Battle of the Hampton Roads Ends All Square
23rd March 2024: Central Ajax 1-1 Knowle FC
Ronald Crane reports from (the other) Hampton Road...
We arrived at the ground with the heavens pouring down hail. Would the match survive, or would it be called off? We waited for the verdict. The Referee decided to delay the kick-off for fifteen minutes to give the groundsman a chance to attend to the pitch. As it turned out, it was the correct decision, and the pitch did not cut up as expected.
When we did kick off Knowle were, mentally anyway, still in the Dressing Room. Ajax’s Kuster was offered the chance to send over a cross-shot from the left. It took a deflection and sailed into the net.
The home side took this fortune as an indicator that this just might be their day and they took control of the game.
However, as the first half progressed, Knowle began to assert their authority. With fifteen minutes of the first period to go, Lewis Clarke got the ball over the goal line at a corner.
The Robins had already had a penalty appeal turned down, and right after their goal another appeal for a spot kick was not granted. Then with three minutes to go to the break, Knowle were awarded a penalty when Owain Taylor was brought down. However, Dylon Bennett’s kick was saved by Nath Taylor.
The second half was dominated by Knowle, save for another terrible defensive mistake that allowed the home side to take the lead again. Even so, Knowle had more than enough chances to equalise. Somehow it was just not happening, until George Seeley tapped home to bring the scores level once more.
Now Knowle went for the winner. Shots were wide, saved and blocked, but The Robins could not manufacture that extra goal. Indeed, they were very lucky not to lose the game in the 4th minute of added time when Ajax had the chance to snatch the winner. It was headed off the line superbly by Joe Riddiford.
One could say that a draw was a fair result, but if The Robins had played as we know they can, with a strong robust defence, and clinical scoring, they could have claimed all three points. As it is, they have to be satisfied with just one.
Knowle FC: Biddle; Jones; Riddiford; L Clarke (c) [32]; Bakala-Koussaba; Bennett; Corry; Mullan; Barnes; Taylor; Mullen. Subs – all used – Rendell; Burston-Keeley; Manning; Seeley (c) [71]; Morris.
