Cirencester Town 0 Hiitchin Town 0

NEIL Hards had said this match would involve the youngsters he had to call up for Cirencester's previous game, against Merthyr Tydfil, when three first-choice players rendered themselves unavailable by electing to play for their college side instead.

Cirencester's manager was as good as his word. He again started with Harry Etheridge and Rob Rogers, the two Academy products who made promising debuts against Merthyr.

The three players who decided not to play against Merthyr - Marc Richards, Mike Symons and Matt Smith - did not even make the substitutes' bench.

By adhering to his principles, Hards was taking a risk because Cirencester need all their best players on the pitch if they are to avoid relegation.

Playing the two youngsters as wingbacks and fielding the untried strike partnership of Phil Hall and Liam Horstead, Cirencester inevitably looked unsettled.

Unsurprisingly, the first half looked like a case of men against boys because Hitchin, with Carl Williams pulling their midfield strings, muscled Cirencester aside to dominate possession.

Whenever Cirencester cleared their lines, the ball just came straight back at them.

They badly needed a get-out ball but Lee Smith, the flying wingback who would normally provide just such an outlet, had also been dropped for playing Sunday football while contracted to Cirencester, although he did make the bench.

Fortunately for Cirencester, Hitchin were a poor side unable to capitalize on the possession they enjoyed, although the billowing wind helped neither team in a poor game.

Largely due to more rock-solid performances by Cirencester's central defenders, Lee Molyneaux and Steve Leigh, Hitchin created little of note but should have scored on 17 minutes when Ryan Charles reached the left by-line and crossed into the middle of Cirencester's penalty area.

Unmarked and centrally positioned 15 yards out, Daniel French looked set to dispatch a glorious volley into Cirencester's net but he was probably unable to judge the dropping ball in the swirling wind and so shinned his volley wide.

Cirencester had to wait 20 minutes for their first - and only - goal attempt. Striker Phil Hall was played through the inside-left channel but found his route to goal blocked.

He pulled the ball back to the edge of Hitchin's penalty area, from where Steve Cowe hit a low shot narrowly wide of the near post.

On 27 minutes, Hitchin's Martin Standen got behind the left side of Cirencester's defence but side-footed a volley straight into the arms of Kevin Sawyer, the Centurions' goalkeeper.

Encouraged by not having conceded in the first half, Cirencester retained enough second-half possession to establish a foothold in the game but still failed to create anything.

Hitchin also created little, although Sawyer had to tip David Deeney's deep, curling, right-wing cross over on 48 minutes and Charles shot over after turning Oliver Holder, in Cirencester's penalty, area on 73 minutes.

On 81 minutes, French cut into Cirencester's penalty area from the left and sent a low 18-yarder wide of the far post.

Worryingly for Cirencester, Leigh suffered a 75th-minute injury and was replaced by another Academy product, Dan Wallington.

On 68 minutes, Lee Smith came on in a central striker's role but had little opportunity to test Hitchin's defence.

Cirencester Town: Kevin Sawyer, Harry Etheridge, Rob Rogers, Steve Leigh (Dan Wallington, 75), Oliver Holder (Y 18), Lee Molyneaux, Steve Cowe, Michael Jackson, Phil Hall (Lee Smith 68), Liam Horstead (Dan Hilder 84), James Rowe.

Hitchin Town: Robert Beckwith, Matt Childs, Mark Duckett, Ryan Frater, Scott Cretton, David Deeney, Carl Williams, Martin Standen, Ryan Charles (Scott Orphanou 84), Gavin Jaggard, Daniel French.

Man of the Match: Lee Molyneaux (Cirencester)

Referee: P.J. Hobday (West Midlands) Attendance: 142