Knowle kickstart first-ever Step Five campaign with magnificent seven-goal Stratford rout

Talib Copeland scored a superb hat-trick as Knowle kickstarted their first-ever United Counties Premier South campaign with a magnificent 7-0 rout of FC Stratford at The Robins’ Nest on Sunday lunchtime.

Copeland’s three and Knowle’s seven without reply simply blew away the bumper crowd of 451, heavily boosted by the United Counties’ Ground Hop initiative, on a day where onlookers were left simply stunned and certain to return.

Despite FC starting with intent, rarely allowing Knowle any length of time in possession, it was the hosts who created the game’s first meaningful chances and they took the lead 12 minutes in.

First, tidy work from Copeland down the left-hand side allowed him to drive to the byline and square for George Seeley, who dragged his shot wide.

But Anton Powell soon latched onto a loose ball and arrowed a powerful effort past Bears stopper Sam Cooksey.

Copeland had a glorious chance to double Knowle’s lead shortly after when Dylon Bennett found him with a pinpoint ball over the top, but his cross-shot from a tight angle found neither a teammate at the back post nor the bottom right corner.

The imposing forward atoned for his earlier error and found the net midway through the first half. He perfectly took down a hopeful ball forward with his chest and utilised his elite composure to slot calmly underneath Cooksey.

Knowle added a third nine minutes later and it arrived via a brilliant team goal. Copeland’s deliberately deep cross from the left was headed back across by Seeley for Odane Barnes to glance home from close range.

And Copeland had his second and Knowle’s fourth before anyone had a chance to breathe, rifling into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area nine minutes before half-time.

Copeland scored 34 goals and provided 15 assists in Knowle’s treble-winning season last term and he will have been pretty pleased with his first 45 minutes in Step Five.

After a Watford-supporting groundhopper suggested that he would take Copeland at Vicarage Road given the option, Knowle started the second half in the same vein and scored a fifth when Connor Mort’s low drive crossed the line after hitting the inside of the left post.

Copeland must have overheard that conversation because he completed his hat-trick on the hour, slotting low into the bottom-left corner after some neat interchange down the left-hand side.

Copeland - who had earned himself a little fan club amongst young groundhoppers by this point - was lightly shoulder-barged by a Stratford defender and one young fan prompted laughter from the touchline as he leapt into a staunch defence of the forward, shouting: “Don’t touch my Talib!”

That was his last involvement and Lewis Clarke replaced him for the final 25 minutes, to the frustration of Copeland’s new supporter.

Knowle made it a magnificent seven 18 minutes from time as Seeley’s corner found Jack Duggan, completely unmarked in the centre despite his conspicuous presence, who headed emphatically beyond Cooksey.

And they managed the game with superb professionalism in the closing stages to keep the gloss on the sensational scoreline.

It was a performance that will, though against a side who played Step Six football last season, have sent shockwaves through the minds of everyone in the United Counties Premier South - and Knowle may now dream of further expanding their meteoric rise.