Men's First Team Squeak Through

Ronald Crane reports from The Draintech Community Ground

As Cup Quarter Finals go, this was a disappointing affair. In the first half it was all Sporting on the attack, and all The Robins did was defend. In the second half, it was more or less the other way round. In both cases the defences were on top. To add to the disappointment there was a sadly low turnout of supporters for such an important match.

However, Sporting were well in charge in the first forty-five minutes and Knowle found it hard to get out of their own half, indeed their own area for some of the time. Nevertheless, they are meanest defence in the top three Divisions of the MFL, and so gave their opponents little chance. Mr Consistency Lewis Clarke was superb at the heart of the back line.

Up front it was a different story. The Robins could not manage a single shot on target they were in fact living off scraps. The second half was a complete reverse, The Robins doing all the attacking, and Sporting hemmed in without a meaningful attack, let alone shot.

The turning point of the game came on fifty-nine minutes when Joe Sinton entered the park. He wrestled the control of mid-field from the visitors, and calmly set about giving the Robins’ forwards chances on goal. Sam Delaney, an ex-Robin, now shone at the heart of the visitors’ defence. Even the departure for an early bath of Sporting Captain Rhys Lyons did not offer a chink in the pattern of play. The visitors were content to shut up shop, and the Robins were unable to pick the lock.

So we went to Penalties. Joe Sinton smashed home Knowle’s first. Tyrone Wilson likewise for the visitors. Ben Jones’ effort was emphatic, but poor Jacob Dodds saw his attempt brilliantly saved by Craig Johnson. Staley for Knowle scored, as did Kenilworth’s Jason Evans, then Jacob Walton’s daisy-cutter defeated Osborn before Leo Franklin saw Johnson save his kick. However the goalkeeper was judged to have encroached beyond his line and the kick was re-taken resulting in a goal for Kenilworth this time. That left Captain George Seeley stepping up to seal matters for the Robins. The lottery that is the Penalty Shoot-Out had favoured Knowle, who now go through to the Semi Finals.

Knowle FC: 

Johnson; Jones; Seymour; Clarke; McArdle; Bennett (Sinton); Morris; Staley; Mullen; G Seeley ©; Kartel (Walton). 

Subs not used: Jack Ricketts, Mico, Callum.

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Forthcoming Fixtures:

SAT 11 March 2023: KO 15:00: Knowle -v- Cadbury Athletic at The ROBINS NEST – MFL D2

SAT 18 March 2023:Saturday Vase to be announced