Full Time: Cirencester Town 5-1 Gloucester City

Yes, it was as bad as it sounds!

After missing Gloucester's last few games, I ventured down the A417 to Cirencester to watch The Tigers return to a former 'home from home' at the impressive Corinium Stadium.

After being made homeless by the vicious floods of five summers ago, Gloucester played their home games at The Corinum Stadium until 2010 when they were given permission to ground-share with Cheltenham Town.

Cirencester and Gloucester have a good relationship, and a few players for both teams had previously played for the other (Steve Davies and Ben Hunt used to play for Cirencester before joining Gloucester, and Lee Sysum and Alex Allard were both previously with Gloucester before joing Cirencester).

In fine summer sunshine (hoorah!) the game got underway just before 15:00 and Cirencester went on the attack from the off. Cirencester fielded their strongest XI whilst Gloucester's team looked 'patched together' with a number of 1st team players absent. Word is that there is player unrest within the Tigers camp, and that ex Forest Green Rovers Director Colin Peake has been brought in to steady the ship. David Mehew looked like a man under real pressure today, and talk is that his job is on the line.

Gloucester scored first, after a good counter-attack on three minutes. Ben Hunt cut through the Cirencester back line to slot in a well placed shot past Cirencester 'keeper Thompson. That was as good as it would get for the Tigers, as five minutes later sloppy marking allowed Allard to fire home from distance. A marvellous goal, the best I've seen scored this pre-season.

The first half was pretty even, with Gloucester breaking the ball down well in the middle of the park but no end product. Davies looked lively, but his shots from distance were well saved/punched away by the Cirencester 'keeper who had a decent game. Cirencester looked menacing and always looked to get the ball forward, Allard went close again and Danny Hale fired just over from a dipping volley before the break.

The two minutes after the break were dire - first a bad foul in the area on Danny Hale by a Gloucester defender (no idea who he was, certainly not a first-teamer) gave Cirencester a penalty which was converted by Lee Collier and Hale then made it 3-1 after a smart attacking move.

Gloucester looked insipid and devoid of any ideas. Truly sucker-punched, and things got worse for them when a cross wasn't cleared properly and a Cirencester head popped up to head home (couldn't see who it was,sorry!) Allard compounded the misery for Gloucester on 65 minutes after a neat build up, cutting in from the right and rifling home a shot into the corner.

This was the key for a number of the travelling fans to head home, disgusted with a poor Tigers performance. I stayed until the end, but there was little to cheer about. At full time, the score read 5-1 to the home team - a side two divisions below their visitors. It was as if Cirencester were the Conference North side today! David Mehew may preach that pre-season is nothing, well that is exactly what he is getting off his players, which is very worrying ahead of the new league season.