Report
Evostik Southern League Premier Division
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Saturday 18th March 2017
Brakes continued their recent upturn in form with five more goals and yet another clean sheet against a mid table Dunstable side who were able to offer little in return.
The visitors may well have had one eye on their Bedfordshire Senior Cup final on Monday evening, but Leamington have the bit firmly between their teeth now as they ticked off another fixture in their pursuit of top spot.
Jack Edwards spurned a couple of early chances to take his goal tally for the season into double figures, first heading a cross wide and then side footing a powerful first time effort inches over the bar from Rob Thompson-Brown’s left wing corner.
Dunstable were close to going ahead when an audacious long range effort from Adam Moussi almost caught Tony Breeden off his line, the Brakes skipper backpedaling to push the ball onto the bar.
Courtney Baker-Richardson opened the scoring on 14 minutes with a bolt from the blue, running at left back Gedeon Okito before crashing a low strike across the penalty area which rocketed past a static Jack Smith into the far corner.
Callum Gittings came mightily close to quickly extending the lead when he finished a good move by volleying inches past the post, but Leamington would move two goals clear on 25 minutes when Ahmed Obeng’s close control inside the box drew a foul from Jordan Odofin, handing Rob Thompson-Brown to opportunity to move into double figures for the season as he confidently dispatched the penalty into the bottom corner, sending Smith the wrong way.
A third goal would arrive before half time, the unfortunate Okito diverting a miscued effort from Edwards into his own net after previous shots had been blocked by the Dunstable defence.
Thompson-Brown saw an early second half shot from distance saved by Smith after his continued attempts to replicate Tony Breeden’s forays out of his penalty area nearly saw him come unstuck. Unfortunately his next attempt ended in a fourth goal for Leamington when he attempted to lift the ball over Obeng to clear it, only for Edwards to nip in and dispossess him before slotting into the empty net.
With a comfortable advantage Paul Holleran used to opportunity to introduce fresh legs with a big week of fixtures ahead, introducing Richard Gregory, debutant Kurtis Revan, and Tom James. Baker-Richardson saw a shot deflected just over the bar after the initial effort from Edwards had been blocked, while Nathan Olukanmi, who made the switch to Dunstable from Leamington back in January, fired in a shot from 20 yards that was held by Breeden. Richard Taundry then completed the ‘old five’ as he drilled a well struck effort in from 18 yards after the visitors could only half clear a corner.
Jamie Hood was left in acres of space from a corner, but with time to pick his spot fired disappointingly wide, while Gregory volleyed first time just past the upright after Baker-Richardson had knocked the ball down to him 25 yards out.
This was another impressive three points for Leamington however, and they now go into Tuesday’s Birmingham Senior Cup Semi Final against Walsall in good spirits.
Attendance: 419
Leamington: Tony Breeden ©, Richard Taundry, Connor Gudger (14 Tom James, 70), Darren Pond, Jamie Hood, Joe Magunda (12 Richard Gregory, 60), Courtney Baker-Richardson, Callum Gittings, Ahmed Obeng (16 Kurtis Revan, 62), Jack Edwards, Rob Thompson-Brown.
Subs not used: 15 Ben George, 17 Charlie Hornby.
Dunstable Town: Jack Smith, Harry Bean (14 Adam Pepara, 67), Gedeon Okito, Danny Green ©, Jordan Odofin, David Longe-Kinge, Jetmir Esso, Shane Bush, Josh Oyinsan (16 Vences Bola, 46), Adam Moussi, Kelvin Bossman (15 Nathan Olukanmi, 56).
Subs not used: 12 Danny Talbot, 17 Tony Fontenelle.
Referee: Mr Neil Pratt
Assistant Referees: Mr Tom Kidd & Mr Scott Tallis
Brakes Man of the Match: Courtney Baker-Richardson.
