Vanarama National League North
Broadhurst Park
Saturday 25th August 2018

Leamington got their Bank Holiday weekend off to a perfect start with their first away win of the season at FC United of Manchester.

The positive start to the campaign had been tempered a little by a late defeat at Hereford and another late goal seeing a win turn into a draw against Guiseley, the glass half full merchants viewing that as only one point from six, but only an extreme pessimist could fail to be delighted with the contrast between the opening month of the new season and twelve months ago.

Paul Holleran was able to name the same starting eleven from the draw against Guiseley, with Anthony Dwyer taking his place on the substitutes bench having been absent the previous Saturday due to illness.

A very scrappy start saw the ball in the air far too much which was an insult to the finely manicured Broadhurst Park playing surface, but Leamington took the game by the scruff of the neck only eight minutes in. A throw into the FC United box was not dealt with by the home side, the ball falling nicely for Kieran Dunbar to ram his first goal of the season into the roof of the net to the delight of those in the Brakes support who had stationed themselves behind the goal.

Kurt Willoughby rose well to direct a glancing header wide of Tony Breeden’s left hand post as Liam Dickinson made the most of acres of space down the left to send in a decent cross. Gittings then sent a well struck volley just past the upright from just outside the box at the other end from a weak defensive header.

Brakes looked to have a real opportunity for a second on the counter attack as Jack Edwards nudged the ball out to Dunbar on the right but as he advanced into the penalty area his sight of goal was cut off by United skipper Steven O’Halloran and he was shepherded out of play as he tried to cross.

Kurt Willoughby drove a free kick into the Brakes defensive wall as the home side looked for a way back into the game, and the number 10 was not closed down quick enough on the edge of the box as he then arrowed a powerful low drive across goal and inches past the far post.

There was a lengthy stoppage which led to the worrying sight of Connor Gudger being stretchered off following a challenge on the far side. He was taken to hospital having broken some teeth, and though he was able to travel home he requires an x-ray on his jaw. Hopefully his condition will be better than feared and the result will have raised his spirits, though he received little sympathy from his mean team mates when he returned to the stadium after the game!

Willoughby sent a diving header towards the bottom corner as FC pushed once more, Breeden diving to his left to push the ball away.

Matt Stenson then almost got the better of Daniel Raachi down the right and would have been clean through had he not been penalised for a foul, with both players grabbing hold of each other.

Sam Tattum’s right wing cross was headed well over by Dickinson before Stenson was denied again by the offside flag as he got the better of Scott Kay in the six yard box. The Leamington number 9 was clearly becoming frustrated at coming out on the wrong side of every decision by the Referee despite the sometimes more than close attentions of the home defenders, and was perhaps fortunate not to receive a booking for screaming at the man in charge, who settled for a ticking off instead.

Positive play right at the beginning of the second half saw Edwards head straight at Billy Crellin from close range as the ball was whipped in from the right by Dunbar.

Brodie Litchfield forced Breeden into another save with daisy cutter from just outside the box before Stenson almost got his goal with a brilliant piece of control in the box following a long throw and a blocked header, but he was too close to Crellin, who smothered and held the ball well at point blank range.

Raachi was cautioned for a rather rash challenge on Connor Taylor right on the touchline, and was perhaps wisely substituted shortly afterwards, something he looked less than pleased about.

A cute backheel from Stenson played Dunbar in on the right but the goalscorer blazed well over from a promising position.

Brakes doubled their lead 20 minutes from time, Stenson getting the goal his efforts deserved as he latched on to an intelligent ball out to the right from Edwards after the ball had been won back in the centre circle by Joe Clarke, advancing into the area before sliding a low shot into the net and racing across to celebrate with the jubilant supporters on the near touchline.

Jamal Crawford extended Breeden with a decent strike from outside the box that the Leamington skipper did well to hold as he sprung across goal, before Dunbar extended Crellin with a fiercely struck free kick from 30 yards, the United stopper tipping the ball over the bar.

Substitute James Bowen tried his luck with another dead ball from just outside the box after Gittings had been tripped, but the shot settled comfortably into Crellin’s arms.

FC United continued to battle manfully, and Dickinson’s ball to the edge of the box was perfect for Chris Lynch to strike. Unfortunately for the centre half his shot was always curving away from goal.

With the home support cranking up the volume once more Brakes showed great composure, stroking the ball around and frustrating their opponents as they edged towards victory.

With the game entering its closing stages the players will have been mindful of late goals conceded in previous games, but they kept their composure here and stood firm. Breeden did superbly to watch substitute Joel Logan’s low curling effort through a crowded penalty area, hurling himself to his right to push the ball away. It was half cleared to the edge of the box, where Dickinson’s drive was blocked at close range.

The closing moments of injury time ticked past without incident, and the players were able to celebrate with their jubilant supporters.

‘I’m absolutely delighted, I thought the response from last week was fantastic,’ said Brakes boss Paul Holleran. ‘We were a little bit sloppy at times last week but we were very accomplished today against a side that are very difficult to play against away from home. They commit so many players forward and they rotate well, so I think to keep a clean sheet here is the biggest plus for us today, especially on the back of the late goal against Guiseley, the late goal at Hereford and the goal just after half time there. I think there were some massive individual performances today, and we spoke about it as a group, we knew we had a good support coming today and we were desperate to put a performance in and come back down the M6 with something so to win in the manner we did, we scored some good goals, created some good chances and defended well, it’s a good day's work for us.

‘I was especially pleased for Connor Taylor, it’s taken him a few games to settle in but he’s finding his feet now and is getting used to the system. Young Kieran Dunbar as well, we’ve spoken to him about adding goals to his game. There’s a different goalscorer again today so it all bodes well, and sets it up for what will be a cracker on Monday playing a side that are unbeaten and a club that could go on and do anything really, so we look forward to that and we’ll recover and rest up and go again on Monday.’

Attendance: 1,727

FC United: Billy Crellin, Sam Tattum, Steve O’Halloran ©, Scott Kay, Chris Lynch, Sam Baird, Jamal Crawford (17 Tom Greaves, 78), Danny Raachi (16 Harry Winter, 76), Liam Dickinson, Kurt Willoughby, Brodie Litchfield (15 Joel Logan, 66).

Subs not used: 12 Joel Senior, 14 Jack Bannister.

Leamington: Tony Breeden ©, Junior English, Connor Gudger (12 James Bowen, 33), Joe Clarke, Jamie Hood, James Mace, Kieran Dunbar (15 Ahmed Obeng, 90+2), Callum Gittings, Matt Stenson, Jack Edwards (17 Joe Magunda, 84), Connor Taylor.

Subs not used: 14 Anthony Dwyer, 16 Kieran Morris.

Referee: Aaron Jackson

Assistant Referees: Gareth Thomas & Neil Evans

Brakes Man of the Match: Connor Taylor.