BetVictor Southern League Division 1 South

Cirencester Town 2

Barnstaple Town 1

NEW Cirencester Town boss John Brough’s Midas touch rolled on with a third win on the spin, writes Terry Keogh.

Cirencester started brightly but Barnstaple nosed ahead when Mike Humphries crashed his powerful header against the bar and the first to react to the rebound was Barnstaple midfielder Manny Omrore, who prodded home from six yards.

The rest of the half was largely forgettable, with passes going awry and the early tempo missing from both sides.

When Ciren returned to the pitch for the second half Tommy Anderson had replaced the hobbling, unlucky Tounami Sidibe, and it proved to be a match-winning change.

From the opening whistle the Centurions started to play with zip and purpose, creating chance after chance, and it was the diminutive Anderson with his trickery and guile, who turned the game on its head.

He set up a chance for the well-timed run of Mortimer-Jones, but his header passed the far upright.

Shortly after, Mortimer-Jones was replaced by new signing Lewis Spurrier, and the substitute made an instant impact. After a jinxing run by Anderson, a poor defensive clearance landed at the feet of Spurrier who slid in to level the game.

Four minutes later, Ciren’s Will Tunnicliff found the winner in bizarre circumstances; his 60- yard cross evaded everyone, including the unsighted Oliver, and the ball nestled in the far corner of the net.

After that, Ciren had a number of chances to kill the game off, with Dennis firing just wide after one of his mazy runs, and Spurrier forcing a corner after a clever swivel turn and hit.

Cirencester Town are up to eighth place in the table.

Cirencester Town: Clayton, Ouldridge, Morris, Pook, Tunnicliff, Wellon, Mortimer-Jones (Sub, Spurrier 62), Freeman, Irving, Dennis, Sidibe (Sub, Anderson 46)

Unused subs: Lamie-Cotter, Lloyd, Farr

Star man: Tommy Anderson 

Barnstaple Town: Oliver, Kuazeni, Gregory (c), Gale (Sub, Wright 58), Gardner, David, Lambert (Sub, Aghiste 69), Rutty-Smith, Omrore, Bello, Humphries, Levien (Sub, Harper-Inniss 77)

Unused subs: Burrows, Darch

Referee: Steve Oakley

Attendance: 341