Corinium Stadium Tuesday, July 17th, 2012   1st Team Friendly Attendance: 105         Cirencester Town 2-1 Forest Green Rovers
2012 /13

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Cirencester Town 2 vs - Forest Green Rovers 1 Date: 17/07/2012 7:30 pm Attendance: 105 Venue: Away Rovers young guns taste defeat A youthful Forest Green Rovers XI suffered defeat at the hands of Southern League South & West Division side Cirencester Town, writes Richard Joyce. With a busy week of pre-season action, a Rovers side made up mostly of youth team players and trialists made the short trip to the Corinium Stadium to kick start a four day period that sees Forest Green in action three times. Former first team midfielder Chris Allen was part of the Rovers starting eleven after he was released by the club at the end of last season and the ex-Swindon Town youngster was gaining game time ahead of a move to Blue Square South Havant & Waterlooville later this week. Former Newport County youngster Kerry Morgan impressed and it was his eighth minute free kick that handed Rovers their closest chance in the first half when his effort struck the crossbar. Cirencester suffered relegation from the Southern Premier Division at the end of last season and are looking to rebuild on a thin budget with two of their new men attempting free kicks from distance in the hosts opening chances. Ben Wells effort flew over whilst Sam Collier's strike was tipped over smartly by Rovers shot stopper Rob Brown. With the Cirencester pressure building, Gary Seward and Scott Bartlett's Rovers led side fell behind when Sam Packer spectacularly hammered Collier's left wing cross in to the back of the net. Packer's opener would prove to be the final major event of a relatively quiet first half with a second half to come that possessed more of the game's action. Morgan again tried his luck from distance from the dead ball for Rovers but found that his effort failed to trouble Ciren shot stopper Matt Bath although Forest Green would find the back of the net soon after. Good work by the lively Morgan down the right saw the Welshman cross for trialist Ethan Moore whose header hit the back of the net via the post to draw Rovers level. Youngster Saul Williams then tried his best to put Rovers ahead just two minutes later but his one-on-one effort was stopped by Bath who then managed to scramble Chris Allen's follow up. Having been pegged back for just six minutes, the hosts regained their lead when former Shortwood United and Forest Green reserves man Alex Allard scooped in from a Cirencester set play after Brown had lost hold of the ball. Moore did well to try and set up substitute Elliot James with the clock ticking as Forest Green looked to level once more but James could only ship Moore's cross just wide. Cirencester meanwhile almost extended their lead when another accurate delivery from Wells saw former Gloucester City defender Matt Sysum glance a header against Brown's post. The Centurions held on for an opening pre-season win as Rovers suffered defeat for the first time in their three pre-season outings so far but with lots to feel positive about as the club's younger generation illustrated their potential quality. Forest Green: Brown, Haddrell (Walsh 46), Mundy, Harvey, Walker (Novoth 46), Bradford (Callum Richens 73), Morgan (James 60), Allen (Hicks 70), Grant, Williams, Moore