Vanarama National League North
The Brewery Field 
Saturday 14th December 2024

Brakes made the long pre Christmas haul to County Durham to take on Spennymoor Town at the Brewery Field, a ground on which they had never scored. They put that statistic to bed, but an unfortunate own goal saw them leave with nothing once more, although they gave a far better account of themselves than on previous visits, and the players will be disappointed to head off on their Christmas night out having taken nothing from the game. 

There were three changes to Tuesday’s starting eleven; Ewan Williams and Jack Edwards returning, while Dan Turner made his second debut for the club after rejoining on loan from Chester on Thursday. 

Spennymoor seem to have had a settled side this season as they have made their way into their usual position in the upper reaches of the National League North table, and their starting eleven contained only one change from their visit to Leamington back in August. Derby County loanee Ryan Bartley, who was probably partly responsible for their defeat that day, had departed, and Scunthorpe United loan man Finley Shrimpton was in his place. 

Leamington were bright from the kick off, and forced the hosts back into their own half in the opening five minutes. Henry Landers’ right wing corner flashed dangerously close to the far post, but it was Spennymoor who registered the first shot on goal of the afternoon when their captain Glen Taylor cut inside Rob Evans on the right and drove straight at Callum Hawkins. 

Taylor was involved again as Rob Ramshaw almost slid the perfect pass through into the box for the number nine, but he poked his shot wide under pressure from Theo Streete. 

Brakes had started well however and were in front on eleven minutes. Turner was the provider, chesting down a high ball twenty yards out and spotting the run of Landers up the right, feeding the perfect diagonal ball across the heart of the Spennymoor defence for Landers to latch on to and drive powerfully beyond Brad James into the net to the delight of the small band of travelling supporters in the terrace behind the goal, who were able to celebrate a goal at the Brewery Field for the very first time. 

They came close to a second when Jack Edwards thundered in a downward header from a ball played in from the right that was blocked in a crowded six yard box. Edwards quickly latched onto the loose ball, and stabbed a shot just past the right hand post. 

Nimble footwork from Cally Stewart almost saw him trick his way into a scoring position deep inside the Moors area on the left as he latched onto Turner’s flick on, but he ran out of pitch, winning a corner which came to nothing, although the ball in was good again from Landers. 

Taylor, Spennymoor’s record goalscorer, is closing in on his second century for the club, and demonstrated that his threat is still as strong as ever when he held off several Brakes defenders and still managed to get a shot off, but it was comfortable for Hawkins. 

There was a confidence and spring to Leamington’s play not always seen away from home. They were eager to get at their hosts despite being well aware of the threat they carried. Rob Evans received the first booking of the afternoon for clattering into Taylor, and from the resulting right wing corner by Matty Dolan the ball appeared to spin off a body towards the goal line, but was hooked away before it crossed. 

The natives were becoming audibly restless with only half an hour played. Taylor smashed a close range snapshot high over the bar from a tight angle as Evans foot in to block a low cross sat up nicely for the striker. 

Spennymoor were building up a head of steam now in their attempts to draw level, and with Leamington defending stoutly, another foot in by Evans allowed Reece Staunton to drill in a very good first time cross that whistled just over the crossbar. 

They quickly threatened again. Despite Turner’s best efforts to track back, Ramshaw got away down the right wing and cut the ball back for Isaac Fletcher to drive a shot just over. Ramshaw then leathered a shot into team mate Taylor from just outside the box. 

With the Moors pressing down the slope it felt like Leamington would do well to hold on to the half time whistle as another ball flashed into the side netting, and they managed to do just that, but would have done so knowing that the game was far from over.

Spennymoor were immediately back on the offensive as the second half began; Ollie Dyson having a shot superbly blocked by Quaynor out on the right. It was clear that if Leamington were to get to the end of the game with the scoreline still in their favour, they would certainly have earned it. They were in an unfamiliar position, in front on the road for only the third time all season. However, the home side were guilty of missing some guilt edged opportunities, and Taylor back-heeled into the path of Dyson as the ball was dug out from the right touchline, but the shot was high over the bar.  

Brakes began to exert some pressure of their own for the first time in the half, George Ward heading a long throw from Evans wide of the target. The home support behind the goal were screaming handball as Streete chested down another cross into the box, but the hosts were level with their next attack. The Brakes defence backed off Taylor as he advanced towards the box, and he bent a fine strike into the far corner, quickly sprinting to collect the ball from the back of the net.

To their credit Brakes went straight down the other end and won themselves a corner, but they were on the backfoot again quickly; Taylor winning a free kick right on the edge of the Leamington area that was blasted into the defensive wall, but the ball fell invitingly for Callum Ross, and his first time shot was just wide of the post, with Hawkins rooted to the spot. 

Brakes were having a good spell in the game, but there was always the pacy threat of the home side on the counter attack. 

