Rolph On Fire As Ladies Beat S&G

There was a delayed start at the Dell Stadium last Sunday due to some issues on the local roads, but when the match between Sedgley & Gornal and Knowle Ladies did eventually kick off, there was certainly no wait for action. Knowle were straight into an energetic press and they went ahead inside three minutes. Jess Barlow snapped at the heels of a Sedgley midfielder and stole possession before flicking a pass through to Demi Rolph. She drove into the box and her shot was too strong for the home side’s keeper.

Sedgley & Gornal hit back almost immediately however, Knowle gave away a soft corner and Beth Male’s in-swinger deceived Katy Smirthwaite in goal, she could only push it over the line. One all after just five minutes and it definitely seemed like more goals were to come. Knowle pushed forward again, with Barlow and Rolph causing chaos in the Sedgley backline with good combination play. They were ably supported by Kate Fleming and Camile Abbotts in centre midfield, the former winning everything and the latter creating opportunities with smart passing. Fleming set Rolph clear again but the keeper made a great save with her left foot, then Emma Shaw hit a free kick just over the bar after Barlow skipped past her defender and was taken out. 

Sedgley couldn’t break through the Knowle backline to get a shot at goal, but they were extremely threatening from set pieces. Their second corner of the game also swung towards the goal; Sam Smith scrambled it away but the Sedgley forward headed the ball straight back and Knowle were thankful for Bex Clarke’s excellent positioning as she headed the attempt off the line. At the other end, Abbotts tried her luck with a speculative volley before the goalkeeper Nelia Severin came out bravely to claim a dangerous Morgan Betteridge cross just in front of Shaw. Knowle did go ahead before half time and it was a fine goal. Abi Morris and Maz Byrne combined to win possession and feed Barlow. Her through ball to Rolph was inch perfect; the forward took one touch and slotted her finish into the far corner of the net.

An exciting first half ended with Knowle 1-2 ahead, and the spectators were expecting more of the same in the second period. In truth however, the second half started slowly; the football was scrappy from both sides and the game became overly physical. Persistent fouls broke up play and resulted in multiple stoppages, so it took a while for the game to get going again. Knowle did have the better opportunities; Fleming’s shot was saved by Severin and Rolph struck an attempt just wide. At the other end, Sedgley were restricted to a couple of long-range shots that were easy for Smirthwaite to handle, though she was cynically barged into the net after collecting one. Soon after, Sedgley’s Grace Field was booked for another foul on Barlow but Shaw’s free kick again went over the bar. 

The goal was coming for Knowle though, and eventually they had the breakthrough. Rolph drew the defenders in before slipping a square ball to White but Severin flew out of goal and tripped the forward. The referee pointed straight to the spot and Rolph buried the penalty to complete her hat-trick. The third goal knocked the stuffing out of the home side and the last fifteen minutes of the game was all Knowle. They played the ball about with confidence, and Sedgley were unable to create any attacks. Barlow and Fleming both saw attempts saved before Camile Abbotts put the gloss on the scoreline with a superb goal. White made the forward run and outpaced the S&G to collect Celina Smallwood’s pass but Severin was out quickly to block. The ball rebounded to 35 yards out where Abbotts ran on and, without breaking stride, fired it straight into the net. 

A touch of real class to finish things off and leave Knowle with a 1-4 win. A high tempo performance from The Robins where their superior quality and fitness paid dividends in the second half to deliver a great result against a tough opponent. The Ladies are next in action on 2nd April, at home against Leamington Lions.

Knowle: Smirthwaite, Smallwood (Harris, 25), Smith, Byrne, Shaw, Clarke, Abbotts (White, 25), Fleming, Betteridge (Morris, 25), Rolph, Barlow.