Price at the double as Ciren come from behind to claim opening day victory
Harlie Price scored two to inspire his Cirencester Town side to a 2-1 victory over Tuffley Rovers on the Hellenic League opening weekend, having trailed in a disjointed opening half an hour.
After Kieran Alder broke the deadlock for the hosts on 12 minutes, Ciren were laboured as they tried to get a foothold in the contest.
Price unleashed an stoppable effort from the best part of 30 yards and from there momentum was fully with his side, with the striker poking home his second before the half time break.
A second half lacking in quality followed, which suited the Centurions to a tee, as they saw the game out and opened their 2026/27 Hellenic Premier season with a big three points.
For Tuffley, they will be very happy with the opening half an hour or so, but would bemoan a lack of cutting edge in the final third and not clearing their lines for the second goal, which came in the 44th minute.
Both sides are back in action on Tuesday night, with Cirencester welcoming Mangotsfield United to the Corinium Stadium, whilst Tuffley are on the road to Fairford Town in their opening away game of the season.
Cirencester meet Hartpury in the FA Cup on Friday night – with the game reversed to the Corinium, with Tuffley heading across to Swindon Supermarine in their FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie next Saturday.
Tuffley were left furious on 3 minutes when Leighton Blacker was chopped down in the box after he crossed the ball.
No penalty was awarded and the referee seemingly told the Rovers players that because the cross had been made, there wasn’t a foul – in reality, Cirencester got away with one massively.
The visitors had gone straight down the other end, but Sol Pryce had an effort clawed away by Luke Merchant in the Tuffley goal.
Merchant made further stops from Pryce and Price, before Raiyan Ahmed chopped inside on the corner of the box, before pulling back for Alder to smash home.
Tuffley were working harder than their opponents and just about deserved to be ahead, with the visitors disjointed and sloppy on the ball in the opening 20 minutes or so.
Fin Bell and Pryce sent long range efforts off target, before Blacker had a header saved well by Connor Johns.
And within seconds, it was all square. Price, who scored 38 goals last season, let fly from 30 yards and his effort flew in off the post to leave Merchant no chance.
Ciren improved instantly and would go into half time ahead when Ben Lodge worked a yard of space down the right and his ball across goal produced a scramble of bodies, Price was on hand to poke home his second.
Ciren lost Ben Lodge to injury in stoppage time, but his replacement Jayden Stratford impressed in the second half.
Stratford had the first chance of the second half, cutting in from the right before curling wide – but it was a half that saw Tuffley bereft of ideas and Ciren looking to manage the game.
Rhys Wells and Price had efforts saved easily enough by Merchant, whilst Tuffley’s best chance of a leveller came in the final 10 minutes.
After Connor Johns came for a ball forward, Preston Mason beat him to it but as he tried to squeeze his effort home, Adam Corcoran got back to clear off the line.
In the end, Cirencester saw the game out comfortably enough, but they will know that they won’t be able to start as slow as they did and get away with it too often.
Tuffley Rovers: Merchant, Eakers, Clifford, Simpson, McLean, McGuirk, Warrington, Mason, Blacker, Alder, Ahmed
Subs: Browne, Walters, Jones, Ben Ali, Amankwah
Cirencester Town: Johns, Keightley, Wells, Scott, Corcoran, Horrell, Lodge, Turley, Price, Bell, Pryce
Subs: Stratford, Birkett, Dare, Bennett, Welch
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Harlie Price (Cirencester Town)
READ MORE: Check out the list of Saturday’s results in and around Gloucestershire right here
