Centurions grab valuable point at home (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Centurions grab valuable point at home

Cirencester Town 1 (Hopkins 76), Merthyr Tydfil 1 (Shephard 77)

THAT old football adage about teams being at their most vulnerable just after scoring certainly applied during this game.

Town's centre-forward, Gareth Hopkins, has struggled to score all season but in the 76th minute he showed what he can do.

Collecting 25 yards out, he drilled a daisy-cutter into the bottom-left corner, past Merthyr goalkeeper Ashley Morris' despairing dive.

The Centurions' fans jubilation was short-lived.

Still in celebratory mood, Cirencester's players momentarily lost concentration a minute later, resulting in their marking going awry as a low cross skidded across their six-yard box.

Merthyr striker, Gary Shephard, stole in unmarked, at the far post, to tap the equaliser in.

Although Cirencester were guilty of switching off, Merthyr enjoyed luck during the build-up because the referee inadvertently blocked an attempted interception by Town's Michael Jackson.

Lady Luck also favoured Merthyr when the referee rejected Town's strong penalty appeals in the 65th and 88th minutes.

Both incidents involved Mark Danks, a lively, spiky striker Cirencester have signed on a month's loan from Forest Green Rovers in their desperate search for a goal-scorer.

The first appeal came after Danks, earlier booked for felling Steve Williams, was himself apparently scythed down from behind while on a mazy run into Merthyr's box.

The second came after he again beat a player.

Dale Richards seemingly tripped him just inside the box but the referee adjudged the foul to have been committed marginally outside and awarded a free kick on the line.

With both teams playing 4-4-2, Cirencester gradually hogged possession with their cultured passing, increasingly forcing Merthyr onto the counter-attack.

One such attack saw Shephard beat Town's off-side trap and race clear, only to be denied by Cirencester goalkeeper, Paul Thompson, who raced 40 yards from goal to execute a sliding tackle any sweeper would have been proud of.

Thompson and his defenders looked more secure than in Cirencester's previous game, generally restricting Merthyr to long-range efforts the goalkeeper competently dealt with.

Hopkins performed his usual selfless linking roll but Town endeavoured to get him and Danks further upfield by playing through their wide midfield players, Kevin Halliday on the left and Lee Smith on the right, as much as possible.

The idea was to free Hopkins and Danks to get into the box and onto the end of crosses from the flankers.

It would have worked if Hopkins had converted two glorious second-half chances.

In the 64th minute, Smith cut the ball back to unmarked Jackson from the by-line.

Jackson relayed it onto Hopkins, 15 yards out and with a clear sight of goal.

The home supporters leapt to their feet as Hopkins' firm, low shot bulged the net but their cries of joy died in their throats because it was only the side-netting.

The 87th minute saw Denks break through the inside-right channel and cross to Hopkins, who beat his marker to the ball but sent his diving header wide.

Despite these misses, Hopkins did not hide and went close with six other shots.

Morris almost gifted Hopkins a goal in the 47th minute when letting the striker's low, 25-yarder roll through his fingers.

Unfortunately for Cirencester, the ball also rolled just past the post.

From the resulting corner, Williams cleared Ade Viveash's header off the line.

Shephard almost gave Merthyr an undeserved win in the 90th minute.

Beating Thompson to a ball played through the inside-right channel, he swivelled and shot.

Town's fans breathed a sigh of relief as the ball rippled the side-netting.

Man of the Match: Mike Fowler (Merthyr)

Cirencester: Thompson, Arndale (c), Fullam, Jackson, Richards, Viveash, Robison, Smith, Hopkins, Danks, Halliday. Merthyr: Morris, Williams, Keddle, Welsh, Eckhardt, Griffiths, Fowler (c), Sommers (Loss, 16), Shephard, Steins (Titcombe, 71), Dorrian. Booked - Cirencester: Denks (22), Halliday (66). Merthyr: Keddle (65), Griffiths (83). Attendance: 202