Report

FA Trophy 1st Round Replay
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Saturday 16th January 2016

Brakes’ weather extended FA Trophy run may now sadly be over, but the performance of the whole team warmed the hearts of the home support on a freezing afternoon at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium.

Paul Holleran’s side put their recent league troubles firmly behind them to push Conference National visitors Altrincham all the way and were desperately unfortunate to get a positive result, a sentiment echoed by the Robins’ manager Lee Sinnott after the game.

With the pitch looking in surprisingly good condition considering the amount of work that had been carried out to help make it playable, the match got off to the worst possible start for Leamington as they fell behind to a fourth minute penalty, Michael Rankine appearing to go to ground very easily as he felt contact from Jamie Hood with the two chasing a hopeful ball towards the penalty area. Worse was expected to follow as with Hood looking like the last man, the Altrincham players surrounded the referee, imploring him to brandish the red card. Only a yellow was produced, but Rankine picked himself up to put away the penalty kick.

Jack Edwards registered Leamington’s first effort of the afternoon on target, heading a free kick delivery straight at keeper Tim Deasy. Breeden was then almost caught out by a lofted effort towards goal from distance. Stranded away from his goal line the Brakes skipper had to scramble back and parry the ball before collecting. Deasy then bravely came off his line to claim a dangerous cross from Ben George ahead of the advancing Edwards.

Ben Mackey was inches from hitting the target with his first effort of the game, heading against the angle of post and bar from close range at the far post following great work by Lee Moore down the right.

James Lawrie smashed a first time drive across goal and past the post after the ball ricocheted back to him from an attempted clearance, but Leamington were growing into the game now and were looking the more threatening. Jamie Tank’s glancing header from Breeden’s floated free kick proved easy enough for Deasy, while Moore curled another dead ball strike into the hands of the Alty stopper from a good position.

Lee Chilton came close when he cut inside from the left to fire a powerful low drive towards goal that was diverted behind by a timely lunge from Altrincham skipper Gianluca Havern. Richard Taundry’s free kick from the left wing was then met by a powerful downward header from Hood which bounced inches past the upright.

Edwards headed wide of goal early in the second half before nodding a free kick into the six yard box from which Mackey launched himself into a close range diving header that was expertly kept out by Deasy, who was wrong footed but still got the block in.

Ryan Crowther saw a shot deflected behind for the visitors but Deasy was soon in action again, reacting well to parry a stinging drive from Mackey, who had been played in by a smart back heel from Edwards.

Altrincham could well have moved two goals clear when Rankine and Lawrie combined to send Simon Richman scampering in on goal, but Ben George lunged in to make a superb block just as the midfielder pulled the trigger.

Paul Holleran introduced Rob Ogleby and Ross Oulton to the action, and after Tank had fired wide at the far post following a corner, Mackey went close again when he received the ball from George on the edge of the box, turning sharply to crash in a shot that was heading for the top corner until Deasy flung himself across his goal to turn the ball over the bar.

The goalkeeper held a header from Ogleby from the resulting corner kick, but with the 90 minutes almost up Brakes finally made their pressure count, Edwards heading on Taundry’s right wing corner to present Mackey with a header just a couple of yards out that he buried past Deasy to the uncontained delight of the Harbury Lane End, who had become noisier with every attack on the Altrincham goal.

The roof would surely have come off had Mackey been able to convert the next chance that came his way. With the atmosphere still buoyant as the home supporters celebrated the equalising goal, Rob Ogleby won the ball in midfield and moved it out left to Chilton, who swept it low into the six yard box, Ogleby letting it run for Mackey, who swept it first time towards goal but agonisingly just over the bar.

Mackey forced another great save from Deasy before the final whistle sounded, but was flagged offside as he latched on to Ogleby’s header to smash another shot towards goal.

Oulton drew another fine save from Deasy early in the first half of extra time, Chilton knocking a free kick sideways on the edge of the box, the first time effort from the substitute was blocked by the goalkeeper, a defender nipping in to clear before Mackey could snap up the loose ball.

Unfortunately though the telling blow was to come from the visitors, Rankine picking up a pass forward and taking on Ben George before unleashing a rocket of a shot that flew past Breeden into the net. It was a great goal, but a body blow for Leamington which they didn’t deserve.

Inevitably Brakes began to run out of steam a little towards the end of extra time, but they continued to press forward Mackey almost getting in on goal again when he took the ball past Deasy on the left, but the keeper did enough to force him too wide and his shot was blocked.

Havern then diverted a close range effort behind for a corner after another good turn from Mackey. Deasy , who was easily his side’s best performer on the day, held a header from Joe Magunda following a free kick as Altrincham saw out the final minutes.

Paul Holleran was understandably disappointed with the result after the effort his side had put in, but challenged them use the performance as a springboard for the rest of the season. ‘It’s a tough one to take, having had so much control and so many chances, but they have taken theirs and we’ve only scored one. There are still mistakes and we’re still a little bit sloppy at times, but there are signs that we are getting back to somewhere near where we need to be. We’ve been the dominant team today, there were a lot of good performances, the only thing we didn’t do was win the game. You’ve also got to give Altrincham a bit of credit - they hung in there and when they got a chance, they took it.

‘We’ve had a good little run in this competition and put in some good performances, but we’ve got to get our heads down now and concentrate on what’s important to us, picking up some points in the league and getting back on track.’

Attendance: 332

Leamington: Tony Breeden ©, Ben George (12 James Fry, 116), Connor Gudger (16 Ross Oulton, 74), Joe Magunda, Jamie Hood, Jamie Tank, Lee Moore (15 Rob Ogleby, 74), Richard Taundry, Ben Mackey, Jack Edwards, Lee Chilton.

Subs not used: 14 Will Green, GK Eddie Caviezel-Cox.

Altrincham: Tim Deasy, Jordan Sinnott, Adam Griffin, Jake Moult, Gianluca Havern, Scott Leather, James Lawrie, Simon Richman, Josh O'Keefe (Damian Reeves, 114), Ryan Crowther (Sam Heathcote, 72), Mark Rankine.

Subs not used: 23 Callum Williams, 18 George Bowerman, 24 Rhain Davies.

Referee: Mr Richard Martin

Assistant Referees: Mr Simon Wales & Mr David Ricketts

Brakes Man of the Match: Ben Mackey