hopkins drifting away from his marker, he slammed the ball home from 18 yards that gave Hotchkiss no chance.

Cirencester Town are now set to play their FA Trophy third round tie away to Canvey Island on Saturday, January 11, 2003.

A brace from new signing Luke Corbett was the highlight of Cirencester's well merited 3-2 win over Forest Green Rovers in Tuesday evening's friendly at the Corinium Stadium.

Adam Mayo scored Town's third goal and only a last-minute strike by Neil Grayson gave the final scoreline respectability.