Canning City 0 | Western Knights 1 Written by Daniel Bodycoat
Western Knights travelled to Canning City SC in Round 10 of the All Flags State League Division 1 Competition. A win was crucial for the Knights if they were to challenge for the title and get their season back on track.
Despite the torrential conditions during the first half, the Knights persevered with their usual style of play and passed the ball with real quality, however, there was no end product to their possession.
The Western Knights pressure was relentless as waves and waves of attacks constantly threatened Canning’s goal.
The half ended with neither side grabbing the lead. The weather didn’t appear to impact the game in any significant way although every player on the pitch was absolutely soaked.
The lack of efficiency in the final third prevented both teams from scoring to the annoyance of all the supporters. The players also seemed rushed when in control of the ball as they resorted to the long ball fairly regularly and passes were missing their targets.
Canning SC found their way into the game midway through the second and it was clear that the Knights were feeling the pressure. A few chances rattled the crossbar and a number of uncharacteristically poor decisions by the Western Knight’s keeper left the coaches standing nervously.
Towards the end of the game, it felt like the usual “should’ve, would’ve, could’ve” feeling for Western Knights as they were on their way to dropping points yet again to far lesser teams.
Finally, after a string of substitutions, Western Knights scored through a Paul Lloyd volley after a chip into the box. The confidence boost was clear after the goal and the Knight’s players technical skills were on full display.
This 1-0 victory will be used as a launching point for the rest of the Western Knights season and it would also mark the Western Knights Senior Club President, Gordana Sliskovic’s birthday. Happy Birthday Gogi!