Cirencester earn vital win against Frome (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Cirencester earn vital win against Frome

7:10pm Sunday 7th February 2010

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Zamaretto Div 1 South & West.

Cirencester Town 1, Frome Town 0.

CIREN ended Frome Town's five-month unbeaten run in a superb footballing contest on a slippery Corinium pitch.

Neither in-form team was going to concede easily, but it was Ciren who prevailed thanks to a 47th minute winner from Rob Hoskin.

Frome started brightly and when a Callum Henry header beat Matt Bath, Matt Sysum was on hand to save the situation from under his own crossbar. But soon Ciren were terrorising their visitors.

Carl Brown, starting his first game since October 24, twice worked himself away with clever footwork. Firstly he was denied by spot-on defending from the alert Jamie Cheeseman and then, after linking well with Jody Bevan, his crisp first-timer was just pawed away by Steve Perrin.

Minutes later, Brown combined well with the alert Chris Thompson, who sent his shot from inside the box over the bar under challenge fron Henry.

Ciren time and again were first to the ball and using it well in midfield, with Thompson and the quick-witted Sam Robinson making the much-vaunted Frome midfield chase fruitlessly.

The only visiting ripostes were isolated long-ball forays, calmly contained by the majestic Lyndon Tompkins and Sysum.

Brown again got the better of the defence on 40 minutes. Collecting a clever Bevan pass, he nipped clear, only to be grounded inside the penalty area by a desperate Cheesemen. The decision by the linesman to flag for offside was beyond belief.

Ciren continued their focus and at the start of the second half literally pinned Frome inside their own box.

Three half-cleared corners were calmly worked back in and, off the fourth, Brown collected an astute Matt Pritchett ground pass before turning Henry to fire in a 20-yard snorter that Perrin did well to reach. However, the keeper was helpless Hoskin was quickest to react in collecting the parry and fired in from five yards.

Ciren could and should have put the match away after that, their slick passing and total control of the midfield allowing them to send attacks in at all angles.

Frome survived, with Henry and Cheesemen defending valiantly, but as the half progressed Ciren struggled to retain possession upfield. Frome came more into the game, though they could not unsettle the solid Tomkins and Sysum, with Bath handling confidently behind them.

Scott Griffin and Jason Welsh were introduced for Ciren after 70 minutes. While they rarely got clean shooting chances, their sterling efforts kept Frome playing four at the back and denying the full backs any chance of supporting the attacks.

Matt Peters, hitherto overshadowed by Thompson, began to work himself some midfield space but the only real chance came on 74 minutes when Cheeseman met a free kick with a solid knock back to the penalty spot. Ben Thomson looked to have a clear shot but Sysum got himself close enough to force the wild shot over the top.

Ciren: Bath, Westlake, Pritchett, Sysum, Robinson (Dean, 82), Tompkins (capt), Thompson, Ward, Bevan (Welsh, 70), Hoskin (Griffin, 70), Brown. Unused subs: Stevens, Parker.

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