AFTER a fantastic campaign, Cirencester Town finished third in the table, despite losing their final game of the season to Redditch who clinched the championship with a 3-0 win on Saturday in front of a record league crowd at the Corinium Stadium.

Promotion to the Dr Martens is a massive achievement for a small club, but it could have been even better for the Centurions had all the results gone their way on the final day.

For with Gloucester City losing at home to Ilkeston, had Cirencester stuck away some of the chances they had created in the first half, they could well have finished in the runners-up slot.

With Town starting the stronger of the two sides, the visitors looked tense in a first half controlled by their hosts.

Virtually from the start, Marc Richards saw his volley flash the wrong side of a post.

Shortly after, Scott Griffin found Ben Fitch in space and he laid the ball to Gareth Hopkins, but his low shot was well saved by keeper Richard Anstiss.

Cirencester had their opponents under a certain amount of pressure from a series of free kicks.

A Michael Davis' cross was headed back by Gary Wotton and Griffin's volley was only just over the bar.

From another Davis free kick just before half-time, the cross seemed to elude everybody and just sailed past the far post.

The local side started the second half on the attack. Fitch stretched the visitors' defence on two occasions and his second run found Griffin whose effort was well saved by Anstiss.

But, inexplicably, the visitors found themselves two goals up following a crazy, four-minute spell.

When a great run from Alex Cowley finished with a telling low cross into the near post, the ball ricocheted off Alan Bird into the back of his own net.

And virtually from the restart, Cowley finished a great run down the right before finding the back of the net via the far post from the narrowest of angles.

Both sides made changes, and probably the most significant was Mark Shepherd replacing Richard Leadbeater for the visitors.

For with virtually his first touch of the ball, he fired home after the home side failed to clear a break down the right to put the game out of reach of a gallant Cirencester team.

Cirencester Town: Thompson, Bird, Fraser, Richards, Mayo, Wotton (Jackson 68) Davis, McCabe (Wimble 56) Hopkins, Griffin (Bevan 73) Fitch. Subs: McEntegart, Stevens. Redditch United: Anstiss, Manton, Gardiner, Taylor, Knight, Softley,

Following the match, the club's annual dinner and prizegiving was held at the Corinium Stadium later on Saturday when some 170 enjoyed a splendid meal in a convivial atmosphere.

Apart from a host of people who received a small memento for their efforts on the club's behalf during Cirencester Town FC's best-ever season, which were presented by club chairman Steve Abbley, other awards were made as follows:

Cirencester Football Academy (awards made by coach Steve Lowndes): U17s player of the year, Craig Curtis; most improved player, Richard Alexander; U19s player of the year, Tom Cole; most improved player, Ian Probert; Ashley Read Memorial Trophy, Nick Stanley.

Cirencester 1st XI (made by manager Brian Hughes): Ashley Read Memorial Trophy, Alan Bird; players' player of the season, Marc Richards; supporters' play of the season, Darren Robison; clubman of the year, Eddie Leather. Away speccies (made by Ian Stewart), Alan Bird.

A most enjoyable evening was concluded with dancing to a disco with many staying on into the small hours.