Pre Season Friendly
The Victoria Ground
Saturday 29th July 2017

Brakes ended their pre season fixtures unbeaten with a fifth win from six as they tamed a hard working Bromsgrove Sporting side at the Victoria Ground.

Without the services of centre backs Jamie Hood, James Mace and Joe Magunda, and Liam Canavan not risked with him still recovering from injury, Brakes drafted in Solihull Moors youngster Marshall Willock to fill in alongside Junior English, and he slotted in seamlessly, looking unflustered all afternoon.

The home side made a positive start, their best chance in the opening fifteen minutes coming when Jason Cowley slipped an intelligent ball through for John Pykett, who drove his shot into the arms of Tony Breeden. Ben Birch had earlier sent a shot from outside the box over the bar. Kurtis Revan shot wide for Brakes after being set up by Colby Bishop, his shot lacking the purchase to trouble keeper Steve Grogan.

Max Tranter picked up a loose ball midway through the Leamington half to play Cowley into a decent position, but he blazed his shot high over the bar.

Brakes hit the front on 27 minutes, slightly against the run of play, when Revan sped clear up the right, firing the ball across goal from the touchline. Rob Thompson-Brown picked up possession at the far post and had time to turn back towards goal and lift a shot over Grogan.

This seemed to spark Leamington into life and Revan was involved once more on the half hour, his dart up the right ending with a cross to the near post, Courtney Baker-Richardson powering in a header which Grogan did superbly to tip over. He was left helpless from the corner however, Baker-Richardson heading into the ground and over him into the net.

The two goal burst seemed to rattle Bromsgrove briefly but they were soon on the front foot once more, Cowley sending a well struck free kick into Breeden’s arms. Recent signing from Racing Club Warwick Wade Malley then snatched at a chance, slicing wildly out of the ground.

Revan drove first time over the bar from the edge of the box, and Thompson-Brown’s curling effort from a similar distance prompted a spot of juggling from Grogan. Baker-Richardson’s knock down for Callum Gittings to strike along the ground first time saw the ball safely into the arms of the keeper.

Baker-Richardson sent an early second half sighter straight at Grogan, while Pykett had Bromsgrove’s first effort, arrowing in a low drive from the right which Breeden held well down at his near post.

The hosts almost pulled one back in bizarre circumstances when Josh Quaynor’s low curling ball in somehow missed the attempted clearances of at least two Brakes defenders as it whistled through the penalty area and out of play.

Brakes added a third shortly after this however, Revan tricking his way into the box past several challenges, his shot ricocheting into the path of Colby Bishop, who gleefully crashed home his first goal of pre season off the body of Grogan.

A vicious effort from Tom Rankin was almost forced home on the line by Bishop soon after this, while young Brakes substitute Shay Nicholson almost let in Malley for a goal, his pass back towards Breeden pounced upon by the Rouslers new signing, whose curling effort dropped inches past the post.

Bishop wrapped things up for Leamington with a stylish fourth in injury time, running on to a fine ball over the top from Gittings to steer a neat effort into the net.

Attendance: 421

Bromsgrove Sporting: Steve Grogan, Ben Birch (12 Matty Savage, 82), Josh Quaynor, Max Tranter (14 Brendan Kelly, 76), Duane Courtney, Daral Morris, Max Loveridge, Reece Hewitt, Jason Cowley (19 Chris Conway, 38), Wade Malley (15 Joe Hingley, 78), John Pykett.

Subs not used: 17 Paul Smith

Leamington: Tony Breeden, Richard Taundry, Connor Gudger, Joe Clarke, Marshall Willock (16 Shay Nicholson, 75), Junior English, Courtney Baker-Richardson (12 Stefan Moore, 61), Callum Gittings, Colby Bishop, Rob Thompson-Brown (15 Tom Rankin, 46), Kurtis Revan.

Subs not used: 14 Ahmed Obeng, Ben Ntiri (GK).