Mangotsfield United 1 Cirencester Town 0 This result finally relegates The Centurions. As has happened so many times this season, they left the ground with the praise of the home fans making a slightly hollow ring in their ears. It is no consolation to be told they had played flowing, confident football when the result does not reflect it.

Apart from a 20 minute first half period, Ciren dominated the match. But, yet again, they conceded an avoidable goal and just could not force the goals their dominance deserved. And therein lies the reason for what has to be a disappointing campaign - not quite delivering at the key moments and being cruelly punished for defensive lapses.

The 'Field have been down and out for months now. But 3 successive wins in recent weeks had given them a lifeline and they fielded their strongest possible team as they chased the points. Ciren had chosen not to play Lee Molyneux and Matt Shaxton, selected for the England Universities International Team by The FA.

That put Nathan Haisley into a centre back role with Michael Jackson and Harry Etheridge given responsibility for the midfield engine room.

Ciren were further hit when they were informed by The FA that Matt Williams had not been registered by Team Bath. That bizarre administrative shambles meant that the in-form striker could not play until the matter had been resolved. So, young Matt Taylor played up front with Steve Robertson and Sean Bailey wide on the right.

On a horrible, bobbly pitch Ciren made it look like a bowling green early on. Comfortably controlling all the play, they sent crisp ground passes right and left with Bailey and Andrew Chapman seeing a lot of the ball and swinging in the crosses.

Chris Collins and Ben Weedon were supporting the flanks from the back and sending pass after pass into dangerous positions. Mangotsfield had to defend in depth and were forced to clear their lines with last minute interceptions, and on occasion very lucky bounces, to keep the raiding Robertson and Taylor outside their penalty area..

It needed, as has happened so often this season, a moment of calm control to turn a territorial advantage into a clean chance on goal. Robertson three times was put into promising positions but could not quite turn the possession into a killer final pass, crowded out by the determined efforts of the experienced if unwieldy Gary Thorne and the vigour of the flailing Alex Ball.

Matt Taylor was unstoppable, turning this way and that and losing his marker to drive in crosses, and his quick feet and calm confidence in controlling the ball was keeping the momentum driving towards the increasingly frantic Josh Clapham in the Mangotsfield nets. The home team were surviving, barely.

When they did dig the ball away upfield Nathan Haisley was absolutely immense in controlling the physical battering ram of Alan Griffin at the point of the Mangotsfield attack, winning his headers and passing, in the Adi Viveash mode, accurately out of defence to find team mates in an open position to counter attack.

It all fell apart on 22 minutes. Former Centurion Neil Arndale from his own half hurled a huge throw in down the line, Griffin leapt and made contact and the ball was nodded infield at full stretch. Aaron Stevens moved in to clear, was beaten by a bobble off the turf and Jon French miscued the loose ball to send it forward again.

Griffin, as always chasing a lost cause, had followed his own flick on, got the benefit of the bounce and chested the ball past Ben Weedon into the Ciren penalty area and squared to Luke Ballinger who shot firmly home from 16 yards. The first Mangotsfield scoring attempt had notched the opening goal.

Encouraged, the home team pressed for a decider. Ciren had to defend well in the face of a flurry of long passes and muscular runs. They stood strong, came through the flurry and for the remaining 15 minutes of the first half bewildered the Mangotsfield defence with Sean Bailey and Matt Taylor making Thorne and Andy Criddle work hard to contain their constant probes up the Ciren right.

The best chance came on 41 minutes, Steve Robertson getting up to guide a Chris Collins pass into the gap behind Thorne. Matt Taylor was onto it in a flash, turned and fired left footed but an agonising foot wide of Clapham's post with the 'keeper beaten. The 18 year old youngster, who will surely prove to be an asset for Oxford United in the future, deserved better for his quick thinking effort.

Second half Ciren pinned Mangotsfield back. Wave after wave of attacks were repulsed, with Chris Collins and Ben Weedon threading passes forward for Matt Taylor and Steve Robertson to threaten time after time. Credit to Mangotsfield - they had the lead and defended desperately.

With a bit of luck and also some injudicious pass choices by the under pressure Robertson they kept Ciren at bay. On 63 minutes Robertson forced Thorne to clear towards his own goal, the shot cannoned off the post and when Andrew Chapman's return header in bounced down beyond Clapham it stuck in the sand and Criddle hacked clear.

Chris Collins on the overlap delivered a perfect cross on 75 minutes, Alex Ball handling to keep the ball off Robertson's head. Instead of a penalty the referee decided the challenge had been overly robust and penalised Ciren.

Harry Etheridge fired just past the angle off a Chapman cross, Robertson forced Clapham to a diving save after Taylor's quick feet had given him a sight of goal, and Matt Taylor again made himself space inside the penalty area only for Thorne to make a match saving block at the last moment.

Max Etheridge, replacing Sean Bailey perhaps a little too late in the game, gave the Mango defence conniptions with his driving runs. He brought Clapham to the best save of the night, diving to block after the youngster had driven beyond Thorne and Criddle to connect with an astute pass from his brother Harry.

Right at the death, as a Collins free kick drove in, the Mangos defence stepped up. With 4 Ciren players clear it was symptomatic of their fated season that the only player who had actually been caught offside, Robertson, was the one to connect and head beyond Clapham. That moment of inattention and focus typified this season. Now they face the challenges of a robust and unforgiving Southern Midland Division.

Cirencester: Bulman, Collins (c), Weedon, Etheridge H, Stevens, Haisley, Bailey Etheridge M 79, Jackson, Robertson, Taylor, Chapman subs: Dean, Hunt Ref: Mr A Coggins, Bicester Att: 167 Ciren MoM: Matt Taylor