Rendell Sinks Hornets to Send Knowle Through
21st October 2023: Knowle 6-1 Balsall & Berkswell
The result of this game would seem to point to the view that it was one-way traffic, and a miss-match. That is less than half the truth. What is true is that The Robins were well worth their convincing win.
However: without playing really well, The Robins went two goals in front courtesy of two strikes by Jay Rendell. The first, on eleven minutes was laid on for the front man by a beautifully weighted pass, through mid-field, from captain George Seeley. The second repeated the move.
Just five minutes later a mistimed tackle deep in The Robins’ penalty area resulted in the well-placed referee awarding the visitors a penalty. Jack Archer made no mistake from twelve yards.
The goal gave the Hornets more vigour, more pace, more resolve. They were on top for the remainder of the first half. Indeed, one could say that the half-time whistle came at just the right time for The Robins.
The re-start reasserted the home side’s dominance, and within three minutes Lewis Clarke headed home a corner to restore the two goal lead. Hornets’ heads dropped. But they kept going nevertheless, although unable to trouble Craig Johnson in the Knowle goal.
Jay Rendell made it a hat-trick before Nathan Corry scored a wonderful lone effort on the Knowle right and hit the net from an acute angle. With three minutes left, Liam O’Donnell made it six to his, and his team-mates, extreme joy.
Finally, it is worth saying that this game was played in a good spirit, with just thirteen fouls and one yellow card for the Hornets’ Ryan Cranage.
It is back to League action next Saturday when The Robins travel to Cadbury Athletic for a MFL Division Two game.
Knowle FC: Johnson; Jones (Riddiford); Staley; Clarke [48] (McArdle ©); Shaw; O’Donnel [87]l; Corry [72]; Taylor; Rendell [11,30,58]; G Seeley ©(Bennett); Bourn. Sub not used: Mullen.
Attendance: 104
