Ladies Fight to a Semi Final

Photo courtesy of Mike Huckfield - Knowle celebrate Byrne's winner

The Draintech Community Ground was wet, windy and misty on Sunday afternoon, but Knowle Ladies battled both the conditions and going down to ten players to secure a 2-1 win over Long Itchington that sees them through to the County Challenge Vase Semi-Final.

The first ten minutes of the game were a cagey affair, with both sides trying to find their feet and their football on a tricky surface.  Neither side had a sight of goal before Knowle made the most of their first attempt of the game, going 1-0 up through Trina Greaves. Jess Barlow won possession deep in her own half before combining with Holly Briggs to play forward.  Grace Evans leapt on an opponents loose touch and prodded the ball through to the onrushing Greaves who carried the ball into the area and finished well past the Long Itchington keeper.

The Knowle forward then had the ball in the net twice more in quick succession, yet both were chalked off for tight offside calls.  The Robins play to create both chances had a lot to admire however, and it felt like they were in control of the game. Darcey Garner was next to try her luck after Morgan Betteridge and Flo Hobbs sent her clear, but the young forward's shot was straight at the away keeper.

Long Itchington's first real attempt at goal came on the 25minute mark.  Knowle were caught dallying on the ball in midfield and lost possession, the chip forward found the striker well but keeper Sophie Henness raced off her line to make a superb big block, then Sam Smith was able to clear the follow up shot from the six yard line.

A couple of minutes later, another big moment looked as though it may swing the game in the away side's favour.  Barlow was red carded for kicking out at an opponent, and Knowle had to face up to over an hour with ten players.  The resulting free kick sailed well over the bar and Knowle reorganised sensibly to see out the first half with no major incidents at either end.

Spectators in the ground were expecting a onslaught from Long Itchington in the second period, and the team in blue certainly had the lions share of possession.  However the Robins defended stoutly, winning their challenges and any loose balls well.  The away team were restricted to a couple of long range pot shots that Henness fielded easily in the first fifteen minutes of that second half.  The game was then forced into a lengthy stoppage when a Long Itchington player suffered a nasty gash to the knee making a challenge on Evans.  Fifteen minutes went by before she was able to leave the field patched up and head to hospital for stitches, and all the players had to refocus ready for the final half hour.

Byrne and Betteridge put in important tackles to stop Long Itchington having attempts on goal before, despite their player disadvantage, Knowle then went further ahead.  Good play from Evans forced a corner with Garner delivered plumb on the six yard line.  Skipper Maz Byrne was unmarked and thundered her header into the net to give her side a two goal cushion.

It was then Long Itchington's turn to have the linesman's flag stop the celebrations; a smart decision from Demi Booth to step up made sure the forward was offside as she ran to collect the long ball and round Henness.  Knowle continued to defend with enthusiasm and numbers, working incredibly hard to not allow their opponents to have any sight of goal.  Substitutes Carly Donnelly, Keira Whitehouse and Molly Hughes all stopped attacks well as the game ran into that fifteen minutes of stoppage time.

Long Itchington's best chances actually fell in those closing stages.  On 98minutes, a Knowle counter attack broke down and a huge clearance from the away defender seemed to confuse the officials, who did not spot the forward coming back from an offside position to challenge Booth in the air. With both players flattened, the winger ran through to create a 2v1 against Hughes; she did really well to win the ball but the rebound bounced off the recovering Byrne into the strikers path.  Henness was able to make the first save but could do nothing as Long Itchington tapped home the loose ball.

Knowle regrouped and were professional in those final few minutes, using the pace and tenacity of Lucy Jones to run the balls into corners and slowing the game wherever possible.  Robins hearts were in mouths on one occasion when Booth's clearance was charged down, but the forward's shot from edge of box flew over the bar and that was the away team's only real chance to grab that equaliser.

Knowle therefore go through with a 2-1 win to the semi-finals and can be proud of the solid defensive performance they executed after the sending off. The draw will be made after the conclusion of the quarter finals next week!