CIRENCESTER TOWN 3
CHELTENHAM TOWN 4
Cheltenham Town ended their 2008 pre-season programme with a win at Cirencester Town's Corinium Stadium tonight (August 5).
The performance was an encouraging one given the youthful nature of the Cheltenham team, which included a number of first or second year Scholarship players.
Shane Duff, one of only three full professionals in the squad, got through 63 minutes having recovered from a thigh injury and the other three defenders were all trialists. Liam Atkin (formerly Newcaslte United), Andy Nicholas (Swindon Town) and Callum Hart (AFC Bournemouth) kept Duff company up against former Cheltenham striker Julian Alsop, who was at the front for Cirencester.
The game took a while to get going but once it did there was some good football played despite the damp conditions.
Cheltenham in particular, with a team of young players, moved the ball around sharply and midfielder Lewis Fathers went close with a low shot before the opening goal arrived in the 27th minute.
Jake Lee made a strong run down the left and cut the ball back for Josh Emery. His pass into the penalty area found Fathers, who still had plenty to do but managed to work his way around the Cirencester defence before shooting back across the goalkeeper from a 45 degree angle.
Alsop, who had earlier headed one over the bar from a Steve Davis cross, found his accuracy right only four minutes later when he met a Lee Spalding cross with a firm header past Scott Brown.
Less than a minute later Cheltenham were back in front when Dean Maynard, a second year Scholar who has grown in stature since last season, received a pass from Fathers and side-stepped a defender before thumping a shot into the top left-hand corner of goalkeeper Tom King's net.
Right on the half-time whistle the lead was further extended when Nicholas, Maynard and Fathers combined in a good move down the left; and Watkins produced some clever footwork to take him into the penalty area where he was brought down by Harry Etheridge. Watkins got up to despatch the penalty himself to make it 3-1.
Cirencester cut the deficit seven minutes into the second half when Matt Williams was brought down on the edge of the box and trialist Adam Mahdi curled a delicate left-footed free-kick around the defensive wall and in.
The best goal of the evening was still to come, however. With 64 minutes played Watkins cut the ball back from the right to Emery 22 yards out. The young midfielder, who is set to sign a Scholarship with the club this week, beat a defender with a clever drag back before spinning and firing a right foot shot high into the net.
Cirencester made it 4-3 in the final minute when substitute Adam Heath got away on the left and crossed low for Steve Robertson to touch in from close range.
CIRENCESTER TOWN: King (Miller 46), Spalding (Bailey 79), Stevens, Thorne (Minturn 71), Metteri, Etheridge (Dean 65), Davis (Dingle 62), Haisley, Alsop (Robertson 60), Williams (Heath 65), Mahdi
CHELTENHAM TOWN: S.P.Brown, Atkin (Hoare 87), Nicholas, Fathers, Duff (Quaynor 63), Hart, Watkins, Emery (Durrant 87), Maynard, Lee, Ledgister
REFEREE: I.J.Hamilton (Gloucestershire)