Report
Vanarama National League North
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Saturday 30th August 2019
Leamington ended the opening month of the season with a third consecutive National League North victory as a brace from the in form Josh March saw off a gutsy Blyth Spartans outfit who certainly did not look like a struggling bottom of the table side.
Paul Holleran may spoken out against the congested fixture list in the early weeks of the campaign but he declared himself delighted with the way his side kept their composure in strong winds against hard working opponents to eventually secure a win which sees them finish August ten points clear of the bottom two and six points behind early pace setters York City at the top of the table. Nobody will be getting carried away however as there is an awful lot of football to be played yet, but it is a promising start nonetheless.
Callum Gittings fired Leamington’s first opportunity on goal over the bar with a little over five minutes played, the swirling wind proving a hindrance as the ball flew into the vegetation on the North Bank. March came closer with the next chance, his vicious drive deflected behind for a corner.
Blyth looked busy early on and certainly didn’t start the game like a struggling side, forcing Jake Weaver off his line to make a brave block at the feet of Oliver Scott as Adam Wrightson’s intelligent ball played him in on the left.
March was off towards goal once more as Spartans keeper Mark Foden’s wayward kick out allowed Kieran Dunbar to play the ball through for the Brakes striker. Scott kept up with him well however and got something on the shot to help it over the bar.
Despite the swirling wind Leamington began to look more threatening going forward, some patient build up play ending with George Carline’s ball into the box finding Kieran Dunbar, Blyth scrambling the ball clear as Kaiman Anderson closed in. Another corner appeared to hold up in the wind, with nobody able to scramble the ball in at the far post.
March went close again when Carline’s low first time cross following a throw in was met first time by the in form front man, but if anything he connected too well, the ball flying straight into the grateful arms of Foden, who would surely have been beaten if the ball had been directed anywhere else.
Lee Clark’s men looked dangerous on the counter attack themselves when experienced talisman Robbie Dale bamboozled James Mace to play Callum Roberts through, but some smart defending from a sharp looking Cieron Keane snuffed out the danger.
With neither side having enjoyed a really clear cut chance in the difficult conditions as half time approached both went close, Scott curling a low strike into the arms of Weaver, while Gittings’ cross was headed just over the bar by March.
Jack Edwards was the beneficiary of another good ball from Keane early in the second half but was unable to find the back of the net with his header, the offside flag raised to deny him in the event.
Anderson connected with his thigh as Carline fired a cross in from the right, the ball landing harmlessly in the arms of Foden.
The pendulum swung in Leamington’s favour just past the hour mark off the back of the first substitution of the game. Holleran introduced Ravi Shamsi into the strikers role, moving March out to the wing and within two minutes he was bundled over inside the box by Scott for a penalty. The Blyth man protested that he was having his shirt pulled but Referee Sam Mulhall was unmoved, and in what seems to be becoming a game by game occurrence, March stepped up to smash the ball into the net past Foden.
The goalscorer received treatment from Pete Denham in front of the main stand after twice being shoved to the turf, but within moments he was celebrating his second of the game as a right wing corner caused havoc in the Blyth defence, Jack Lane connecting at the far post and Anderson doing superbly to hold the ball up, turn and shoot, with March finishing from little more than a yard out, his seventh goal in eight games.
Connor Taylor replaced the goalscorer shortly afterwards, and was bizarrely cautioned after looking to come out on the wrong end of a challenge on the far side.
Taylor saw a late effort deflected through to Foden but Brakes saw out the closing minutes comfortably to round off a highly satisfying week.
Attendance: 495
Leamington: Jake Weaver, George Carline, Cieron Keane (16 Jamie Hood. 83), Joe Clarke, James Mace, Jack Lane, Kieran Dunbar (12 Ravi Shamsi, 61), Callum Gittings, Josh March (15 Connor Taylor, 77), Jack Edwards, Kaiman Anderson.
Subs not used: 14 Gift Mussa
Blyth Spartans: Mark Foden, Rhys Evans, Oliver Scott, Tom Devitt, Lewis Ritson (16 Jake Orrell, 81), Christopher Mason, Adam Wrightson (15 Scott Fenwick, 65), Joe Robson, Joachim Mouanda, Callum Roberts, Robbie Dale © (14 Michael Sweet, 65).
Subs not used: 12 Lewis Horner, 19 Nathan Harker.
Referee: Mr Sam Mulhall
Assistant Referees: Mr Timothy Walker & Mr Niall Smith
Brakes Man of the Match: Jack Lane.
