FOOTBALL: Subdued Ciren fall to Clevedon (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

FOOTBALL: Subdued Ciren fall to Clevedon

9:29am Sunday 30th December 2007 in

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Cirencester Town 1, Clevedon Town 2 THERE were two winners of this woeful match - Clevedon Town and the weather.

Arsenal in their pomp would have been embarrassed by the severe, swirling cross wind so the entertainment provided for the 200-strong crowd by two Southern League teams was minimal.

Ciren presumably lost the toss as they were asked to face the dome and the elements in the first half and Clevedon's Matt Prosser and Kris Leek understandably tried their luck from long range in the first 20 minutes. Both shots whistled but narrowly missed the target.

Ciren's meagre efforts on goal in that period amounted to just two. Scott Griffin, forced to dive backwards as a Matt Shaxton free kick changed course in the wind, did well to guide a header even close to the target.

Their best chance undoubtedly came from a goalmouth scramble after a Shaxton corner in the 19th minute, but a wall of yellow kept the ball from going over the line.

Compare that to the 47th minute when the red and black defence went missing as first Danny Haines and then goalscorer Mike Symons were given far too much time in the box.

the burly Symons' strength and touch proved too much for a subdued Ciren throughout the game and he turned provider for the second goal in the 71st minute.

Shielding the ball well on the right, the former Centurion then picked out Haines with a pinpoint cross. Again there was no meaningful challenge and Haines had plenty of time to slip the ball past the advancing Matt Bulman.

Ciren had gone with three up front as early as the 53rd minute when Steve Robertson replaced Shaxton. Andy Chapman, deemed fit enough for the bench despite the whiplash injuries suffered in his Christmas car crash, came on at the same time, in a withdrawn wing back role for Dan Wallington.

Chapman's setpiece delivery had been sorely missed but it was a teasing Alex Stanley free kick that caused havoc in the Clevedon defence and prompted an own goal credited to keeper Danny Greaves on 75.

The keeper turned hero four minutes later, however, tipping over another dangerous free kick, this time from Chapman.

Robertson further raised Ciren hopes of an equaliser when heading just wide from a corner, but in the last 10 minutes Clevedon cleverly played out time and the game, unlike the wind, petered out.

Cirencester: Bulman, Collins (capt), A Stanley, Haisley, Molyneaux, Cochlin, Wallington (Chapman, 53), Etheridge, Griffin, N Stanley, Shaxton (Robertson, 53). Unused subs: Jackson, Romdhane, Hunt.