Semi-Final Success for Ladies!

Knowle Ladies earned themselves a spot in the County Challenge Vase final last weekend, with a 1-4 victory away at Sutton United in their semi final clash. In front of a bumper crowd of around 200, Knowle dealt with the occasion superbly and will now face Walsall FC in the final in April.

Arguably the game was won within the first ten minutes.  Keen to stamp their authority and keep the home crowd quiet, Knowle knew they had to start well and indeed they did, racing into a 3-0 goal lead within that period.

The first goal hit the net with exactly one minute on the clock, and involved a bit of route one football.  Keeper Sophie Henness caught a speculative cross and immediately kicked long.  Darcey Garner won the header to send Trina Greaves haring down the right side and she fired a perfect low cross along the six yard line that Grace Evans planted into the bottom corner.

Knowle's wide players were causing no end of problems for the home side, and it was the turn of Garner to get on the scoresheet next.  A good passing move saw Knowle move the ball left to right, but Morgan Betteridge's attempted cross was deflected.  Garner was first to the loose ball eight yards out on the angle and she absolutely leathered her shot into the top corner to put her side 2-0 up.  From the kick off, Knowle forced Sutton back to their own keeper then as the ball went to the full back, Evans steamed in with the press to nick the ball.  A smart turn from her allowed her to send a cross in, and it was Garner coming from the other side that poked it past the keeper.

With only ten minutes played, this goal seemed to knock the confidence of Sutton; they made subs and changed shape to counteract Knowle's dominance, but the Robins till found plenty of joy through their front three, ably backed up by their midfield; the guile of Natalie Gibson with the strength of Kate Fleming and calm head of Demi Booth gave Knowle control in that area. Indeed, Gibson was next to try her luck with a long range attempt that the Greens' keeper fielded well.

When Sutton did attack, they couldn't find the right final ball through the defenders in blue but their first real chance fell just before the 30minute mark - the midfielder's pass found the striker in space in the box, but Betteridge made two good challenges before Garner hacked clear from the resulting scramble. Knowle then extended their lead; Gibson won the ball from a United throw in, Greaves' cross field ball was cut out but she collected the clearance and dinked a lovely pass into the path of Evans, who finished with aplomb for 0-4. Greaves then sent an attempted lob just wide of the post and a long range piledriver from Sutton's left winger flew over the bar.

Sutton had their sweeper keeper to thank for mopping up the remaining Knowle attacks of the half, coming off her line well to kick or claim and the last opportunity of the half did fall to the side in green when Knowle were slow to deal with a long ball over the top and the striker nearly nipped in.  Henness' outstretched leg stopped the ball and allowed her to drop on it however, and Knowle were well worth their four goal lead at half time.

The second half didn't quite start in the same rip-roaring fashion as the first, with play becoming scrappy from both sides. Knowle had an early reshuffle at the back, with centre halves Flo Hobbs and Maz Byrne leaving the fray with knocks, but Molly Hughes continued her fine display in winning everything alongside the new pairing of Sam Smith and Booth. Booth made two important interceptions on low crosses and Henness was sharp to pounce on any loose ball in and around her goal.

Sutton had learnt their lesson from the first half, and when the Knowle wide players did break through, both were quickly taken down and the Robins couldn't quite take advantage of the free kicks.  Chances were few and far between for both sides, but Henness did have to make a good save when the United forward broke clear. Fleming, impressing in her first appearance since September also forced the home side keeper into a good stop.  The closest either side came to a goal before a frenetic finale was when a Sutton defender took a wild swing at a dangerous Greaves cross and hit her own crossbar, then Smith's header from the resulting corner bounced just wide.

With 86 minutes on the clock, it seemed the game was petering out, but Sutton produced a good move to give the attacker a clear shot and Betteridge made a superb goal saving tackle, but injured herself in the process.  Knowle lost another defender and then also their clean sheet soon after.  The five minute stoppage to take Betteridge from the field saw the eventual corner cleared, but as the home side worked the ball wide a collision in the box sent the forward tumbling and the referee called a penalty.  The spot kick was confidently dispatched into the top corner, and with Greaves sent to the sin bin for her protests, Knowle would have to play the remainder of the game with ten players, though the clock was over ninety. The referee then had to sort out a melee that saw Henness and a Sutton player yellow carded for tussling over the ball, and more minutes were added.

Sutton threw everything they had at Knowle in that final part of the game and had the majority of possession; the Robins had to defend stoutly to not allow them a real chance.  The clock ticked further and further on, allowing Greaves to come back on for a final minute, but the referee finally blew up on 105 and Knowle's job was done.

A superb start and a professional second half made Knowle worthy winners, but Sutton's late fight gave the large support they had gathered something to cheer on a drizzly afternoon.  Knowle will face Walsall FC who ran out 2-3 winners in the other semi final against Redditch United; date and venue for the final will be confirmed when we are made aware.