FOOTBALL: Ciren rock Corby with four goals (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

FOOTBALL: Ciren rock Corby with four goals

9:54am Monday 7th January 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

Corby Town 2 Cirencester Town 4.

CIRENCESTER TOWN are turning into a good team, with the grit and character to get through a difficult second half of the season.

They took the lead on 20 seconds, without Corby touching the ball, endured a towsing for 20 minutes and went in 2-1 down at the break, only to score three second-half goals for a fine win.

In the opening move of the game, Matt Shaxton got on the end of a sublime Scott Griffin cross to nod calmly beyond Dan Crane.

Instead of rattling the passes up the channels when it was clear from the outset that Griffin was in his "I'm not going to be beaten" mood, Ciren looped long balls up from the back.

Olly Wilkinson and Tom Bonner had it all too easy to head clear for Rick Scott and Jamie Patterson to collect and put the Ciren defence under pressure.

On 19 minutes, Dom Hallows collected a cross from Liam Nicells and sent a peach from 25 yards curving beyond Matt Bulman for 1-1.

Minutes later, Rick Scott threaded a pass inside Alex Stanley to Chris Difante, and though his shot was batted down by Matt Bulman, the striker was first to the loose ball to knock it calmly home.

It could have been game over moments later. Steve Diggin, the big-money signing from Conference Kettering, was on the end of another cross. Under pressure from Paul Cochlin, his shot went under Bulman but hit the post and bounced out.

To their credit, Ciren buckled down and made a game of it from then on.

From Andy Chapman's stream of crosses and corners, Nathan Haisley, then Paul Cochlin, hit the bar with headers, Scott Griffin and Nick Stanley forced Crane into saves at his post, and Corby were struggling to contain Ciren.

In the second half, the Cirencester defence not only became more mean, they passed it out much better.

It gave Michael Jackson and Haisley at least an even chance of making something of their possession.

Griffin was immense at the point of attack and both Chapman and Shaxton, on the flanks, responded.

On 56 minutes, Haisley won a thundering tackle in midfield against Diggins, Jackson swept up the loose ball and instantly sent Shaxton forward. With the defence retreating in front of him, Shaxton powered a shot home from 18 yards into the top corner.

Five minutes later, Jackson fed Chapman, who danced away to get himself clear in a central position, before thundering in a right footer from 18 yards to put Ciren 3-2 ahead.

A clincher was needed. The hard-working Griffin almost found it with an audacious lob from 35 yards which missed by an inch.

He got his reward on 76 minutes. Having forced Crane to make a tip-over save off a shot from the edge of the box, Griffin inevitably was in the right place when the corner came in.

Collecting the ball 14 yards out, he stepped inside the challenge from Bonner and made the net bulge.

There was still time for Corby's Derek Brown to collect a red card on 80 minutes when he was spitefully late on Griffin. And for Ciren subs Hanin Romdhane and Jon Else to go close when they replaced first Stanley and then Griffin in the closing minutes.

Cirencester: Matt Bulman, Chris Collins (capt), Alex Stanley, Nathan Haisley Y80, Lee Molyneaux, Paul Cochlin, Matt Shaxton, Michael Jackson, Scott Griffin (Jon Else, 87), Nick Stanley (Hanin Romdhane 84), Andy Chapman. Unused subs: Harry Etheridge, Dan Wallington, Paul Hunt Ref: Mr J Thornhill, Ilkeston.

Att: 182.

MoM: Matt Shaxton.

• Print
• Email
• Share