The game was turned on its head with a little over twenty minutes to play. Callum Hawkins had one of those moments where he probably wished the ground would swallow him up, as he rose to collect the ball from a left wing corner, and it spilled from his grasp into the net. It was a horrible moment for the Brakes keeper, but football is a team game. You win and lose as a team, and Callum has saved and earned us enough points in the past not to let this luckless moment linger for too long. 

The travelling support were livid amongst the ironic jeers of the home support as Leamington saw a potential equaliser ruled out for offside. A shot was swept in towards goal, and James looked to have produced a fine save to help it over the bar, but the ball dropped for Stewart to poke in from a yard out. The travelling support were incandescent as the flag went up to rule it out, feeling the ball had crossed the line beforehand, but the decision stood.

Spennymoor were the width of a post from a third goal as Ramshaw’s sharp turn and close range shot clattered the upright. 

The game was a little more scrappy and stretched in the closing moments, and Streete lifted a cross into the box from which Stewart sent a diving header over the bar. 

There was another chance for Spennymoor to put what would have been some gloss onto the scoreline as Streete’s sideways pass to Evans was pounced on by substitute Sam Fishburn, but Hawkins made himself big and produced a superb block to deny him. 

There was little time left for a response, and Brakes were left to contemplate a sixth successive league defeat. The players were disconsolate as they left the pitch, but they have the quality to bounce back, and they will. 

‘I thought we started the game really well,’ said Paul Holleran afterwards. ‘We were really positive, and got the goal I think our play deserved. And then, I don’t know how we haven’t gone two up - I think one of our players blocked it on the line? I’ll have to look back at it. 

‘They grew into the game, and I think the periods where we’ve got to do better are either side of half time. It’s probably the second half I’m disappointed with the most. They had a couple of really good chances in the first half, there’s no doubt about that, but I think for our first twenty/twenty five minutes we deserved the lead. We’ve come out second half and that’s the period that’s done me a little bit. We went through it at half time. I thought tactically we were alright but we aren’t aggressive enough, we haven’t stepped out enough. We’ve allowed the build up on the left hand side, we’ve got to do better with that. It’s a great finish from the boy but I think we’ve got to step out and be better there - we backed off them. 

‘Then we’ve responded, and got back into the game, but then sadly, Callum’s made a misjudgement - as I’ve just said him in the dressing room, listen son, you’ve saved us many a time, so that’s one of them, we’ve just got to deal with that. But then the character of the team’s come again; we had two or three chances. We’ve had a ‘goal’, which, I don’t know, was it in, was it heading in, was it offside. I don’t know! I couldn’t see from my angle. 

‘I don’t think anyone who’s seen the game today could argue that we didn’t deserve something out of it, but that’s football, and that’s where we are at the moment. There hasn’t been a lot wrong with most of our recent performances, but you move away from that. Sometimes when you’re in a bit of a rut you look at it and you can see the effort, application and work ethic of the players; you can see the desire. We’re creating chances, and you do get punished in this division. We didn’t step out to Glen Taylor - there aren’t players in Step 3 last season who could score a goal like he scored, and sometimes that’s the problem you’ve got. 

‘At the risk of repeating myself again you’ve got to try and tidy up those areas, those moments; whether it’s the individual mistakes, or the sort of patterns of play we’ve got to do better, but I’m convinced if we can keep the levels where they are now, and we can have Dan (Meredith) back next week as well, then that will hold us in good stead, because you looked round the pitch today - the back four was excellent again, the middle of park was in good shape - Jack Edwards has come in and done well again today. I thought Cally was tremendous; the wide men, the link up for the goal was great. There was so much to like about the performance, but sadly in this league you can come away, do well and get beat, because every side is a good side, and that’s probably where we are today really. I thought the balance of the game was a draw, but that’s where we are.’

Attendance: 1,064

Spennymoor Town: 1 Brad James, 3 Reece Staunton, 4 Callum Ross, 6 Ben Beals, 8 Isaac Fletcher (17 Aidan Rutledge, 85), 9 Glen Taylor © (23 Sam Fishburn, 90), 10 Rob Ramshaw, 14 Ollie Dyson, 24 Michael Ledger, 27 Finlay Shrimpton (11 Junior Mondal, 72), 29 Matty Dolan.

Subs not used: 19 Nathan McGinley, 28 Corey McKeown. 

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 3 Josh Quaynor, 5 Theo Streete, 6 Rob Evans, 7 Henry Landers (19 Ant Lynn, 76), 8 Adam Walker ©, 9 Cally Stewart, 10 Jack Edwards (21 Joe Clarke, 86), 14 George Ward, 17 Ewan Williams, 23 Dan Turner (11 Tim Berridge, 76). 

Subs not used: 16 Jiah Medrano, 22 Joel Shambrook. 

Referee: Mr Ben Robinson

Assistant Referees: Mr Jack Birch & Mr Stephen Birkett 

Fourth Official: Mr Lewis Marriner

Brakes Man of the Match: Theo Streete.