Knowle Well Below Par

Injury, illness and unavailability forced Clive Seeley into a number of changes from last Saturday. On a difficult playing surface, The Robins never really began to sing. Indeed: this was a poor match all round, with neither side able to create many chances on goal.

The only bright spot in the whole ninety minutes was JAMES MUDIE’s thirty-yard screamer three minutes prior to the break. It proved enough to gift Redditch Borough the three points. A bountiful reward for the visitors as they only managed two shots on target in the game; yet again, a conversion rate that far exceeded The Robins’ no goals in six efforts on target.

Knowle began well, with a shot blocked early on. The home side controlled matters for twenty minutes of the first half, squandering chances as they went, before Borough began to assert themselves. Even so: it was turgid stuff with little quality and far too many mistakes. The game had no pattern at all.

Too often Knowle allowed an attack to peter out for want of a decent pass, or shot. Mudie’s goal came out of the blue, and at a bad time for Knowle. Yet they started the second half like a train. Unfortunately this too was allowed to peter out.

The introduction of Messers Andrews, Parsons and new boy Mullen, did inject some pace and purpose into proceedings. Many thought Ryan Andrews deserved a Penalty some four minutes from time, but Referee Hill was confident in turning down the appeals.  Knowle piled on the pressure as the clock ticked towards the end, but it was more desperation than calculation, and Borough coped well enough.

Knowle FC: Tregartha; Fox; O’Keefe (Mullen); McArdle; Cosgrove; Regan (Ryan Andrews); Morris; Bennett; Bailey; Seeley (Parsons); Harbon. 

Subs not used: Ash Weeks.

Yellow Cards: Fox and Harbon