KNOWLE stretched their lead at the top of the table with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Coventrians as both teams finished the game with 10-men.
Goals from Brandon Hague and Odane Barnes put the Robins in command at the Draintech Community Stadium after Coventrians goalkeeper Josh Richards saw red after just seven minutes.
Despite losing Hayden Purves to a red card after the break, the Robins maintained their unbeaten start to the season and now sit three points clear at the top of the Midland Football League Division Two table.
Knowle’s joint manager, Clive Seeley, said: “It was a scrappy affair, it was not good to watch, it was very stop-start and we never got into our rhythm.
“Fair play to Coventrians, they turned up and gave us a right good game, they had an early sending off but if they had 11 throughout the game it would have been a very tight affair.
“We were struggling in terms of personnel but the lads who came in did fine, we kept another clean sheet and the other teams at the top dropped points.
“I think we’d have lost this game in the past so it’s a good sign.”
Knowle received a boost as early at the seventh minute when Richards rushed out of his penalty area and brought down Hague with the Robins player through on goal.
The referee brandished a straight red card to the Coventrians goalkeeper after consulting with his assistant as outfield player Lewis Barrett took the gloves for the remainder of the match.
At the other end, Oscar Slater impressed inbetween the sticks for Knowle in place of Craig Johnson who suffered an injury in the warm-up.
The home side eventually broke the deadlock when Hague produced a fine finish into the bottom corner after receiving a pass with his back to goal.
And the Robins doubled their lead later in the first half as Barnes placed an inch-perfect chip over the goalkeeper after latching onto a long ball.
Knowle are next in action against Inkberrow on Saturday, September 28 with kick-off at 3pm at Sands Road.
