Earlswood Town Hold Robins to a Draw
6th January 2024: Knowle FC 1-1 Earlswood Town
On a difficult pitch, Town held The Robins to share a point each. Try as they might, the home side could find no way through the visitor’s stubborn defence.
Matters may have been different if in the third minute, Knowle had not conceded in midfield for Daniel Elwell to outpace the usually secure home defence and score from eighteen yards.
From this early time in the game, the Earls made sure every throw-in, free kick and goal kick took an age. For the most part it was The Robins camped in their opponents’ half, but they just could not break down a stubborn and well organised defence. Elwell’s strike was to be the only time the away side troubled Craig Johnson between the Robins’ sticks.
Yet, for all their stubborn defence, the Robins’ did cause Ethan Pheasey in goal for the visitors to make eleven saves, many of them top-notch. That said, Knowle lacked imagination in attack, trying the same tactic over and again, and over and again it did not work.
It was as frustrating for the home crowd to watch as it was joyous for the away fans. As well as The Earls’ delaying tactics, they also tried the Referee’s patience, incurring five yellow cards and surviving a confident penalty appeal. As it was, they soaked up all the attack that was thrown at them.
The game was littered with hold-ups, some trivial, others serious multi-player incidents and they all made sure the Robins’ never managed any momentum. Too many passes went astray, too many tackles missed.
When the men in red did manage a shot on target, either Pheasey saved, or it was fluffed. But one goal from eleven chances is poor reward.
With nine minutes left, Knowle managed to score. Tom Craine sending the ball into the net from a free kick right by the right-hand corner pin. This changed the tactics of both sides. The Robins doubled their efforts in an attempt to go for the winner, while the Earls decided to make every effort to regain the lead.
The clock showed eighty-eight minutes when the Referee awarded the home side a penalty. Many thought it less worthy than the one that had been turned down in the first-half. But Tom Craine picked up the ball, and after an unnecessary wait took what was for him, a below par kick and Pheasey made an easy save. We had nearly ten extra minutes, but the Robins had to be satisfied with the point.
On Saturday 13th January 2024 Knowle face AFC Coventry Rangers at the Draintch Community Ground, Kick Off at 2pm.
Knowle FC: Johnson; Taylor (Riddiford); Staley; Clarke; Shaw; Bennett; Corry; Scott; Craine [81]; G Seeley (O’Donnell); Mullen (Rendell): Subs not used Jones & McArdle.
