Western Knights 3
Bunbury Forum Force 2
Written by Daniel Bodycoat
A depleted Western Knights squad, ravaged with injuries, faced Bunbury Forum Force at Nash Field. The Knights would have to make their ground a fortress in order to win their first game of the season in Round 2 of the Football West Division 1 competition.
Within 10 minutes, both sides had got off the mark. Bunbury were the first to strike via a corner that was flicked on at the near post and then headed past the helpless keeper. However, Western Knights were quick to equalize by a through ball, which Paul Lloyd finished.
Lloyd would almost double his tally shortly after but his shot glanced the post as it rolled wide.
A lack of fluidity characterized the first half, although, amidst the scrappy play from both teams, the prolific Lloyd would once again find the back of the net after he was set up by Nick Carroll.
The Knights looked dangerous after a corner lead to the ball being battled for within the 6 yard box, a mere minutes after the referee blew his whistle to begin the second half. Carroll was the first player to get control over the ball and he snuck the ball in between the Bunbury keeper and the upright.
Bunbury quickly got one goal back as a wishful cross wasn’t cleared and the striker was quick to punish the indecisive defending.
The score would stay at 3-2 for the rest of the game despite numerous waves of Bunbury attacks failed to force the ball past a resilient Knights defence and a brave performance from the Western Knights goalkeeper Sam Hutchings denied a comeback.
It appears that this latest performance from Western Knights, while messy, proved that they are a team set for great things and with a number of quality individuals set to return, there is no limit to the potential of this club.