Knutsford make it 4 on the trot!

Knutsford Mens 3's took at trip to Alsager on Saturday and shared 4 goals and some heated emotions with Triton Mens 3rd team.

Knutsford travelled to Alsager this weekend for a challenging game with Triton Mens 3s; the challenge made even bigger by the absence of Captain Steve Hope. Knutsford started the game with the majority of the possession but not being able to put anything fancy together. The make-shift centre back pairing of Howarth and Stanier kept out some scrappy Triton attacking and got rid of the ball using the solid full backs of Lasham and Crabtree who kept the energetic wingers at bay.
Then the unexpected came and Triton found themselves 1-0 up through a flowing passing move finished by a sweet shot into the far corner leaving the Man of the Match Jack Pass with no chance. Knutsford kept their heads up and with the fresh legs of Gwilym Rees and Alex Edge making some good runs and managed to scrape together some flowing passing moves from the midfield 3 of Dave Rees, Dave Hough and Sam Swift resulting in 2 short corners, both charged down by the flying Triton defenders. Half time came and Knutsford found themselves 1-0 down.
At half time the wise words of Simon Crabtree, Dave Rees and Chris Howarth got Knutsford back in shape, with Dave Hough predicting 3 Knutsford goals and the team knew what they had to do to make him proud!
The restart came and Knutsford looked refreshed and focused. Suddenly, the ball came to Dave Hough out of nowhere and he drove the ball through 2 players, then picked out the smart run of Matt Lynes which resulted in Lynes ramping the ball on his reverse side, around the keeper and into the bottom corner. 1-1.
Knutsford now looked hungry for more throwing together some beautiful moves but nobody was able to convert the moves into goals. Triton suddenly attacked and looked certain to score forcing 3 top drawer saves from the young Jack Pass keeping Knutsford in the game. Knutsford eventually finished off one of their trademark moves with the little red shoes of Karl Stanier putting the youths of Knutsford back in their place by dribbling through 4 men and flicking the ball in the back of the net leaving Triton shellshocked. 2-1.
Emotions started running high and Dave Hough took a roasting from a Triton midfielder who was on the wrong side of Dave Hough when he was turning and took an elbow to the face. Dave Rees had a little bark at the Triton side asking them if he wasn't allowed to have fun and Chris Howarth received a green card for repeatedly questioning the umpires decisions. Perhaps coming off worse were the troopers of Henry Pass and Matt Lynes, both being taken out by the same mad centre back who first took out Pass, then followed him around the pitch chirping curses in the young lads ear with Lynes maybe inviting his challenge by telling the player to act his age, not his shirt number. The same defender then came and hooked the legs of Lynes; then sat on top of him, leaving him on the floor without any punishment, giving young Rees a chance to tear up the tiring Triton defence.
Knutsford started spraying the passes around the park again with Lynes coming back on just in time as Knutsford played a game of keep ball but they were not finished yet. Nairn played the ball up to Rees, who spotted the formidable run of Pass who then took the ball on his reverse side and still on his reverse slotted the ball past the keeper and into the goal. 3-1. Knutsford kept the ball and the final whistle was blown. Hough was right, 3 well crafted goals all in the second half. Knutsford enjoyed a 4th win on the trot, leaving them top of Division 9 South! The 3rds now have a well deserved 2 weeks off, but will be ready to face Lymm Men's 3's at the fortress of Westfield Drive!
A special mention also goes to Dave Hough, who put in a great shift again, but also it was his last match before he goes to start a job working for IBM in London so we thank him for his time and wish him luck for his new job.
MoM - Jack Pass for some game saving saves.
DoD - Ollie Lasham for his wolf whistles at the oppositions women!