Knowle denied at the Last

Undefeated Cadbury Athletic welcomed Knowle to Redhill Road hoping to avenge the draw at Hampton Road earlier this season. Knowle on the other hand, were doing their best to be the first side to take all three points from the men in purple.

This was a topsy-turvy game of football. Athletic began well enough and could have been two up inside five minutes. Whilst at the other end Brandon Hague had a good shout for a Penalty turned down by referee Lane.  For the next twenty minutes it was the visitors who had the best of the game, but as we drew near to the break, the home side began to dominate again. It was no surprise when we turned round all square.

During the interval the talk among supporters of both teams was that the match had nil-nil written all over it. It was certainly true that Athletic had created three chances on target, but Knowle only one.

The second half was a different matter altogether. The Robins started like a train and were totally dominant. Crosses were proving to be a dangerous prospect for the home side, and with longer legs, or a quicker turn of speed, Clive Seeley’s charges would have been two to the good. As it was, we had to wait until the sixty-seventh minute for a goal. A beautiful cross from the right was turned into the net by GEORGE SEELEY to put the visitors in front.  With Athletic trying their might to respond, Mr Lane finally had enough of dissent from the home side and sent Josh McGinley to the ‘Sin Bin’. One expected Knowle to press forward and take full advantage of the ten men. Instead; they fell back into defence. This only encouraged Cadbury to pour forward. The introduction of Thomas Craine and Emile Beckford assisted their cause. Knowle’s response was to boot the ball up-field and thus concede possession; or try and get the second goal which inevitably left them short at the back and conceding possession. Both strategies helped their opponents. Yet still Cadbury could not find a shot on target. 

From the time The Robins scored until the end of the game, some twenty-three minutes, Cadbury won no corners but Knowle were pinned back in their own Area. With Referee Lane having played two minutes added time, and a host of players in the Knowle six-yard area, a loose-ball hit PETE BAILEY’S leg and fell over the line. It was a scrappy goal. But it ensured that Cadbury remain undefeated and that Knowle had to be satisfied with just won point when they deserved all three, a remark that will, no doubt be challenged by Cadbury.

This was a totally different Knowle from the one we have seen in recent weeks. Clive Seeley will be worried about the lack of consistency shown by his side, and doing all he can to make sure that for the remaining three fixtures, at home to Hampton, and away at Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons and Barnt Green Spartak they will play like this and keep the pressure on Coton Green. Promotion is still there to be won.

Knowle FC: Tregartha; McArdle; Fox; Andrews (Regan); Cosgrove ©; Bennett; Morris (Mullen); Seeley [67]; Faulkner (Bailey); Hague; Harbon [90+2og]. 

Subs not used: Alex O’Keefe; Zak Parsons.

Yellow Card: Harbon

Forthcoming Fixtures

Saturday 26th March 2022 Home to Hampton FC at the Draintech Community Ground, Hampton Road, Knowle: KO 1500