Lymm travelled to top of the table Knutsford, knowing that getting a result would go a long way towards maintaining a promotion challenge. They started brightly, good movement from the midfield and forwards disrupting the shape of Knutsford. Chances started to come just a few minutes in, as Fairhurst was consistently beating his man down the right hand side. From two successive driven runs down this side, the ball was pulled back to top D and fired towards Freeman, but on both occasions the strikers finish was wide of the right hand post. As the Knutsford shape continued to be disrupted, Ben Ashford, playing on the left due to an injury sustained in last weeks friendly by his brother Rob, managed to get in behind the defence, and set up debutant Jordan, whose shot also missed the right hand post. Finally Lymm fashioned a chance on target, but it was all too easy for the Knutsford keeper, as he kicked Drury’s shot clear.

 Lymm were made to pay for their profligacy as another attack broke down, and Knutsford poured forward, winning a short corner off the foot of Ireland. From their first real chance of the game, they were clinical, finding the corner after a scramble, and within 5 minutes they had extended their lead via a sweeping counter attack, but not before Christian had blasted another gilt edged opportunity past the left hand post after being laid in by Fox. Lymm finally fashioned another chance with the last play of the first half, as a wild stick tackle in the D yielded a penalty corner. From the corner, the shot was stopped on the line by a foot, and after the initial award of a flick, it was decided the shot was from outside the D, so another short corner was awarded. Only a brilliant save prevented Lymm from pulling one back, so they went in at half time 2 goals down.

 Some wise words at half time from Chris Hunt led to Lymm playing as they had at the start of the first half, with the belief that the goals would come. It took some choice words from a Knutsford player, earning himself a yellow card and a five minute break, to start the comeback. First Lymm won a short corner, and despite Fox’s injection going to totally the wrong receiver, Fairhurst picked it up and smashed the ball across the keeper into the corner. Game on. Within moments the Knutsford skipper found himself on a green as the crowd couldn’t resist speaking to the home umpire. Knutsford flew forward despite their captain’s urge to hold fire for five minutes, and they were made to pay. Their striker lost the ball to Ireland, who fed Fox, and he combined well with Dan to set Fairhurst away down the right, and with Knutsford struggling to get back, through a series of quick passes, the ball made its way to Jordan 3 yards out, who fired past the keeper for a debut goal, to square the game at 2-2.

 The game became stretched, as both sides won a few wasted short corners, with the first real chance of note falling to Knutsford and being brilliantly saved by a diving Hickinbottom. Lymm should then have won it, or at least taking the lead. A fantastic combination between Ashford and the two central midfielders set in Drury and Freeman, 2 on 1 with the keeper, but he was very quickly off his line and smothered the shot, at the expense of a wasted short corner. And they were made to pay, Knutsford burst down the left and as the ball was crossed in from inside the D, Hickinbottom came out to cut off the cross reaching the striker at the back post, but unfortunately Ireland stretching to intercept knocked the ball goalwards, and handed Knutsford the lead with 5 minutes to play. Try as they might, Lymm couldn’t get back into the game again, and Knutsford hung on for 3 huge points. They will have to get 3 points against South Cheshire next time out, who have the leakiest defence in the league after shipping 10 on Saturday to Bangor.