Evo-Stik League Southern Premier

Cirencester Town 1 Burnham 0

CIRENCESTER TOWN finished their first season back in the Southern Premier in a highly respectable eighth place, gaining one position with the final-day victory over already-relegated Burnham.

The sides were separated by a solitary goal from Josh Parsons in the 57th minute which found the net through a crowd of players at the end of goalmouth scramble.

Congratulations to champions Corby Town who emerged 3-2 victors in their title decider at Poole Town.

For the second game in a row Ciren finished with 10 men after Ian Herring saw red for violent conduct in the 68th minute.

He will join team-mate Jacob Davidge on the sidelines at the start of next season when their bans kick in, but both are available for Tuesday night’s Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup final game against Shortwood United at Almondsbury.

With nothing at stake there was an end-of-term feel about the game with Ciren rarely hitting top gear. Given that there was little early threat coming from the limited Burnham side, Aidan Bennett enjoyed himself charging forward from his left back position and deservedly won the man-of-the-match award.

It was at the end of a Bennett run that Brad Hooper curled a shot just over the bar, Mark Pritchett stabbed an Ian Herring cross into the side netting and, after some slick Ciren inter-passing, Parsons whistled a shot across the face of the goal.

The hosts’ only serious goal attempt on target came from a thumping drive by Jarvis in the 13th minute.

Burnham’s one real threat came from an Adam Dickens free kick that curled over the wall, but also the bar.

Further Ciren pressure in the second period eventually resulted in the scrappy Parsons winner.

But the dismissal of Herring in the 68th minute, for lashing out after he felt he had been fouled, meant Ciren could not enjoy an entirely comfortable final 20 minutes.

Burnham understandably became a little more adventurous but were still reduced to pot shots from range by Dickens, while their best player Lewis Fogarty hit the post with a long throw.

Ciren should have been cruising in the last five minutes when sub Danny Gudger, regularly on target for the Development side, blasted two golden chances over the bar.

Ollie Knight almost capped a bright late cameo from the bench with a fierce stoppage-time drive that cleared the goal by a yard.

CIRENCESTER TOWN: Garner, Herring, Ricketts (Gudger, 64), Pritchett (capt), Liddiard, Jones, Hooper (Knight, 64), Mortimer-Jones, Jarvis (Wells, 77), Bennett, Parsons.

Unused subs: Davidge, Pitts.