Ciren Town set for relegation

A WIN was imperative for The Centurions to have any chance of escaping relegation.

Their manager, Neil Hards, was again hampered in team selection, Nathan Haisley not arriving before cut-off time and so being put on the bench.

He also benched Harry Etheridge and dropped Ollie Holder, going for his experienced defensive warhorses in this must-win match.

However, needing goals, he bizarrely put Ian McSherry and Phil Hall on the bench and instead started with Dan Hilder and Steve Cowe up front.

With the vastly experienced Mark Burrows and Scott Goodwin slotted into The Steelmen's back line, Ciren's most obvious chance for goals was to out-pass Corby down the channels and burn up the gaps to turn the defence. It did not happen.

From the off, Ciren played too deep and seemed to invite Corby onto them.

A mixture of dire shooting and last-ditch defending protected nervy Alex Hards who was playing in Ciren's goal as a replacement for Kev Sawyer who was out with a broken finger.

Except for Lee Smith's break by on 15 minutes, which ended with Dan Hilder being bustled off his cross, there was little threat on Ian Pledger in Corby's nets.

At the other end, Matt Jones, Lee Molyneux and Steve Leigh worked hard to keep the lively Joe Jonas and Chris Defante at bay.

Corby meanwhile fired high, wide and handsome as they tried to batter their way through.

Alex Hards grew in confidence as the ball merely bobbled through to him off Corby miscues.

He should have been beaten on 34 minutes, Chris Gray getting up to Brian Page's speculative cross to head up, across and onto the far post where Hards swooped to bravely recover the rebound.

Cowe and Michael Jackson were the most experienced Ciren players on the field but both were woefully off-key with their touch and passing.

On 41 minutes, Cowe collected a pass inside from energetic Dan Wallington and freed Dan Hilder for a run at Burrows and a shot from distance that flashed just wide.

Leigh was replaced, at the break, by Nathan Haisley and immediately Ciren had more bite and purpose.

Stepping up to force Corby to play in their own half, Ciren's defenders refused to allow their hosts time to settle.

They also began playing passes out of defence, rather than giving Burrows and Goodwin heading practice.

Wallington, lively throughout and now consistently finding team-mates with passes, was linking well with Lee Smith.

However, after twice making the break to the bye-line, his crosses were poor and the edge-of-the-box follow up was lacking from James Rowe and Cowe, neither of whom appeared capable of reading the play.

Corby now attacked only in brief bursts and were easily contained by Jones and Molyneux.

However, Alex Hards had to pull off a remarkable reaction-stop when Matt Bicknell mis-headed, off Scott Musgrove's sharp return-cross, on 55 minutes.

Alex Hards was also quick to come out and stop Jonas when the lively forward got free, off a long pass, on 75 minutes.

Alex Hards' display was giving Ciren's defence confidence and Haisley and Rowe were now finding space and time in midfield to probe with good passes.

Twice, Corby's defence was split and Hilder was sent plunging though, only to shoot too early and give Pledger easy stops.

On 84 minutes, Haisley gave him time on the left of the box and he set up McSherry, who set himself before firing narrowly over the angle from the edge of the penalty area.

All season, Ciren have been unable to control games sufficiently to keep pressure on teams.

This was yet another game where their undoubted footballing ability was let down by a glaring lack of organisation on where and when to move the ball when the opposition are under pressure.

It requires two wins by at least a six-goal margin, in their remaining two games, if there is to be any chance of escaping the drop. On the evidence in the last three months, that will not happen.

Corby Town: Ian Pledger, Brian Page, Dom Hallows, Steve Towers, Mark Burrows, Chris Gray, Chris Goodman Dan Grainger 64, Scott Goodwin (c), Joe Jonas, Chris Defante Kev Fox 74, Scott Musgrove.

Unused substitutes: Steve Purton, Matt McClymont, Drew Henderson.

Cirencester Town: Alex Hards, Lee Smith, Matt Bicknell Ian McSherry 76, Steve Leigh Nathan Haisley 45, Matt Jones, Lee Molyneux, James Rowe, Michael Jackson (c), Steve Cowe, Dan Hilder, Dan Wallington.

Unused substitutes: Olamidi Dedegbe, Harry Etheridge, Phil Hall.

Cirencester Man of the Match: Alex Hards.

Referee: Mr T Simmons (Coalville) Attendance: 144