KARTEL O’Neill Martin scored twice as Knowle inflicted a first home defeat of the season on local rivals Earlswood Town with a 3-0 victory in the Solihull derby.
O’Neill Martin struck twice in the second half after Nathan Corry had opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark at The Pavilions.
The result means Knowle sit third in the Midland Football League Division Two table with Earlswood down in eighth having won just one of their last eight matches.
And Knowle took the lead against the run of play on 28 minutes when Corry’s header crept in at the far post from Charlie Morris’s cross.
Earls goalkeeper Paul Evans kept his side in the game before the break as he denied both Jack Mullen and Morris on several occasions.
However, Knowle eventually doubled their lead on 68 minutes when O’Neill-Martin scored from the penalty spot after James Wright was adjudged to have upended Robins substitute Reece Staley
And O’Neill-Martin completed the scoring eight minutes later when he collected a loose ball on the left and cut inside before firing a blistering effort past Evans from 25-yards out.
The win keeps Knowle in the title picture as the Robins made the perfect start to the New Year whilst Earlswood will hope to rediscover their early season form in the coming weeks.
Knowle are next in action at home to Lane Head on Saturday, January 7 with kick-off at 2pm at the Draintech Community Stadium.
Earlswood travel to Inkberrow on the same day with kick-off at 2pm at Sands Road.
