Club News

Adult teams, Reserve team

Saturday 21 August – Reserves

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Reserves skipper Matt Cooper reports

Knebworth welcomed Aldenham Reserves in the first home game of the season, the Reserves looking to build on an opening day thumping of Bushey Rangers.

With availability and injury issues it was a different looking side from last week with first starts for Joe O’Dell, Harry Wilkinson, Marcus McKechnie, Max Smith and Ben Phillips.

Knebworth took control from the get go and dominated a first half with lots of possession and chances. The front three of Smith, George Phillips and O’Dell were running riot, and did everything but score.  The midfield was controlled and purposeful with every attack with Alfie Nellis, Liam George and Wilkinson winning the individual battles and playing some brilliant through balls.

Half time came with the score at 0-0, and after a positive half time team talk Knebworth came out looking to grab an early goal and kill the game off.

The deadlock was finally broken when a well worked move down the right hand side ended with Smith roasting the full back and delivering a ball in to be smashed home on the volley by G.Phillips, making in two in two for the head-banded attacker.

Chances continued to come for the Reserves but a mixture of close misses and good goalkeeping from Aldenham kept it at 1-0. A new look back four for Knebworth kept it very tight all game, with Cooper and McKechnie winning everything and starting numerous attacks. Jason Fleet and Nathan Garrod doing brilliantly in both defence and attack.

Keeper B.Phillips had little to do and the boys saw off the game comfortably to win 1-0 and secure a second victory of the season.

Raja Tandoori man of the match: Joe O’Dell

Stevenage Couriers man of the match: Matt Cooper

Back to back wins and the Reserves are at home again next week, Chipperfield Corinthians the visitors for 16:00 kick off.

Skipper Matt Cooper

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Non-League Paper – 21/22 August 2021

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Article supplied by The Non-League Paper

THE ONLY problem with pre-season predictions in print is people remember them. Sometimes they even cut them out and keep them. Some get stuck on a dressing room wall and used to create motivation or a siege mentality.

Of course, a correct pre-season prediction is worth its weight in gold. If you’ve delivered your tips in late July or early August and they come off by the end of April or May, then you can take your lap of honour. 

It’s part of the new season fun. Who has signed well? Who looks to have strong foundations from last season? Who might drop off? 

This season that has been harder than ever. The majority of Steps 3-6 didn’t kick a ball from November onwards last season, Step 2 stopped early, with just the National League’s top flight completing a full campaign. 

So it’s difficult to quite know how teams will come back. How players will return after missing so much competitive football. But, even when a full season has been completed, predictions are just that. Guess work! 

Because if we knew what would happen, then there wouldn’t be much point in all turning up every Saturday. 

The opening weeks are always fascinating. Most teams fancy their chances of having a special year, believing they can be the ones fighting it out even when no one else thinks they will be.

Just ask Sutton United. Not many expected Matt Gray’s side to be in the title race. Outsiders for a play-off place? Sure. But not leading everyone else and lifting the championship. 

Yet, last week they were at Cardiff City in the EFL Cup as they embark on their first ever season in League football. It’s quite a story.

And this season will throw up many more. Every league has its fancied sides, the big spenders who ‘should’ be in the mix. But every league will have some who come from nowhere, where everything falls into place and it they really do have the season of their lives. 

Like Hornchurch last season celebrating FA Trophy glory under the arch. There can’t have been anyone in the country who foresaw that happening. 

This weekend the Step 1 clubs are getting underway to make it a full Non-League house. 

The FA Cup is in full swing, crowds are up, goals are flying in. It feels almost normal again.

There may be some bumps in the road this season, Covid hasn’t gone away and a glance across the fixture list shows the pandemic is still having an impact on postponements. 

But, after a long absence, it feels good to be inching back towards that routine. And the normality of all my predictions falling flat on their face by the end of September! Enjoy your game…

Adult teams, First team

Saturday 14 August – First Team

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First Team coach Tristan Potkins reports…

Knebworth hosted Hinton at The Rec in a repeat of last season’s opening fixture. The Ks were supported by members of the U7s squad who became our first mascots of the campaign; thank you Archie, Jack, Jacob, and Maxwell! Both teams paid tribute to former Herts FA President Bert Dearman who sadly passed away recently.

Mascots from the U7s squad

The game started well for the hosts with Knebworth on the front foot after a very productive pre-season. A move that started on the left wing, worked its way back to Ben Phillips in goal and all the way out the other side, ended with a great through ball from Joe Swadling into Reece Hurren who just couldn’t quite direct it goalwards. The game’s first big chance.

It became apparent quite quickly Hinton we’re looking for the ball over the top, being unsuccessful on the whole with Jack Holmes and Myles Thomas dealing with it effectively. Another two chances then fell to the returning Charlie Pratt, one where he was unfortunate not to make contact at the back post and another with the defender backtracking where he just couldn’t quite curl the ball into the back post.

