What makes a football manager happy ? Just ask Knaphill team boss Phil Ellery who is now seeing his team finding the right balance, playing good football and picking up the points, and is pleased with their recent results. Knaphill have, from their last six matches, picked up thirteen points with four wins and a draw, the latest being a convincing 4-0 win over Bookham on Saturday, and are playing some of the best football since Ellery took up the managerial reins four months ago.

Coming off the back of the highly rated performance against Staines Lammas the previous week, the eagerness and momentum to continue on the up, was enhanced in the Bookham game. The first quarter of an hour saw Knaphill go close with a couple of headers and a shot just wide of the far post, before opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Craig Knowles was instrumental in the first goal for Knaphill when he swung over a perfect cross for Michael Pym to head into goal.

But then, after Bookham hardly got a look in during that opening spell, the Knaphill defence suffered a lapse of concentration and uncertainty in a brief spell midway through the first half, allowing the home side to test Dan Pritchard in the visitors goal, and whilst the keeper had to be alert to deny Bookham , defender Sean Harvey was well positioned to hack away a close call near the goal line. Fortunately for Knaphill, they restored normal service and kept Bookham at bay with some controlled defending.

The momentum that brought the first goal continued, and Pym should have notched a second on the half hour, but allowed the keeper to smother his shot. But the visitors were soon to extend their lead when in the 38th minute, Luke Craig fed Pym and the striker nodded home a header over the keeper and under the bar for a two goal lead, and a comfortable finish to the first half.

Three minutes into the second half and Knaphill scored their third when a free kick from Billy Jones from 22 yards, sailed into the net, with Pym looking to get a helping touch on the way in, but narrowly not making contact. Although some of momentum dipped a bit during the half, there was never any doubt that Knaphill’s three goal lead would ever be in danger as they rekindled their attacking mode and after 82 minutes substitute Jay Coombes sped into the 18 yard box to drill low past the keeper to make it 4-0, and put the seal on the afternoon’s performance.

Knaphill: Pritchard, Harvey(Pearce 57mins), Brainch, Ward, Macaskill, Knowles, Wetherall(Collins 63mins), Jones, Pym, Craig, Coultas(Coombes 67mins).

Goals: Pym(2), Jones, Coombes
Booked: Ward, Jones