Evo-Stik Southern Premier

Redditch United 4

Cirencester Town 1

ALAN GRIFFIN scored on his debut for Cirencester Town but it was only a late consolation for the Centurions who were already four goals behind.

The visitors failed to get to grips with the 3G pitch at the Valley Stadium and were brought back down to earth with a bump after their encouraging performance against league leaders Leamington the previous weekend.

The home side scored after seven minutes when Luke Keen robbed Mat Liddiard on the edge of the centre circle and raced through a flat and high back line to the edge of the penalty area before placing a firm shot inside the left post.

Redditch were being given far too much room and they exploited it to good effect, doubling their lead when a fine flowing move from one end to the other in the 34th minute.

Max Loveridge exchanged passes as he moved down the right channel to the byline before drawing 'keeper Raajan Gill and a defender and then squaring for Simeon Cobourne to finish at the far post.

As the half was drawing to a close Cirencester spurned the opportunity to clear the ball on the edge of their penalty area and new Redditch signing Gurjit Singh pounced to drive the ball through a ruck of players, past an unsighted Gill, and inside the right post.

Within eight minutes of the re-start the home side had made it 4-0 after a misunderstanding between two Cirencester players provided an opportunity for the ball to be crossed to the edge of the six-yard box where Singh was lurking to finish.

With nothing to lose Cirencester pushed forward and with 10 minutes remaining debutant Griffin, who had led the line and linked play well, scored with a fierce left-footed strike that crashed in off the underside of the bar.

Despite putting their hosts under pressure in the final minutes Cirencester were unable to add to their tally.

Cirencester Town: Gill, Diaz-Benitez, Challis, Liddiard (capt), Brown, Spalding, Mortimer-Jones, Connolly, Griffin, Langworthy, Hancox. Subs: Bennett, Youngsam, Lloyd.

CIRENCESTER Town (20th) travel to St Neots Town (21st) on Tuesday night in a crucial bottom-of-the-table clash.

FORMER Centurion Ollie Knight scored his first goal for Frome Town on Saturday in the 2-1 away win at Slough Town.