Robins Are Record Breakers!

George Revell reports on a historic night in the club’s 100th year…

Battling Knowle became Midland Football League record-holders for the longest winning streak in its history after securing their 21st successive league victory with a dramatic 2-1 triumph at Bilston Town.

On a winning run that stretches all the way back to mid-August, Knowle took the lead through Talib Copeland 13 minutes before half-time. Sam Yankson drew Bilston level with less than two minutes of regulation time left.

But the never-say-die attitude that had kept Knowle - who were only promoted from Step 7 last season - going for this long soon kicked in, and substitute Brady Floyd had the final say with an emphatic header in the second minute of stoppage time to send the away dugout into absolute pandemonium.

Eager to avenge their defeat in the reverse fixture three weeks earlier, Bilston started with intent in front of their home crowd and tested Robins stopper Matt Horton for the first time seven minutes in. The ball dropped invitingly for Yankson 18 yards from goal, but he didn’t make life difficult for Horton.

Aware of the record they were chasing, Knowle responded immediately. Copeland fizzed a teasing ball across the face of goal, but the onrushing George Seeley couldn’t quite stretch far enough to meet it.

Another chance fell to the top scorer on the half-hour mark. The ball dropped kindly for 17-goal striker Seeley on the edge of the box and his snap-shot only narrowly missed the bottom-right corner.

The pressure kept on coming and Knowle found the opener 13 minutes before half-time. A game of head tennis ended with Tom Kinsey - who only joined the Robins from Coton Green four days prior - slipping in Copeland to bend an effort past Bilston stopper Ethan Hawkes.

Rain continued to lash down at a very muddy Queen Street as half-time edged closer and Knowle went in at the break with a one-goal lead.

The game was very scrappy in far-from-ideal weather conditions after the break but Knowle almost found an opening in the 56th minute. Kinsey, who scored 23 goals in 27 matches for the Green Army last term, was played through on goal and would have found himself one-on-one with Hawkes had it not been for a sublime last-ditch tackle from Bilston defender Haydn Hall.

After a fruitful debut, Kinsey was replaced by Floyd with 15 minutes to play. Odane Barnes also entered the fray in place of Hayden Purves.

Bilston levelled in the 89th minute. Ben Priest drove a low pass into the penalty area which, after ricocheting off multiple bodies, dropped kindly for Yankson to guide beyond Horton and into the corner.

The hosts thought they had struck the decisive blow with such little time left, but with a record on the line, Knowle were never going to let this night be anything but their own.

In the dying seconds, excellent work from Anton Powell saw Knowle win the ball high up the pitch. Left-back Powell then lofted a cross high in the air towards Floyd at the back post, who nodded the ball into the back of the net to spark joyous celebrations in Wolverhampton.

Knowle knew that, against all the odds, they were record-breakers.

As old and experienced as joint-manager Clive Seeley is - by his own admission - this historic night reminded him exactly why we all love the beautiful game.

“Football never ceases to amaze me,” he told us post-match. “The two games we’ve had against Bilston (recently) could have gone either way. They’ve pushed us to the limit; it’s been a massive test.

“The conditions were tough for both sides, but you have to give full credit to both teams for going full hammer to try and nick the win.

“It certainly wasn’t one for the football purists - the midfield had to be bypassed at times because of the terrible conditions.

“When they found an equaliser so late on, I’ll admit I thought that was it and our magnificent run was over - but these lads never stop surprising me. They dug deep, and that winning goal at the death… well, as old as I am, you get very few feelings like that in football. It was a special moment.”

The feeling’s mutual Clive - that certainly was special.