Hinton then on the break got in down the left wing, crossing it into the box to score from a header.

Just before half time a quick corner from Hinton resulted in the Ks going in two goals down. Chris Grindal, unfortunately injured in pre-season, finding out he’s not quite as naturally fit as he was 10 years ago, declaring as he came off at half time that he is going to get fit, no matter what it takes.

The second half followed a similar pattern but with Knebworth seeing the effects frustration can have on performance, things not quite going our way. Hinton to their credit stuck to their game and some good additions to the side from last season made a difference. A notable volley from Kieran Flynn the highlight for Knebworth just being tipped over the bar, Hinton scored a worldy free kick to make the final score 3-0 after Marcin Bator had stopped a counter attack.

Raja Tandoori man of the match: Marcin Bator

Positives to take away, but overall a frustrating day not to get the result we were hoping for and we felt our preparations deserved.

Next Saturday, 21 August, sees the First Team travel to Oracle.

Adult teams, Reserve team

Saturday 14 August – Reserves

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Reserves skipper Matt Cooper reports

After the hard work of pre season, Knebworth Reserves travelled to Bushey Rangers for the season opener. 

A number of new faces for the Reserves this year with six players making their debut, it was a slow start for Knebworth as both teams eased themselves into the new season.

The deadlock was broken after Bushey took advantage of some sloppy passing out from the Knebworth defence. The Reserves dug in for the rest of half and grew into the game – finally getting their reward when a great run and pass from Tommy Rowe found George Phillips to tuck home from close range.

It was 1-1 at the break and after a firm half time team talk Knebworth came out and dominated the second half. A quick fire double from Elliot Cracknell, including a brilliant volley following a long through ball from ‘keeper Fordham, fired Knebworth into control. The defence and midfield worked hard to keep the opposition at bay, and it was a direct free kick goal from Liam George that put the game beyond Bushey. At some point the hosts netted a second goal.

The back four and goalkeeper held it together brilliantly under increasing pressure in the closing stages, and a bonus fifth goal was added when Tommy Rowe streaked though and put it over the goalkeeper to round off a brilliant team performance.

Knebworth closed out a great 5-2 win to start the season.

Extrastaff man of the match: Max Mahoney

Next week, Saturday 21 August, the Reserves host Aldenham for 15:00 kick off at The Rec (SG3 6AH)

Skipper Matt Cooper in action
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Non-League Paper – 14/15 August 2021

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Article supplied by The Non-League Paper

So, here we go again! The 2021-22 season is almost upon us – for some it’s already underway.

Most of Step 5 and 6 started from July 31 – July! –  while this weekend (August 7) the FA Cup gets started with the Extra Preliminary Round, only nine months before the final on May 14.

For many, competitive football makes a welcome return after an enforced break from the game due to the pandemic.

At NLP HQ we have everything crossed for a ‘normal’ season, Covid has taken its toll on us too, but we’d like to thank our loyal readers for helping us to keep producing the paper every Sunday. We’ve not missed one weekend since the pandemic began or indeed for the last 21 years!

The previous 18 months in Non-League has been tough to say the least for all involved. The 2019-20 and the 2020-21 seasons proved fruitless for many although the FA’s restructure did at least provide some upward movement for clubs at Steps 4-6.

Step 3 can rightly feel hard done by having been stagnant throughout this time.

It’s why the FA’s Alliance Committee has been formulating contingency plans, with the feedback of clubs, to try and prevent any more ‘null and void’ seasons.

There are three approaches to the contingency plans:

Approach 1 – if the season successfully starts between August 14, 2021 and October 31, 2021, but it becomes clear that a division cannot complete 100 per cent of its fixtures, league tables would still be finalised providing the division has completed at least 75 per cent of its fixtures. Final league standings would be determined by using unweighted points per game and promotion and relegation would take place based on those standings.

Approach 2 – if the 2021-22 season cannot commence on or before October 31, an alternate competition would be implemented, with several potential formats under consideration determining promotion and relegation.

Approach 3 – if there is insufficient time for the regular season to achieve 75 per cent of fixtures, or an alternate competition to be completed, a supplementary competition would utilise results from completed fixtures in the 2021-22 season to avoid clubs playing opponents more than twice and ensure there is sufficient data to determine league standings.

The objective is to ensure promotion/relegation but, of course, this cannot be guaranteed. Who knows which way the pandemic will turn next. Such was the extent of the disruption last season, any number of contingency plans wouldn’t have prevented the curtailment of Steps 3-6.

Hopefully, these plans will never see the light of day, but at least they are there if needed.

Eventually, we will have all stopped talking about Covid! Until then, we wish you a safe return to football and a successful season following your team. One thing is for sure, win or lose, we must cherish standing on the terraces at 3pm on a Saturday!

Contact The NLP: NLP@greenwayspublishing.co.uk