Evo-Stik League Division 1 S&W.

Cirencester Town 1 Tiverton Town 1.

CIRENCESTER erased the memory of a below-par display in the week to earn a point with second-in-the-table Tiverton on Saturday.

Ciren were almost restored to full strength with the return of Ellis Dunton, Chris Thompson and Jamie Reid, while recent signing from Swindon Supermarine, Jon Beedon, replaced the absent James Mortimer-Jones.

Ciren started brightly and carved out a number of early chances but it was Tiverton who came closest to opening the scoring in the 12th minute when Russell Jee hit the post with a shot from a corner.

Ben Wells was then denied a goal from a 25-yard free kick by a good save from Chris Wright and Tiverton took the lead in the 31st minute after a goalmouth scramble, at the end of which Joe Bushin toe-poked the ball home.

As half-time approached, Ciren equalised with a cracking goal; a good run from Wells set up Dunton and he smashed a left foot drive past the keeper and into the corner of the net.

Buoyed by the goal, Ciren upped their game after the break, enjoying the majority of the possession.

A Thompson header just cleared the bar in the 51st minute and in the 73rd minute Sam Collier found himself through with just the keeper to beat. However, Wright denied him and Wells’ follow-up shot was cleared.

Tiverton broke straight down to the Ciren end and Lee Clatworthy needed to be at his best to save a fine header by Jules Emati.

It was then Matt Sysum’s turn to miss the target narrowly with one of his trademark headers.

Ciren piled on the pressure looking for what would have been a deserved winner and in the eighth minute of time added on for injuries, Collier blasted the home side’s final chance over the bar to the relief of the high-flying visitors.

Cirencester Town: Clatworthy, Allard (Bennett, 82), Dunton, Sysum (capt), Wells, Beedon, Reid, O'Brien, Collier, Bumphrey (Packer, 79), Thompson. Unused subs: Shepherd, Hawkins.

Four Pillars Hotel Man of the Match: Jamie Reid.