Manarama National League North
The Pure Stadium
Saturday 2nd November 2019

Brakes returned empty handed from the long trip to promotion chasing Southport as a double blast at the beginning and end of the afternoon put paid to their hopes of a first National League North win in six games.

Paul Holleran bought Stephan Morley, Joe Clarke and Dexter Walters back into his starting eleven, while Jack Edwards was unavailable. Callum Maycock made his first league start after his debut in the Birmingham Senior Cup win over Highgate.

The afternoon got off to the worst possible start for Brakes as the hosts took the lead with just 53 seconds played. Jake Weaver had already had to clear from the edge of his box as the pacy Devarn Green looked to race onto a through ball, but he was left helpless as Green beat Morley to a header just inside the Leamington area on the right, the ball falling perfectly for skipper David Morgan to hook a powerful first time volley into the far corner.

Not even afforded time to settle into the game, Leamington looked shaky in the opening minutes, their first effort at goal coming from the head of Junior English from a left wing free kick, keeper Charlie Albinson holding the ball comfortably.

Further off target efforts followed from Callum Gittings and Dexter Walters but matters became worse with 13 minutes played. Green was tormentor in chief once more, beating Morley before whipping in another cross. The ball rolled nicely for Marcus Wood to strike low from the edge of the box, and with Weaver only able to parry it fell perfectly for Bradley Bauress to net from little more than a yard out, a simple strike for what was Southport’s 2,500th goal in non league football.

Leamington looked to be in more trouble when Weaver tore out of his box to contest a ball forward with Green, who got there first and laid it back for Morgan to strike, James Mace getting in the way to head clear.

Brakes at least began to make some inroads upfield after this, George Carline heavily involved as he eventually won a corner on the right, from which Callum Maycock scooped a shot over the bar. Carline then glanced a header just wide when well placed as Walters swung in a free kick from the left.

The game became more of an even affair for a period, but Green looked to have been played away again on the right and danced into the box once more, but Jamie Hood kept pace with him and got a toe to the shot which enabled Weaver to hold the shot.

Josh March looked frustrated as he was just unable to get any purchase on his flick from Walters’ left wing corner as Brakes failed to find a pick-me-up before half time.

Walters looked lively as the second half commenced, and was involved as Brakes picked up an early goal back. March was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area by Ryan Astles, and there were no real protests from the home players. The Referee was adamant, however, and the striker stepped up to confidently fire home his 13th goal of the season.

Gittings directed a deft header straight at Albinson as Leamington looked to stun a vocal home crowd by quickly hauling themselves level, but they conceded a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the box, the attempted strike hitting the defensive wall before Jack Doyle’s follow up was deflected behind.

Green continued to provide the main threat to Leamington, and intelligently let the ball roll across his body to beat Morley before delivering another good ball in from the right which Morgan met with a firm header, Weaver dropping to his left to make the save. Raul Correia then did well to avoid several challenges on the edge of the box before driving low towards goal but straight at Weaver.

The hosts came close to a third when a good right wing centre from substitute Connor Woods saw Morgan strike the bar with another good effort. The two players then combined again, Wood’s effort rebounding to Morgan, whose first bite was blocked, the second straight at Weaver.

Morley was pinging some superb passes all over the pitch, and sent Walters scampering down the right, the on loan Coventry City youngster squaring for March who was frustrated once more as his shot rolled tamely past the post.

The clinching goal arrived with four minutes to play for the hosts, some great work on the left from Woods seeing him thread the ball into the centre for Morgan to slot home his second of the afternoon off the inside of the post.

A neat flick from March brought him the space to try his luck from all of 30 yards with a well struck effort that was unfortunately straight at Albinson, but the hosts broke again in injury time, Junior English conceding a needless penalty with a shove on Woods, and Morgan duly completed his hat trick before earning a standing ovation as he was substituted.

The late goals were somewhat harsh on Brakes who were much improved in the second half, and they will have ten days to lick their wounds before a long midweek trip to King’s Lynn Town.

Thanks must go to the group of lads over from the Isle of Man who lent their noisy support to Leamington throughout. If you’re reading this you will be made more than welcome should you ever fancy a visit to Leamington!

*Many thanks to Julia Urwin at Southport FC for use of her photographs. 

Attendance: 947

Southport: Charles Albinson, Zehn Mohammed, Jack Doyle, Dean Winnard, Ryan Astles, David Morgan © ( 15 Elliot Richards, 90), Russell Benjamin, Marcus Wood, Devarn Green (13 Kieran Glynn, 87), Raul Correia, Bradley Bauress (12 Connor Woods, 62).

Subs not used: 14 Andrew Parry, 16 Daniel Hanford.

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Junior English, Stephan Morley, Joe Clarke (14 Kieran Dunbar, 84), Jamie Hood ©, James Mace, George Carline, Callum Maycock, Josh March, Callum Gittings (12 Kaiman Anderson, 73), Dexter Walters.

Subs not used: 15 Jack Lane, 16 Connor Taylor, 17 Gift Mussa.

Referee: Mr James Westgate

Assistant Referees: Mr Jamie Waters & Mr Stephen Rushworth.

Brakes Man of the Match: Dexter Walters.

Reaction from Paul Holleran

‘We have to be realistic, we can’t start games the way we did today. When you come to Southport they are a team that I personally think will go very close (to promotion), and you know when they’re at home they will come right at you, especially with the midfield runners. We were aware of that but we didn’t deal with it for fifteen - twenty minutes and we found ourselves two down against a good side. I was pleased with the character we showed after that and leading up to the end of the first half we got back in the game, had a good chance to get one back, missed that, and then for twenty/twenty five minutes in the second half against a good side we’ve gone toe to toe and might have even edged certain periods of the game.

‘The game got a bit stretched at the end, but yet again, I think if you look at three of their four goals you look at individual errors from our point of view. It’s a tough place to come, we’ve been beaten here before by a similar scoreline and we’ve been well beaten, but today I think for long periods we’ve given a good account of ourselves, played some good football and looked a threat, but sadly….. We had a great chance to go 2-2, and with probably ten minutes to go we took a bit of a gamble, threw a couple of high line players on to try and get that goal and obviously it’s gone the other way. I think if you can take the first ten minutes and the last ten minutes out of the game it’s been a pretty good game! But that’s this league and we’ll brush ourselves down and go again.’