The Mowdog On The Road...: KNOWLE FC 3-3 CENTRAL AJAX (5-4 IN A PENALTY SHOOTOUT): THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT + SCREENSHOTS OF THE GOALS, THE PENALTIES & OTHER INCIDENTS...

Robins Edge Into Final Via A Penalty Shootout, As Ajax Go Down Fighting…

Knowle FC 3-3 Central Ajax (5-4 on penalties…)

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

This game, although quite enjoyable for the independent observer to witness, was a real struggle between Knowle who had the greater amount of possession and Ajax, whose stubborn refusal to lie down was admirable. That it came down to the first pair of sudden-death penalties to decide this semi-final of the Les James Challenge Cup, after the game had been balanced at 3-3 on ninety minutes, simply added drama to the strife.

Robins’ skipper George Seeley had the chance to win the shootout with his team’s fifth spot-kick, for Jack Keeling had earlier seen his effort saved by falling home goalie Bobby Biddle. However, amid extreme tension, Seeley’s low drive rebounded from the foot of the right post. After Ajax’s Will Jeffries drove too high however, home replacement Georgie Manning shot in the winning penalty.

It was odd though that despite several efforts at goal drifting off target, few shots needed saving by the two glovemen, Biddle and Nathan Taylor. Knowle’s early dominance and a simple goal from a corner was totally upset by two quick goals from the guests. A penalty, netted by Keeling, was followed by a Knowle defensive error which was exploited by the visitors and somehow the Robins went back to their feeders at half-time scratching their heads.

They drew level with a free-kick by Owain Taylor who had earlier conceded the penalty, only for Ajax to regain the lead moments later with a goal from a set-piece. Eventually though, pressure told and Knowle regained parity with a scrappy goal.

SPECTACULAR COLLISION...

High drama then at the Robins’ nest…

One up, then disaster for the hosts…

A few attacks by Knowle early on spawned only a free-kick from 24 yards downtown by Seeley at inside right, which was smartly turned over his crossbar by Nathan Taylor. A couple of shots from the 20 yard mark were safely gathered by the Ajax goalie, who tipped clear a couple of dangerous set-pieces too but getting by the stout, stubborn and stoic defending of Jeffries, skipper Tom Dyke and full-backs Jared Randall and ex-Robin Steve Ruck proved a tough task for home forwards Nathan Corry, Toby Scott and Tom Craine.

NATHAN TAYLOR SAVES SEELEY'S FREE-KICK...

The Knowle goal stemmed from a left-side corner by the creative Dylon Bennett whose flighted kick was far too easily side-footed into goal from a few yards by home defender Christian McArdle, despite being surrounded by Ajax players, who seemed strangely bemused by the situation.

MCARDLE SCORES...

Against the odds, on a rare break, the visitors won a spot-kick when Owain Taylor slid in on Harry Edgington-Furlong who had fastened onto Keeling’s pass inside from the right. The Ajax man’s shot ballooned high as he fell but the award of a penalty was calmly accepted by Keeling who sent Biddle diving to his right as the Ajax midfielder placed his shot well to the other side of the ‘keeper.

THE PENALTY DECISION...

KEELING'S PENALTY...

Incredibly, the visitors soon added a second goal when home defender Lewis Clarke passed the ball back towards Biddle who was advancing a little. There seemed no danger at all but the goalminder seemed to stretch out his right foot to clear and then fell, so that the ball deflected away towards the offensive left where Edgington-Furlong spotted his chance. He moved onto the ball and placed a low angled shot into an unguarded net.

EDGINGTON-FURLONG SCORES...

Surprisingly there were few other moments of real note before the interval, although the lenient referee awarded Knowle quite a number of free-kicks. The hard-tackling, harassing, Aiden Foley in the Ajax workroom was always prominent and effective for his team but escaped a yellow card a couple of times, yet Knowle’s Cody Mullen also dished out one or two tough challenges, as did Corry, Adam Taylor and Cody Mullan, the industrious and effective Knowle midfielder.

