Knights narrowly against Eagles

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GLENORCHY KNIGHTS 4-3 NEW TOWN EAGLES
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HT: 2-0 Ref: C Phillips Att: 120

Glenorchy Knights (3-5-2): Peter - Marsh, Smith, Vavoulas - Roberts (Hope 58), Dzelalija, Fielding, Kamba, Clay (Kent 65) - Koroma (Vienna-Hallam 87), Sherman [Coach: E Kelly]

New Town Eagles (4-1-4-1): A Savage - Clark, Rybak, Wass, Westland - Whitehall - Vernon, Ferrall (Leszczynski 46), McKeown (Malakoff 46), Kavanagh - Pope (Collins 37) [Substitute not used: A Gordon] [Coach: G Krambousanos]
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It took both sides a long time to settle into a rhythm. The ball was given away far too often and the service to the front-runners was poor.

New Town Eagles pressed strongly and it was five minutes before their goalkeeper, Andrew Savage, touched the ball.

The Knights’ back-three tried to build up play, but their passes were often inaccurate and simply put their midfielders under pressure.

The first half-chance came in the 11th minute when Eagles sent a long ball forward, but Knights goalkeeper Ben Peter caught the ball on the edge of the box against a hesitant Adam McKeown.

A minute later, the Knights threatened for the first time. Jade Clay’s long throw-in from the left almost put Josh Fielding in, but Savage reacted quickly and got to the ball first.

In the 13th minute, Savage again did well to block at the feet of Amadu Koroma, the former Eagles player.

Jacob Kavanagh should have put Eagles into the lead in the 19th minute when McKeown collected a throw-in on the right and played the ball across the box, but his shot came back off the crossbar.

In the very next minute, the Knights were ahead when Savage blocked a shot by Will Roberts from the right and the alert Fielding knocked in the rebound.

Kavanagh again shot against the crossbar in the 26th minute as Eagles put Knights under pressure without being able to find the net.

In the 34th minute, a long-range cross-cum-shot by Eagles captain Chris Wass almost dipped under the bar, but Peter tipped the ball over for a corner. Wass was desperately unlucky when he headed the corner against Peter’s left-hand post.

Cormac Collins came on in place of Barry Pope in the 37th minute after the latter suffered a bleeding nose.

Within a minute, the Knights extended their lead as Koroma beat Matthew Rybak and Josh Westland for speed down the left and slotted the ball home past Savage.

Eagles replaced McKeown and Nick Ferrall at the interval with Jacob Malakoff and Alex Leszczynski and, to coach George Krambousanos’s credit, the move had an immediate effect.

Seven minutes after the resumption, Collins swooped when Jamie Vernon’s shot was partially blocked and he scored to put Eagles back into contention.

In the 66th minute, Eagles were awarded a penalty for a push by Peter on Whitehall after Kavanagh’s corner.

Peter saved Kavanagh’s spot-kick, but Mynonge Kamba had encroached into the box and Mr Phillips ordered the penalty to be re-taken.

Leszczynski took it this time and scored easily to make it 2-2.

Five minutes later, Knights were again in front. They won a free-kick on the half-way line when Whitehall was adjudged to have fouled Fielding.

Kamba knocked the free-kick short to substitute James Hope, whose shot from 30 metres took a slight deflection as it left his boot and rocketed into the far top corner of the net.

Savage saved at substitute Shane Kent’s feet in the 73rd minute as Knights attacked strongly in an effort to make the game safe.

Six minutes later, Savage was again called into action as he blocked the ball at Hope’s feet.

With seven minutes remaining, the busy and dangerous Collins fired a free-kick from the edge of the box just over the bar.

But disaster then struck Eagles. In the 86th minute, Tom Sherman played a high ball through for Kent, which was intercepted by Rybak on the edge of the box.

Rybak did not hear Savage’s call and headed the ball past his on-rushing keeper. Rybak made a brave attempt to get to the ball before it crossed the line, but he ended up with the ball in the back of the net and it was 4-2 for the Knights.

With a minute to go, Peter did well to get down and turn Kavanagh’s shot wide for a corner.

Kavanagh played the corner short and infield to Whitehall, whose cross from the left was headed powerfully home by Wass to make it 4-3.

It was a brave come-back by Eagles, but it was the Knights who earned the first victory of the league season.

A minute's silence was observed before the game in memory of the father of Knights player, David Hegol.
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Glenorchy Knights coach, Eamonn Kelly, said:

“In the first half we were absolutely magnificent and we should have had the game sewn up at half-time, but we didn’t. We let them back in.

“We spoke about the first five or ten minutes of the second half, and they did just exactly what we let them do.

“They were like a rat up a drainpipe. They were at us, they were at us, whereas it should have been the other way around.

“We can’t afford to keep doing that against good teams. We won’t get those sorts of opportunities.

“But, yeah, I was very pleased, like I say, with the first half. Very good football in the first half.

“We kept our shape well, played good constructive football, and attractive football.

“We kept possession well, knocked the ball around well. In the second half we tended to lose it a little bit.

“Stupid penalties. Nobody knows what they were for. I don’t think the referee even knows what they were for, especially the second one.

“But, that’s football, isn’t it.”

• New Town Eagles coach, George Krambousanos, said:

“I honestly think we had too many reserve players on in the first half, but the lads that went on in the second half did a marvellous job.

“They really worked their butts off.

“We still haven’t got our strongest side, but we’re working on it slowly.

“I think we’re going to be very competitive.

“I’m very happy that we actually scored some goals this time.

“The Knights looked pretty good. If that’s their best side, then next time we meet them, we’ll have a real good ding dong go with them.”
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STATISTICS
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GLENORCHY KNIGHTS NEW TOWN EAGLES
8 Goal Attempts 14
4 Shots on Target 10
6 Corners 8
12 Fouls Committed 11
5 Off-Sides 4
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0

Glenorchy Knights:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Roberts 2 1
Fielding 1 1
Koroma 2 1
Clay 1 0
Sherman 1 0
Hope 1 1

New Town Eagles:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
McKeown 1 0
Kavanagh 5 5
Wass 3 3
Collins 3 1
Leszczynski 2 1