Five Star Show From Ladies Team

Knowle Ladies started their season with a bang, beating Rugby Town 5-0 thanks to a dominant performance that set out their intentions for the league campaign ahead.  

Knowle set the tone straight from kick off; Jess Barlow & Jess Holland racing in and pressing the Rugby players into giving away a throw in deep in their own territory. It was very much one way traffic from that point, with the Robins on the front foot and attacking at will. The first clear chance of the game came from a corner; Celina Smallwood floated the ball in but Bex Clarke couldn’t quite get the right connection at the back post. Demi Rolph was next to go close, firing a shot just over the bar after skipping past her defender. Rugby’s goalkeeper showed good handling by collecting a number of long range attempts and crosses to thwart Knowle. She also made an excellent save when Holland was played in by Rolph.

Full back Morgan Betteridge was causing problems by running from deep to join the attack, the link up with Clarke gave Knowle the overload on several occasions. The home side went particularly close when Betteridge’s cross was controlled by Holland to lay off to Gibson, but her shot screwed just wide of the post. Rugby then made a brief foray into the Knowle half, hitting a speculative shot which Katy Smirthwaite held easily and launched another Knowle attack with a quick throw out. Soon after, Knowle did finally take a deserved lead; Kate Fleming won the ball well on the halfway line and played it to Clarke, she found Rolph out wide and the young forward beat two defenders before slotting a shot past the keeper to put her side 1-0 up. The away side continued to defend resolutely, blocking Clarke’s attempt and making a last ditch tackle to thwart Barlow after Camile Abbotts had picked her out perfectly. 

Knowle thought they had extended their lead when Rolph again raced clear – the keeper saved her shot well and then somehow scrambled to block Holland’s attempt from the rebound too. This left Rolph free to lash home, but she was adjudged to have been standing offside when Holland hit her shot. Gibson then flicked a clever pass to Holland whose attempt was deflected wide. From the resulting corner however, Smallwood crossed to the front post and Sam Smith was on hand to thump a header past the keeper. The first half ended with more one way traffic towards the Rugby goal, but the team in blue kept Knowle at bay and the Robins were perhaps guilty of shooting when a pass was the better option at times.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first. Maz Byrne set up Knowle’s first attack by striding into midfield and playing in Clarke out wide, but Rolph was unable to volley home at the back post. Knowle then had another goal disallowed for offside following some top class build up play between Clarke, Barlow and Holland. The third goal came from quality work out wide from Rolph; she was unplayable for large periods of the game and when she beat the full back again with her skill and pace, it spelled danger for Rugby. Rolph drew the centre half in to beat her too, then laid the ball across for Gibson to take a touch and rifle it low and hard into the net leaving the keeper with no chance.

Rugby continued to work hard, but Knowle’s enthusiasm and energy out of possession caught them out on a number of occasions, not least when Holland won the ball back immediately after kick off to push Knowle forward again. The away side did have an excellent chance to pull one back however, when the ball squirmed under a Knowle defender’s foot to let the striker in on goal, but Smirthwaite was alert despite having little to do prior to this and raced out to block the shot.

 From then on, it was all Knowle. Abbotts' shot was sneaking in before a defender got a toe on it, and Rolph sent an overhead kick just wide. Knowle’s fourth was as result of good play between Holland and Rolph, they combined to roll the ball across the six yard line and Betteridge was on hand to score. There was plenty of time left in the game and Knowle produced a terrific move which ended with Clarke squaring for Holland to finish, but the flag went up again unfortunately for the Robins. Rolph was the provider once again for the final goal of the day, turning on a sixpence to sucker her defender then pulling the ball back for Gibson to curl a shot from just inside the box well beyond the dive of the keeper.

A fine win for Knowle who looked a side hungry to do well this season and produced an energetic and classy performance. They now have a week off, before returning to action away at Westfields on 18th September.

Knowle: Smirthwaite, Smallwood, Smith, Byrne, Betteridge, Fleming, Clarke, Gibson, Rolph, Holland, Barlow. Subs: Abbotts (Gibson, 30), Stanton (Betteridge, 30).