ALCESTER TOWN 1-1 KNOWLE FC: THE MOWDOG'S HONEST, INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Romans Deny Robins Any Chance Of The League Title

Alcester Town 1-1 Knowle FC

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

A night of tension was expected and was duly endured at Stratford Road between two teams which have cultivated some animosity towards one other. Knowle needed to win to keep their title aspirations alive and Alcester of course so wanted to be the spanner in the works. And so it proved to be…

THE SKIPPERS, BOTH WEARING 10, TURN AWAY IN HARMONY...

The majority of goal chances fell to the Romans and indeed, the Robins’ goalie Craig Johnson kept his team afloat during the opening period with three fine saves, whilst midfielder Dylan Bennett bundled a Ricardo Richards header from his goal-line. It was actually a surprise then when Knowle stole the lead with a smart strike by Nathan Corry before the break. 

MULLEN PREPARES TO KICK-OFF BUT WHAT HAS RICHARDS SPOTTED ON HIS BOOT?

Despite exhaustive efforts after the interval, little goal danger was forced by the visitors in truth, although Kartel O’Neil-Martin did clip an angled effort at an empty goal onto the roof of the net and Taylor Carter-Byrne failed with an unmarked header.

The hosts of course not only equalised during the second period with a fine volley by Jimmy Ward but later shook the crossbeam from way downtown, courtesy of Luke Wyatt’s spectacular volley. 

CLARKE, WICKETTS & CARTER-BYRNE...

A representative from Hampton FC was delighted with Alcester’s time-wasting tactics near the end of the match to stifle Knowle but I was convinced that because of the lack of firepower in the Robins’ performance, surely the Romans might have gone in for the kill, as Knowle attempted to push forward and salvage a late goal. However, it mattered not in end, as Knowle’s season became deflated like a Christmas balloon on 13th January…

PERRY-HOLMES SPENDS A MOMENT OR TWO TOUCHING UP THE PAINT ON A BOOT...

They can still prevent AFC Coventry Rangers from pipping Sutton United to the league title though, by beating them in Knowle on Saturday…  

Comparing the offenses…

The early opportunities fell to O’Neil-Martin of Knowle, who slashed wildly awry from an angle and poked wide with his right boot from the left side of goal, when maybe his left boot might just have been a preferable option. Carter-Byrne drove a centre across the face of goal but as the opening period wore on, Alcester began to look more assertive and indeed, dangerous…

Odane Barnes made a few strong dashes on the right-flank, forcing Knowle’s Hayden Seymour into evasive action, before Jake Wicketts shot at Johnson, who then made two fine saves in quick succession as his defence became sorely rattled.

First, Wicketts’ long throw from the right was glanced on at the near upright by Knowle’s Lewis Clarke, right onto Connor Perry-Holmes’ head just 5 yards out but Johnson reacted well to beat the ball out. However, in the ensuing melee, Ward’s overhead shot bounced through a crowd and Johnson did really well to push aside the effort near his left pole.

Soon though, Richards’ near post header struck Bennett on the goal-line from a right-side corner and the striker even claimed hand-ball for a second or two. So it was some surprise that after that incident, a long kick forward by Robins’ defender Christian McCardle found Corry just outside the home penalty-box, marked by the very effective Town right-back Josh Carter. Corry did well to control the ball but his turn was swift and he managed to hook a left-foot shot beyond goalie Walker and into the right corner of the net. The nearby linesman ran across my view just as Corry had turned but luckily the video capture was not too distorted… 

0-1...

Johnson though was brought into action again when some confusion in the Knowle defence saw the ball fly out to Wicketts on the 18 yard line but his well struck effort was palmed away well by the leaping goalkeeper.

After half-time there were fewer goal chances as the game became one of attrition and effort, rather than creativity. Just prior to the equalising goal for Town, Barnes had nodded narrowly wide and at the opposite end, O’Neil-Martin had clipped the ball from the right-flank onto the roof of the net with Walker stranded, following a defensive error.

Alcester regained parity with a fine lobbed volley from distance, right of centre by Ward which Johnson could only watch as the effort dipped perfectly into the left corner of the net.

1-1...

Wyatt’s excellent volley later in the contest crashed against the top of the crossbar, although some folks thought that Johnson might have got a touch on it but subsequently, with Knowle desperately needing that winning goal, the Romans frustrated them with Walker making two smart catches in traffic late on. 

Carter-Byrne missed the best chance for the visitors by heading well over the target from Corry’s fine centre from the right byeline, although a short free-kick routine allowed O’Neil-Martin’s shot from 25 yards too, only for it to be easily blocked by the Romans. The last chance was a decent try from 18 yards by Knowle’s right-back Lewis Rainey, which flew only just too high.

CARTER-BYRNE: "NO, WE DON'T FRIGGIN' LIKE YOU, EITHER..."

It was interesting that no real chances fell to the Knowle forwards, namely Mullen, skipper George Seeley and apart from his goal, Corry. When the late long crosses or set-pieces were planted into the home 18 yard box, the one real danger was Clarke but the tall Knowle defender wasn’t supplied with accurate service and thus Alcester held on rather comfortably with defenders Carter, Tristan Roberts, Joel Bell and Aaron Xavier offering decent cover to their gloveman Walker.

GREAT CONCENTRATION BY BARNES...

The final words…  

Perry-Holmes and Wyatt were cautioned for the hosts and I believe that Carter-Byrne received a yellow card for Knowle, but I could be wrong. 

Despite the late evening sun, the breeze was surprisingly chilly at Alcester and in fact late on, filming became tough too due to the light affecting the focus on my camera. Thus I completely missed O’Neil-Martin’s shot onto the roof of the net and also the very second when Ward struck his equaliser. Apologies must therefore be offered to both players…

THE REF WON'T LET PERRY-HOLMES HAVE THE YELLOW PAINT TO TOUCH UP HIS OTHER BOOT WITH...

However, Luke O’Hare was originally named as the home number 9 on the teamsheet, with Wicketts on the bench and I had used O’Hare’s name in my commentary throughout the opening half, mainly because of the number 9’s dangerous long throws and his fine 18 yard shot. However, I was told during the interval that in fact the number 9 was Wicketts… 

I was distressed… 

Somehow though, I have been able to crop any mentions of ‘O’Hare’ from the first-half action clips, which to my relief has actually worked out well… 

Fair play to Alcester, they did a job on their rivals, who, with the artistry of ex-Roman Umit Eminoglu missing, as well as some injured players, were not able to snatch the victory they sorely needed…

YEAH, THE EVENING WAS A BODY-BLOW TO MULLEN AND THE ROBINS...

I shall cover their match v AFC Coventry Rangers on Saturday which will bring to a close a very competitive Midland League 2 season…

It has been an exciting race.

It really has…