TUDOR TALK

[steve]

http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/spor ... _ciren.php

Cirencester Town 1, Hemel Hempstead 0

Hemel's neat football definitely gave them the edge in the first period and if Harry Hunt had brought his shooting boots to Gloucestershire the game may have been beyond recall by the break.

Scott Griffin should have had a penalty five minutes before the end of the first half, but then referee Matthews had been just as generous towards the defenders when failing to penalise Ciren's Chris Collins in the box as early as the third minute.

After the interval, though, Ciren were the superior team. The back four of Molyneaux, Collins, Cochlin and Stanley were unseasonably mean-spirited and Nathan Haisley gave one of his best powerhouse performances in midfield.

Haisley should have scored in the 63rd minute when put clear after a clever break by Matt Shaxton. Luckily, Griff showed a poacher's instinct and was the first to react after the Haisley shot was blocked by keeper Brown.

It made up for Griffins miss eight minutes earlier when he toe-poked wide with just the keeper to beat.

Miss of the match award, though, went to Nick Stanley who, three minutes after coming on as a late substitute for Griffin, miscontrolled a Andrew Chapman left wing cross which had left him in acres of space on the penalty spot.

Fortunately, the gaffe didn't come back to haunt Ciren and they deservedly claimed the three points.

[tapper]

Another report from the Ciren website here:

http://www.cirentownfc.com/firstteam/ma ... _20080101/