Guardian Sport
Ex-Red Sutch returns to sink Knutsford with late winner
6:09pm Thursday 17th November 2011
NEIL Sutch returned to haunt his former club by scoring a late winner for Rylands.
Defeat was harsh on Division One leaders Knutsford who have now failed to win any of their past four league encounters, losing three of them.
But this was the first at Manchester Road.
“We’re a big scalp now,” reflected manager Paul Schofield.
Rylands led on a quarter hour when Russ Kenyon converted at the far post after Andrew Dawson has scuffed a shot across the face of goal.
Their lead was short-lived.
Tom Schofield, back in Red for match practice, scored direct from a free kick to restore parity.
The home team then edged ahead on 30 minutes when Paul Barry scored his first goal of the season from close range.
But Rylands roared back, Liam Walker copying Schofield’s trick to curve a set piece into the top corner after Knutsford’s stand-in skipper Richard Smart had tackled rashly.
Buoyed, the Warrington outfit recaptured the lead before the break when Dawson converted Sutch’s pass after rounding goalkeeper Mark Higgs.
Knutsford needed five minutes to haul themselves back on terms after half time, debutant Lee Jackson sending a volley into the roof of the net.
Right then they did not count on the ex-factor ruining their afternoon.
Knutsford Higgs (GK), Michael Jackson, Smart, Williamson, Lee Jackson, Cartner (Warburton 75), Pickford, Jones, Tom Schofield (Michael Schofield 85), Barry (Liversedge 80), Shakoor. Sub not used Pearson.
l GOALKEEPEr Mark Higgs, plus midfielders Tom Schofield and Dean Warburton, is part of the Cheshire League representative team’s pool for Saturday’s FA Inter-League Cup clash with Cambridgeshire County League.
They meet at Witton Albion’s Help for Heroes Stadium, kick off 2pm.