The emotive second period…

Once again, few real chances were created, although a few shots by both teams drifted off target, although Knowle remained ascendant, if not penetrative. Eventually though, they were awarded a 20 yard free-kick at inside-left and the right boot of Owain Taylor did the trick, lifting his shot just over the heads in Ajax’s defensive wall so that it curled beyond the diving Nathan Taylor’s reach and into the left corner of the net.

OWAIN TAYLOR'S FREE-KICK BEATS NATHAN TAYLOR...

At 2-2 it seemed that at last the Robins would push out their red chests and clinch the tie but almost immediately the guests were awarded a right-flank free-kick and when Biddle’s attempted punch dropped in front of Jeffries at the far stick, it took a fine block on the goal-line by Clarke to keep the ball out of the net, only for Ed Caswell to turn and shoot the loose ball into goal off the unfortunate Clarke’s legs at the near post.

CASWELL MAKES IT 2-3...

Incredibly a mazy run by Ajax substitute Ryan Palmer almost led to a fourth goal for his team but his neatly curled 19 yard effort slapped against the face of the right stick. Jeffries made a fine block on a shot by home replacement Brandon Hague but still Knowle’s increasing attacks were kept out, mainly by the heroics of Jeffries and Dyke.

Knowle subsequently pushed on regardless with half-time replacement Hayden James-Purves causing problems on the defensive right for Ajax and eventually the hosts regained parity for a second time when an in-swinging right-boot centre from the left by Corry led to Nathan Taylor jumping with Craine. The ball appeared to bounce from the goalie’s punching glove, then strike the hapless Edgington-Furlong and roll back towards Craine and the ‘keeper. Craine reacted well though and managed to recover his balance and scramble the ball into the net, leaving Nathan Taylor lying distraught on the turf.

CRAINE FOR 3-3...

The game blundered on with no winner for Knowle, although Edgington-Furlong did break at inside-left for Ajax but unselfishly he attempted to pass to the foraging, ferocious and fast Adam Taylor instead of firing in a shot himself and the opportunity was thus spurned.

The shootout & the final words…

Dyke slotted his shootout penalty into the right side of goal, as Biddle dived the other way, before Owain Taylor shot low into the left corner of the goal, as Nathan Taylor plunged in the opposite direction. So, 1-1 after two penalties.

DYKE SCORES...

...AS DOES OWAIN TAYLOR...

Keeling again shot towards the right side of goal, as he had during the main contest but Biddle had guessed correctly this time and dived to his left to make a pivotal save. Knowle’s kick was taken by Craine, whose effort went right of centre, sending the goalie the wrong way and putting the Robins into the lead at 2-1.

BIDDLE SAVES FROM KEELING...

...BUT CRAINE SCORES...

Next was Adam Taylor, who was faced by Biddle’s delaying tactics but slammed his spot-kick high into the left corner of goal off Biddle’s glove. Although Nathan Taylor dived right and correctly, James-Purves’ penalty for Knowle beat him into the corner of the net and it was 3-2 in the shootout.

ADAM TAYLOR BEATS BIDDLE...

...& JAMES-PURVES NETS TOO...

Another rasping and rising spot-kick, this time by Ajax’s Edgington-Furlong, flew high past Biddle’s dive into the left corner of goal, whilst Mullan found the left corner of the net with a low penalty, as the ‘keeper dived the opposite way and 4-3 it stood…

EDGINGTON-FURLONG SCORES...

...AS DOES MULLAN...

Up stepped a replacement for Ajax, Matt Boyle, who calmly scored right of centre, as Biddle fell the other way, which left Seeley to win the tie. However, in high drama, his low drive rebounded from the right stick, taking the shootout into sudden death at 4-4…

BOYLE NETS...

...BUT SEELEY STRIKES A POST...

Jeffries lifted his shot over the right angle of crossbar and upright but home substitute Georgie Manning held his nerve, side-footed his penalty into the bottom, right corner of the net as Nathan Taylor leapt the other way and Knowle had won the shootout by 5-4…