Cirencester Town 1

Swindon Town  3

CHARLIE GRIFFIN says miles in the legs are key as Cirencester Town gear up for the new season, writes Ross Arnott.

Cirencester Town went down to an experienced Swindon Town side, which included former West Ham midfielder Matt Taylor, as both teams continued their pre-season preparations.

“It isn’t easy playing a League  Two team, they have been back for 14 days already so we expected them to be sharp” said Griffin.

“There are things we can look at and focus on, but I thought the lads did really well today.

“It was mainly about how we get on with the game, how we looked after the ball and how we moved it and pressed. Overall I was really happy with that.

“We have had one pre-season friendly before this, and we have only had five training sessions. It’s about getting used to playing again, when you have  six to seven weeks off it is really hard to get going on.

“I looked at pre-season and I wanted games to come thick-and-fast.

" I was really pleased for Aidan Bennett, scoring his goal, nothing like scoring against a Football League team at home in front of a good crowd.

“It is nice to have Swindon here again, we have a really good channel with them. Obviously we have had some of their players here on loan over the last couple of seasons, so thanks to them for coming down here to give us a good game.

“But yes, for sure the most important thing was getting out there and moving that ball will then help to get the fitness back in the legs.”

So it proved, with Swindon flying out of the blocks.

The Robins could have gone ahead inside the opening couple of minutes. Jermaine McGlashlan drawing a fine save from Cirencester goalkeeper Mateusz Wieczorek.

After some early bombardment, Ciren grew into the game. Adam Connolly looking particularly good on the ball and making some timely interceptions in the first half.

Ciren manager Griffin would have been pleased with the majority of the first half as Swindon did struggle to create any clear cut chances.

However it was that “sharpness” the manager was referring to after the game that blew his side away on the counter attack, just five minutes before half-time.

Swindon had named five trialists in their starting 11 for the game, and it was their number 9 who scored the opening goal of the match.

Another trialist running the length of the pitch from right back to cross for an easy finish for the Swindon striker.

Griffin would have been hoping his team could get into the break at 1-0, but it wasn’t to be as another trialist scored for Swindon.

Ellis Dunton couldn’t cut out a through ball, and Swindon’s wide man finished emphatically into the bottom corner of Wieczorek’s net.

Swindon made nine changes at the break, to give some game time to other members of their squad. The subs also moved Swindon into a back-three formation, which worked brilliantly ten minutes into the second half.

The formation change found the Swindon midfield with more space and time. Allowing Keshi Anderson to finish into an empty net for the Robins after really good work James Dunne. He rode the challenges of three Ciren players before squaring for the experienced Anderson.

Swindon dominated the ball for much of the remainder of the game, and could have gone further ahead were it not for some fine goalkeeping on a couple of occasions from Cirencester’s substitute keeper Luke Merchant, a former Forest Green Academy starlet.

Cirencester made a raft of changes during the second half, in trying to tussle the momentum of the game away from Swindon. It was one of the substitutes that did net a consolation for Ciren on the stroke of full-time.

Aidan Bennett netting with a fine finish into the bottom corner after a really good cross found him unmarked on the edge of the box.

Cirencester Town now look forward to playing in their next game against Hereford FC on Tuesday, July 10, before games against other League Two sides Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers.

Cirencester Town: M Wieczorek (L Merchant); W Christopher, E Dunton, A Connolly, L Spalding (M Arnold); T Anderson (M Lewis), J Horrell (M Ford), M Pook (J Beadle), J Morris (H Spalding); A Griffin (A Bennett), B Whitehead.

Watch Ciren boss Charlie Griffin deliver his post-match thoughts to Ross Arnott.