Seven Up For Knowle Ladies

Knowle Ladies lined up against Droitwich Spa for the second game in a row looking to improve on last week’s 3-1 win and they certainly achieved that with an emphatic 0-7 victory! 

Knowle earned themselves a corner straight from the kick off to exert early pressure on Droitwich; the keeper punched Morgan Betteridge’s centre straight into the air and although Sam Smith outjumped the bodies to get a head on it, she could only direct the ball wide. Chances came thick and fast for Knowle - Natalie Gibson shaved the post with a long range effort and Jess Barlow’s effort flew right across goal. They did then have the ball in the back of the net, when Emma Shaw played in Demi Rolph to beat the keeper, only to have it ruled it out for offside. Droitwich were finding it difficult to get out of their own half, with Knowle’s high press forcing them into mistakes at the back but the away side couldn’t quite capitalise on those. When Droitwich did venture forward, Bex Clarke and Smith were able to mop up and play forward once more. From one such counter attack, Barlow teed up Jess Holland but her effort was saved by the keeper. 

Alana White was introduced for her Knowle debut on the half hour mark and she was soon in the thick of the action, driving down the right side and creating a good chance for Rolph to shoot just over the bar. White herself had the opportunity to shoot when Kate Fleming’s inch perfect through ball set her free, but she squared it to Holland who was crowded out. Knowle did eventually break down a stout Droitwich defence to get their goal with thirty three minutes on the clock. Shaw whipped in a free kick from the right side; Smith thumped a header at goal but it hit Holland on the line. Thankfully the rebound fell straight back to Smith who slotted it past the keeper to give Knowle a 0-1 lead. Three minutes later, the defender had a brace; Betteridge’s corner was dangerous, Holland and Smith rose together and the former flicked it straight onto the latter’s head, planting the ball in at the near post. Knowle were camped out in the home side’s territory for the remainder of the half and were rewarded with another goal on the stroke of halftime. Skipper Fleming won the ball and drove forward before being felled by a clumsy tackle thirty five yards from goal on the left side. Gibson curled in the free kick and Rolph met it on the half volley with a superb side foot to drill the ball past the keeper.

At 0-3 up, much of the crowd were expecting Knowle to go on to dominate the second half, but in truth they began the second period in shaky fashion and Droitwich had their best spell of the game in those ten minutes. A dangerous cross flew across the face of the Knowle goal begging for a tap in before keeper Katy Smirthwaite had to deal with a long range effort and claim a corner to keep the home side at bay. Clarke then found herself in the referee’s book for hauling back a player on the halfway line and Rolph soon followed when she chased back well but took out the winger with a mistimed slide tackle. It took another goal to settle Knowle back into their groove and it was a good one. Betteridge bought the ball out of defence and fed Gibson, she played a through ball that Rolph raced onto, jinked past the keeper and rolled her right foot shot into the net.

That signalled time to make changes for the team in blue, with Abbie Diskin entering the fray alongside another debutant – Becca Holden stepping up from the U18s to make her first senior appearance for Knowle. She was involved immediately too, putting in a couple of good challenges at left back and combining well with Abbotts to create a chance for Rolph. The Knowle forward was making up for lost time after her suspension last week and she completed her hat trick with another fine goal.  Diskin nipped the ball off the toes of an attacker and passed to Barlow and she broke the line with a pass that Rolph latched onto to go one on one with the keeper again. This time she skipped to her left and tapped into the empty goal. Knowle had the wind in their sails now and soon had the ball in the net again; Rolph was the provider this time, she beat the full back then squared it across the box to White who finished well, but the linesman’s flag chalked it off for the third time in the game.  Knowle couldn’t be denied however and did make it 0-6 soon after. Not for the first time they jumped all over a short Droitwich goal kick; Abbotts robbed the centre half and then slotted it past the onrushing keeper – her fourth goal in as many games against this opposition.

The last 15 minutes of the game proved to be a little frantic, with Droitwich pumping the ball forward at every opportunity and Knowle then hitting them on the break. Knowle were made to work for their clean sheet, the unfamiliar backline of Holden, Clarke, Betteridge and Diskin defending well to deny any clear opportunities and Smirthwaite cleaning up behind them. There was also still time for the team in blue to score their seventh; Gibson played a ball over the top; the keeper came out to try and clear but missed her kick and Rolph merrily ran past her to finish once again.

A comprehensive win for Knowle in a game where they executed their game plan extremely well and were in control for the majority of the match. Two excellent debuts put the icing on the cake and the team continue their 100% record in the league so far, sitting pretty at the top of the table. They will look to extend that run next week at home to Worcester City.

Knowle: Smirthwaite, Shaw, Smith, Clarke, Betteridge, Fleming, Abbotts, Gibson, Rolph, Holland, Barlow.

Subs: White (for Abbotts, 30), Holden (for Shaw, 60), Diskin (for Clarke, 60).