Knutsford 3-1 Malpas

MANAGER Scott Dignan’s substitutions proved decisive on Saturday, when Knutsford scored the game’s decisive goal with only seven minutes left.

Reds, dressed in a new purple strip, gave an uncharacteristically sluggish performance at Manchester Road.

They dominated possession, with the contest played largely in the visitors’ half, but efforts from Dean Nolan, Tom Rutter and Mike Cartner did not yield a goal.

With injured captain Steve Jenyons absent, Knutsford were less assured in defence too.

Pavel Abramowicz shot too close to goalkeeper Sam Moore after Graeme Brotherton misjudged a bouncing ball, then the Malpas forward repeating the trick at the end of a mazy dribble.

Knutsford’s number one made a fine save with his fingertips early in the second period before Dignan sent on Liam Myers in place of debutant Alex Mattison.

He conjured an opening for Rutter, whose shot was blocked, before Sean Lynch diverted Lee Mannion’s free kick into the net at the back post on 70 minutes.

The visitors drew level shortly afterwards though when Abramowicz’s attempt squirmed through Moore’s legs.

A double change, introducing both Matthew Torbitt and Rob Spilsbury to the fray, proved to be the right one when the former steered in a smart finish after Myers had made forward progress on the right.

Torbitt had also blazed over Cartner’s cross moments earlier.

Spilsbury headed high from Ebbie Rezayan’s centre before Myers settled the outcome when he whipped in direct from a free kick with seconds on the clock.

Knutsford | Moore (GK), Butler, Beattie, Brotherton, Lynch, Rezayan, Mannion, Cartner, Nolan (Spilsbury 76), Mattison (Myers 60), Rutter (Torbitt 76) Subs not used none