Holland Sends Knowle To The Final!

Hampton Road was rocking on Sunday afternoon with a big crowd turning out to see Knowle Ladies face Walsall WFC in the semi-finals of the League Cup. The Ladies duly delivered a performance to be proud of, in a 3-0 win full of quality and heart.

Knowle’s matchday mascots were the U10 Dragons and they roared the team on straight from the first whistle. Knowle responded with two early chances; Kate Fleming shot wide of the post and Natalie Gibson’s free kick was well saved by Walsall keeper Liv Wells – a sign of things to come throughout the ninety minutes. 

The Robins were able to get forward on numerous occasions in that first half but were perhaps guilty of rushing their attempts on goal. Jess Barlow’s quick feet helped her set up Demi Rolph but her shot skipped past the post and Wells claimed Maz Byrne’s header strongly. Wells also then tipped Bex Clarke’s long range effort onto the bar, when it looked certain to drop into the net. Walsall hit back by creating two chances of their own; Aaliyah Shearer found Jasmin Springer in the area and her shot hit the bar; the linesman flag did confirm the offside however. Soon after, Byrne and Morgan Betteridge collided in their eagerness to clear a cross, leaving Saanya Najib clear through but she fired high and wide – a let off for Knowle.

The Robins back at the other end. Barlow squared a ball to Camile Abbotts but she couldn’t mark her 18th birthday celebrations with a goal as her shot was off target. Nadia Bacciochi had added additional guile to the Knowle frontline and she combined well with Fleming to create space for the shot, but Wells was equal to it once more. The goalkeeper also held Fleming’s next attempt, when perhaps the better option would have been to play Barlow in as she was in acres of space. Defensively, Sam Smith had to be on her toes to make the tackle on Shearer as she skipped into the penalty area, and Emma Shaw was positioned well to mop up the danger. Just before half time, Betteridge sent a deep cross into the area after Gibson had spread the play wide; Rolph knocked it down for Bacciochi whose shot scraped the left hand post. Nil nil and all to play for after forty-five minutes.

Knowle knew they had to find another gear, and they managed that with aplomb. If the first half had been end to end, the second absolutely belonged to Knowle. They broke the deadlock within five minutes of the restart. Betteridge and Jess Holland worked the ball well out wide to give the latter space to cross. Abi Turner headed clear, but Fleming picked up the pieces and teed up Holland who was able to fire her shot over Wells and into the goal from a narrow angle.  

Three minutes later, the home side had doubled their lead. Rolph collected the ball from Betteridge’s throw and burst between two defenders before clipping a left foot finish into the net. Knowle were now fully in the ascendency, and attacked with pace confidence. Celina Smallwood found Abbotts on the edge of box, she sent Rolph scampering down the left but her cross was hacked away from the goalmouth by the Walsall defence. Alana White then cut inside to tee up Gibson; her shot seemed destined to sneak inside the post but Wells was at full stretch to save again.

It was going to take something special to leave the Walsall keeper helpless, and Holland duly delivered. White and Rolph recycled the ball from out of the corner and into Abbotts, she found Gibson who had space to chip a pass into box. With her back to goal, Holland sprinted to meet it, took one touch with her right then span and volleyed the ball into the far corner with her left. A superb goal and with Knowle now three goals to the good, their lead looked solid. Walsall struggled to break out of their own half and mount any serious attacks, resulting to long balls that Smith could head clear or Katy Smirthwaite could advance off her line to mop up. Their best opportunity fell to Maicie Golding after good work down the left from Najib, she was about to pull the trigger when Smith slid in with a thumping tackle to stop the shot and preserve Knowle’s clean sheet.

Knowle had the chance to extend their lead when Rolph raced through onto Clarke’s pass and was felled by Wells, but the keeper made a good save to hold onto the penalty and atone for the foul. She was also quick off her line to stop White in her tracks, and cling to Rolph’s effort late on. Soon after, the referee called time to send Knowle through and cue celebrations on the pitch and in the stand. A superb second half from the Robins left them well worth the win – they will play Coventry Sphinx in the final on 21st May!

Knowle: Smirthwaite, Shaw (Smallwood, 55), Smith, Byrne, Betteridge (Harris, 70), Clarke (Abbotts, 30), Fleming, Gibson, Rolph, Holland (Bacciochi, 30), Barlow (White, 55).