Evo-Stik Southern Div 1 South & West.

Swindon Supermarine 1 Cirencester Town 1.

CAPTAINCY seems to suit Matty Sysum as Cirencester’s new skipper scored his second goal in as many league games to earn his side a battling point at Supermarine.

Sysum, who required five stitches in a nasty gash suffered against Merthyr on Saturday, powered home a header from a Ben Wells corner in the 88th minute.

And his Cirencester team-mates, taking their lead from the battle scarred and head-banded centre back, almost picked up all three points in a rousing finale.

The game was played in a persistent downpour for the last hour, conditions that were not conducive to good football, and there was little on show in this typically feisty derby encounter, in which Ciren picked up four more yellow cards.

Supermarine moved with the ball with more pace and purpose than their local opponents in the opening 45 minutes and had a constant threat up front in the diminutive Josh Parsons.

But their cause was certainly not helped by two key injuries.

Jon Beeden was bleeding profusely from his eye socket after a tangle with his own keeper Kent Kauppinen in the tenth minute and had to leave the field after a lengthy bout of treatment.

And Marine lost their captain David Bampton inside the half hour when he could not carry on following an earlier clash with fellow midfielder Rob Dean, from which it is thought the Marine skipper may have broken his nose.

Neither keeper was tested in a messy first half, Sam Collier spurning Ciren’s best chance in the 34th minute, while Supermarine sub TJ Bohane blasted wide of Matt Bath’s goal after being set up by a great turn and cushioned pass by Parson.

Ciren had injury woes of their own; Richard Mansell, playing his first competitive 45 minutes since knee surgery, failed to come out for the second half, having looked uncomfortable in the closing minutes of the first period.

With a disjointed Marine offering less of a threat after the break, Cirencester began to look the more likely to score and Ben Wells warmed Kauppinen’s hands in the 70th minute after some good build-up by Alex Allard and Collier.

Then, against the run of play, Supermarine got in front. Parsons showed excellent control on the edge of the box and rolled an inviting ball into the path of the charging Matty Horsell, who drilled his drive past Bath.

Despite being temporarily put out of their stride, Ciren showed good character to rally. Collier outmuscled Dan Wallington on the left flank and pulled back a cross to Scott Griffin, whose side footed effort drifted wide.

Jamie Reid then tried his luck from distance and Kauppinen was at full stretch to push it around the post for a corner. From the resulting set piece, Sysum thumped a fine header into the top corner to go top of Ciren’s goal scoring charts.

Marine were now hanging on and Ciren could easily have nicked it in stoppage when James Mortimer-Jones’ goalbound drive was just deflected around the post off a defender’s head.

Cirencester: Bath, Allard, Mansell (Bennett, 46), Sysum (C), Wells, Thompson, Reid, Mortimer-Jones, Collier, Griffin, Dunton.

Standard MoM: Matt Sysum.