Knowle Hit Sweet Sixteen

Ronald Crane reports from Boldmere Road

Wind, sun, rain, and even hail were the accompaniments for this mismatch. Already relegated Boldmere gave a spirited performance, but it was never going to secure the points. Knowle reached sixteen wins in a row with this 1-5 win.  Had their opponents scored when the Robins were just one to the good, things might have been closer, but as it was the ball was blasted over the bar from six yards.

The Robins were one up courtesy of Joe Sinton who took advantage of panic in the Boldmere defence after a Knowle corner to stab the ball home. Following Boldmere’s miss, Staley and O’Neil-Martin extended the Robin’s lead. Staley drove down the left-wing and sent over a shot/cross that caught in the wind and deceived Richards in the Boldmere goal. All he could do was palm the ball home. O’Neil-Martin on the other hand, beat the defender and scored from an acute angle with a thunderous effort.

The teams changed ends with the Robins leading three nil. The home side improved after the break and Jay Rendall made no mistake from twelve yards to score. He and his teammates were delighted with the goal, but it was never going to herald a home revival.

Although Boldmere had more of the game in the second-half, The Robins were not really troubled. Late on Knowle were awarded a penalty from which O’Neil-Martin made it four, and Jack Ricketts hit a pile-driver from eighteen yards to make it five.

As the players left the field, hard and stinging hail descended from the heavens. It was not a vintage performance by The Robins, but it did secure three points and take them back to second place in the table, five points adrift of Sutton United, but with three matches in hand. The race to the close of the season, is tight, and exciting.

Knowle FC: Johnson; Sinton [67] (Bailey); Jones (Meeks); Lewis Clarke ©; Mullen (Corry); Guy Clark; Morris; Ricketts [87]; Walton (Blythe); Staley [36]; O’Neil-Martin [44 & 82p]. Sub not used: McArdle.

Forthcoming Fixtures:

Sat 15th April; Alcester Town – AWAY – MFL D2 – KO 1500

Tue 18th April; Bolehall Swifts – AWAY – MFL D2 KO 1820

Sat 22nd April; Kenilworth Sporting – HOME – MFL D2 – KO 1500

Wed 26th April; Cadbury Athletic – HOME – MFL D2 – KO 1830

Sat 29th April; Coventry Alvis – HOME – MFL D2 – KO 1500