Evo-Stik Southern Div 1 S&W.

Bishops Cleeve 0 Cirencester Town 3.

CIRENCESTER returned to the level of their recent form after the uncharacteristically lacklustre display against Shortwood on Monday to run out 3-0 winners.

With Shane Anson absent due to work commitments, Jon Beeden came in at left back with Ellis Dunton switching from left to right. Ben Wells took the captain’s armband.

Ciren came under an early barrage, with many high balls being pumped into the area with conviction, but they were up to the challenge.

Having weathered the early storm, Ciren began to play the more controlled football and set up several multi-pass moves.

Just after the half-hour mark, Aidan Bennett won a corner on the Cirencester right flank and Wells’ set piece was only partially cleared to Sam Collier, who promptly returned it with interest through a mass of players into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Within four minutes of the restart, Cirencester added a second.

Beeden hit a very high ball into the Cleeve penalty area and as the defender attempted to clear it bounced higher than he expected causing him to handle.

Penalty taker Wells sent the keeper the wrong way and finished inside the right post to make it 2-0.

Although now playing into the wind in the second half, it was Cleeve who nearly reduced the arrears when a Jake Lee header was gathered at the second attempt by Garner.

The home side also came close to scoring when a Joe Parker effort ricocheted off a defender into the grateful arms of Garner.

However, it was Cirencester who further increased their lead.

A free kick from Wells was struck firmly to the far post where Dunton had made a strong run and crashed a powerful header into the top right corner of the net.

The final effort from Cirencester came when the hard working Bumphrey met a free kick from the right and hooked it towards goal where Cleeve keeper Nortei parried the ball on to the bar, before catching it at the second attempt.

Cirencester Town: Garner, Beeden, Dunton, Thompson, Henry, Mortimer-Jones, Hooper (O’Brien, 83), Wells (capt) (Packer, 83), Collier (Griffin, 83), Bennett, Bumphrey.