Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division

Cirencester Town 1 Hungerford Town 1

CIRENCESTER TOWN will be playing Southern League football again next season after their faint hopes of a play-off place were finally extinguished by a stoppage-time equaliser from Hungerford Town in the penultimate game of the term.

The Centurions’ campaign has nonetheless exceeded all expectations and may yet yield some silverware from their Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Trophy appearance later this month.

Meanwhile, the fourth-placed visitors Hungerford can still dream about promotion via the play-offs.

The Crusaders penned Cirencester in their own half for virtually the entire second half, without ever truly bombarding home keeper Glyn Garner’s area thanks to some typically resolute home defending.

The hosts looked like hanging on to the 25th-minute lead provided by former Hungerford player Ian Herring until the same player, who had been excellent throughout, made an unnecessary lunge in the area to bring down Isaac Osei-Tutu in the 89th minute.

In the aftermath, Jacob Davidge was shown a straight red card for a loose tongue and Herring also went into the referee’s book before Garner parried Mark Draycott’s spot kick upwards and it dropped kindly into his arms as he lay on the goal line.

Garner had earlier denied Draycott with an even better save, low to his left, in the 75th minute, when the prolific Crusaders target man looked certain to score.

But just as 10-man Ciren were congratulating themselves on holding off their rivals, Hungerford came back for one last assault and substitute Osei-Tutu was on hand to prod home the leveller from five yards out at the back post.

Ciren, inspired by the industrious Matt Liddiard in midfield, had just about edged a mostly forgettable first half in which neither side could string together passes on a hard, bobbly pitch.

The one piece of quality was provided by Herring’s near-post headed goal which came off a well-struck corner from his fellow former Hungerford team-mate Josh Parsons.

In the second period especially, Cirencester missed the harrying up front of striker Aidan Bennett, who had been asked to play at left back due to injuries. The result was that clearances by the pressurised Ciren defence failed to stick with their front two, Parsons and Nat Jarvis.

But for all their dominance of territory and possession, Hungerford failed to show the nous to unlock Ciren. Indeed, on a rare foray into the visitors half in the 58th minute, the hosts could have gone 2-0 ahead. But as he had done with a similar one-on-one opportunity in the opening period, Jarvis wanted too long before pulling the trigger and was eventually blocked out.

In the 79th minute, soon after Garner had made the key save from Draycott, Hungerford’s impressive keeper Paul Strudley smothered the ball bravely at the feet of Jordan Ricketts who had broken clear.

However, Hungerford finished the half as they had started it – on top – and their persistence finally paid off. Cirencester Town: Garner, Herring, Ricketts (Knight, 86), Pritchett (capt), Liddiard, Jones, Hooper , Mortimer-Jones, Jarvis (Davidge, 82), Bennett, Parsons.

Unused subs: Wells, Pitts, Gudger.

Hungerford Town: Strudley, Horgan, John, Rusby, Day, Pilling (Goodger, 60), Stow (Mpi, 60), Collins, Clark, Draycott (capt), O’Brien (Osei-Tutu, 69).

Unused subs: Boardman, Rees.

Referee: Adam Crysell; Attendance 182.