Knutsford fall just short of finishing season with a win

Knutsford endured an agonising defeat in their final game of the season.  It was a game on reflection they should have won but it will not put a dampener on what has been an outstanding season for the ladies with them gaining promotion to Cheshire’s top tier for the first time in their history.

This was always billed as a fiercely contested local derby between these two rivals and more so with a lot of players at Knutsford having left Bowdon they really wanted to win the game and were up for it from the off. As the game started nerves seemed to set in for Knutsford and they immediately found themselves under pressure with Bowdon pushing on – they got a goal that the early pressure deserved and found themselves 1-0 up.

The first half continued in the same fashion and Knutsford failed to capitalise on a few forays into the Bowdon D. The ladies were in the game for the remainder of the first half but chances were spurned and there seemed to be an air of nervousness about the play. The things that had served them so well over the season just didn’t seem to be coming off today.

Bowdon were 1-0 up at half time and Knutsford looked to make a tactical switch to try and load the midfield more and give them an opportunity to catch them on the break and give them more strength in depth going forward. They then begun dominating the play and had many short corners awarded but couldn’t finish them off and as luck didn’t seem to be with them when Bowdon took a two goal lead through a ball scrambled in after it was ricocheting around Knutsfords own D.

Knutsford ladies have proved their made of stern stuff this year and following some excellent come backs the score line didn’t bother them – and as such they were looking to get forward and get themselves back in to the game with a goal. It soon came from a rare source when an unusual appearance in the short corner routine for Liz Armstrong saw her send a thunderbolt of a shot past the Bowdon keeper and into the bottom corner to give the home side hope

With time running out on the game and the season Knutsford threw everyone forward and looked for that elusive equalizing goal. It wasn’t to be however and although the majority of the last twenty minutes was played inside Bowdon’s half they couldn’t find the goal they so deserved. The game finished 2-1 and although the ladies were disappointed by not winning the game – the champagne flowed as they celebrated a fantastic season gaining promotion to Division 1.

Captain Nat Riley reflected after the game on an outstanding season for the girls “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success“. The party went long into the night as Knutsford centenary ball proved to be an excellent celebration and a superb end to this a brilliant season for the ladies. They will look to build on this over the summer in anticipation of the tough test facing them next season.

KNUTSFORD -1 BOWDON – 2

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