Robins Flourish in the Heat!
9th September 2023: Inkberrow 0-4 Knowle
Ronald Crane reports from Sands Road
With a temperature of 30 degrees at kick-off, this match was played at a surprising fast pace. Ben Jones and Jack Mullen were unavailable, and Joe Riddiford joined new signing Adam Bourn on the bench. Owain Taylor, Reece Staley and Toby Scott all started.
Right from the start, The Robins’ took control. They found their left flank especially productive. After a couple of abortive efforts, a great cross by Toby Scott from the left fell to Dylon Bennett who drilled home the opening goal. Two minutes later, the exact same attack fell to Jay Rendell to double the score. The home side were visibly set back by this double blow. With Knowle in total control in every department, and playing an attractive brand of football with neat passing through mid-field, the home side had little opportunity to bounce back.
The only surprise was that we reached the break with the score still only two – nil in Knowle’s favour.
The second period was different, but with Knowle still in total control. They were content to allow the home side to have the ball in the knowledge that they would get nowhere near Craig Johnson in the Robins’ goal. And so it proved, until twenty three minutes from full-time when Inkberrow were awarded a free-kick just outside Knowle’s Penalty Area and in a central position. Johnson had no difficulty in saving the weak shot however. It was to be the only shot he had to deal with all afternoon.
Jay Rendell grabbed his second when he pounced upon a loose ball on the edge of Inkberrow’s Area, and to rub salt into Inkberrow’s wound or put icing on Knowle’s cake, George Manning hit a magnificent shot from eighteen yards that beat Jack Turner between the Inkberrow sticks all ends up.
It was three points that sent Knowle into 2nd spot in the Midland Football League Division Two table.
Knowle: Johnson; Taylor; Staley; Clarke; Shaw; Bennett [13]; Scott (Manning90+4]); ); O’Donnell (Riddiford ); Rendell [15 & 65]; Seeley (Corry); Craine (Bourn). Sub not used: Jacob Walton. Yellow Card: O’Donnell.
