Evo-Stik Southern Premier

Cirencester Town 3

Weymouth 0

CIRENCESTER TOWN hadn’t beaten Weymouth since the 2010/11 season, losing their last eight encounters with the Terras.

So the prospect of a victory to keep their survival fight alive against a side on an unbeaten run of 12 looked slim.

Not only did Ciren beat their lofty opponents, they harassed and harried them into mistakes and gave them a lesson in finishing.

To a man, Cirencester were up for the challenge and so well did the back four defend – with captain Mat Liddiard magnificent at centre half in the absence of Matt Coupe – that goalkeeper Glyn Garner had a relatively untroubled afternoon.

Birthday boy James Mortimer-Jones and midfield partner Adam Connelly snapped into every challenge but it was up front where the transformation has occurred.

Danny Gudger topped the scoring charts for the Ciren Development Team this season with 33 goals and his sky-high confidence has lifted his team-mates too. Kerry Morgan, for example, seemed to relish having another pint-sized picador to play off.

And every time either of them got on the ball Weymouth were put on the back foot.

It took just five minutes for the pair to combine and produce Ciren's first goal, Morgan's neat work at the byline a precursor for the pass that gave Gudger a simple tap-in.

Gudger could have had two more goals in the opening 11 minutes, while two early half-chances from the head of Ben Thompson was the best the Terras could muster.

In the opening stages of the second half Weymouth enjoyed plenty of possession, passing the ball around nicely. Any encroachment into the Ciren danger areas, however, was quickly snuffed out. Just before he went off after the hour mark, Morgan emphasised his prodigious work rate by making a telling clearance inside his own box.

His replacement Henry Spalding soon came up with a telling contribution of his own; his superb free kick in the 70th minute was nodded down in the six-yard box and Ellis Dunton, so often the player making that first header, this time provided a neat side-footed finish.

Six minutes later Dan Demkiv hit a dream of a 30-yard pass into space behind the centre backs and the willing Gudger managed to get just enough of a goalbound touch on the ball before being clattered by Terras goalie Nick Thomas.

The biggest shock of the afternoon was that Gudger could not complete his hat-trick when given the chance from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after Spalding had been tripped entering the area on a mazy run.

Cirencester Town: Garner, Elliott, Brown, Liddiard, Dunton, Demkiv (Diaz-Benitez, 76), Connolly, Mortimer-Jones, Morgan (Spalding, 62), A Griffin, Gudger (James, 87).