Cirencester Town........ 3

Highworth Town......... 2

Aidan Bennett scored his 50th senior goal for Cirencester Town to help them earn a narrow win over Highworth Town on Boxing Day writes Dave Pyzer.

Baboucarr Jarra and Ben Whitehead also got on the scoresheet as Cirencester bounced back from their 2-1 defeat away at Street.

In the first ‘reverse’ league fixture of the season, Cirencester's victory helped them achieve the ‘double’ over neighbours Highworth Town in an entertaining game at the Corinium Stadium

In a very evenly contested opening period Cirencester opened the scoring after ten minutes when Bennett’s cross-shot from the left found the top right corner of the visitors goal.

Almost immediately Ashley Edenborough equalised for Highworth from the penalty spot.

On the quarter hour visiting ‘keeper Connor Johns pulled off a terrific leaping save to push an Alan Griffin header round his right post but soon afterwards he could do nothing to prevent a BaboucarR Jarra header into the top left corner.

The game became more open after this and just after the half hour mark Tommy Ouldridge struck the cross-bar for Cirencester and Luke Merchant parried a fierce drive from Highworth’s Wilf White as the teams searched for the ‘all-important’ next goal.

And it was Highworth who got it four minutes before the scheduled interval as Toumani Sadibi cut in from the right to strike a superb shot into the top right corner.

After the break the teams continued were they had left off - Highworth were denied by an ‘offside’ flag and the outstretched leg of Merchant whilst Cirencester had had a few corner kicks and near misses by the mid-point.

As the final 10 minutes approached Whitehead regained the lead for Cirencester when his glancing header from a free kick found the back of the net.

Shortly afterwards Cirencester were reduced to ten men as Jarra left the field with a shoulder injury (they had already introduced their three substitutes) but they would not be denied the three points and held on for what was their first home league win since a 4-0 victory over Fleet Town on Saturday, December 1.

Cirencester: Merchant, Christopher, Spalding, Pook, Albert, Jarra, Anderson (Windsor, 83’), Ouldridge (Connolly, 79’), A. Griffin (Freeman, 73’), Whitehead, Bennett.

Subs not used: Dunton, Morris.