Boxing Day Celebrations for Knowle
26th December 2023: Hampton FC 1-5 Knowle FC
Ronald Crane reports from The Boggery
As the late, great, Jimmy Greaves would say, “It is a game of two halves”. It was certainly true of this match. The Robins, having lost to Hampton in the cup a couple of weeks ago, looked as if they were going to repeat the performance in the first forty five.
The first half was very even, with little to choose between the teams. Hampton denied Knowle’s midfield any space, and took the game to their visitors. They were rewarded with a goal on nineteen minutes when Matt Garbett put the ball into the net.
However, the lead lasted under a minute. Who else but Tom Craine levelled things right from the re-start? For the rest of the first-half, it was much as it had been at Hampton Road back in early December - Hampton denied The Robins space and were very much ‘In your face’.
However, the second half was another matter…Knowle were quite different. Suddenly Scott and Bennett had all the space in the world, and consequently ran mid-field and the match. For the second forty-five minutes the away side were purring.
Ben Jones, who came on as an early substitution for Joe Riddiford, scored from the tightest of angles to nudge Knowle in front. But one felt that the tides had turned; with so much freedom in mid-field, Hampton were struggling. Things got a whole lot worse for the hosts when Matt Garbett was dismissed for a second yellow with forty minutes still to play.
Knowle showed no mercy and Craine scored a second, before providing a gilt edged opportunity for Nathan Corry to make it four. Craine then achieved his hat-trick right on time to make it five.
At the end, Hampton were well beaten. In the second half they managed just one attempt on goal. Knowle on the other hand who had struggled in the first period, with forty – yes 40 – passes going astray; only allowed eighteen to go astray in the second half.
At the end it was a comprehensive victory, and if the sending off inflated the score, one feels it did not affect the result.
On Saturday 30th December, The Robins welcome Coventry Alvis to the Draintech Community Ground for a 2pm Kick Off.
Knowle FC: Johnson: Staley; Riddiford (Jones [52]); L Clarke: Shaw; Bennett; Mullen (Corry [82]; Scott; Rendell (Taylor); G Seeley (O’Donnell); Craine [20: 54: 90+2] Sub not used: Palmer.
