Report
Vanarama National League North
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Saturday 30th November 2019
After looking all set to extend their winning run to four games after a bright and confident first half performance, Leamington were forced to hang on for just the one after a spirited Guiseley comeback was aided by a straight red card for Stephan Morley.
On a freezing afternoon in Harbury Lane Paul Holleran was without the suspended Jack Edwards, handing the captain’s armband to Joe Clarke, while bringing in Callum Maycock, Jordan Murphy, Josh March and George Carline from the previous weekend’s victory over Spennymoor in the FA Trophy.
Leamington made the perfect start with just eight minutes played, with the opening goal coming from an unlikely source. George Carline cut the ball in from the left and it wasn’t properly dealt with by the Lions’ defence, Junior English helping it into the path of Clarke, who thundered home his first goal for the club in his 108th appearance right footed and low into the bottom corner from just outside the box.
Gittings made tracks into the box and attempted to set up Carline, who looked to have been impeded by goalkeeper Dewhurst as he tried to nick the ball past him, however Referee Nathaniel Cox was unmoved.
The visitors began to up the tempo, and with Kennedy Digie seemingly missing his kick inside the box, Aram Soleman then stabbing a shot just past the upright.
Guiseley dangerman Aaron Martin saw a shot deflected behind as he turned dangerously inside the box, and from a brief scramble from the corner Digie sent an impressive overhead effort towards goal but into the arms of Weaver.
Leamington doubled their lead with twenty five minutes played when March, who had been well marshalled by the Guiseley defence up to that point, got his first sight of goal as he watched the ball over his shoulder inside the box on the left, and took full advantage with a first time volley beyond Dewhurst into the far corner.
Gittings was left grounded by a late challenge from Soleman as he sent the ball forward for March to chase, his cross to the far post met by Carline who forced a save from Dewhurst at his near post. The Guiseley man was booked at the next break in play. Murphy then came close when he lifted the ball over the advancing keeper but just over the bar from the edge of the box.
March then dug out a decent effort inside the box when his options looked limited, the ball flying just past the post, but Leamington went into the sanctuary of the dressing rooms at half time in a commanding position.
Brakes began the second half a little hesitantly, but still continued to create chances, Carline heading an inviting right wing cross from Murphy just wide at the far post when he should have at least hit the target.
The visitors’ top scorer Martin thumped a powerful header wide from Soleman’s left wing cross as Marcus Bignot’s side began to ask more questions of their hosts.
The game then swung heavily in the visitors favour as Stephan Morley was sent off, much to the disgust of Holleran and Martyn Naylor, with Martin not heading towards goal on the Guiseley right. A free kick was awarded on the edge of the box and though Bradley Nicholson hit the defensive wall with his first attempt he scooped a delightful effort past the dive of Weaver with his second to halve the deficit and stack all the odds in favour of his side going into the final twenty minutes or so.
There is always a sense of uncertainty when a team goes down to ten men, but Brakes continued to battle, limiting the visitors’ chances until two minutes from time when they were undone by a corner played in right under the crossbar, Nicholson getting the all important touch among a sea of bodies to plant a header firmly into the roof of the net.
There were some late jitters as the visitors won consecutive corners, but it was Leamington who could have snatched a winner when Gittings picked up the ball on the left just outside the box before curling a shot wide.
Managers’ Reaction
‘We can’t get away from the fact that we were excellent first half - two up and we had a couple of excellent opportunities, a shout for a penalty when George Carline was taken down from behind.
‘Guiseley are a good side. We knew that the first fifteen minutes of the second half would be important and we nullified that - George Carline’s had a great chance to make it three, and we felt that we were probably dealing with the game in the way we needed to. We looked dangerous on the counter attack and everything was going to plan. The game has been turned on a few things. With Stephan’s sending off - we all had a good view of it. The key thing is obviously, from the pass it’s a straight ball that went straight through to the goalkeeper. We tend to know from the rules that it has to be a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity, which I’ve just explained to the Referee. So I think when you look back at the video, I think I'll be right, that it wasn’t a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity. It’s turned the game on its head. You’ll see that the free kick hasn’t been taken anywhere near where it should be, but when we look back at the first goal we’ll be disappointed at how it ended up in the back of the net because we blocked the first effort. I’m still baffled as to how it ended up in the net. It’s all hands to the pump then, and to be fair if you look at it realistically we’ve limited them really. Set plays were always a big threat though and we’re disappointed that the header has come two or three yards out, and we haven’t dealt with it, but they’ve got good delivery from set plays, they’re a big threat from them. So yeah, it’s disappointing. I thought were two nil up and pretty comfortable, and I thought if anything with Guiseley coming on to us we could have picked them off, that’s how I thought the game was going, but it hasn’t.
‘In this season and this league you get all kinds of scenarios, and sadly we’ve been dealt a bad card, a bad decision or whatever, but we got something out of the game. I just felt that the performance before the sending off deserved so much more.
‘There were lots of good performances today. The unbeaten run ticks on a little bit, and we’ve got another two home games now. Jack Edwards is back on Tuesday as well, so that will help.’
Attendance: 522
Leamington: Jake Weaver, Junior English, Stephan Morley, Callum Maycock, James Mace, Jack Lane, Jordan Murphy (16 Kaiman Anderson, 72), Joe Clarke ©, Josh March (14 Connor Taylor, 81), Callum Gittings, George Carline.
Subs not used: 12 Dexter Walters, 15 Kieran Dunbar, 17 Reece Rawlings.
Guiseley: Marcus Dewhurst, Reiss McNally, Bradley Nicholson, Dylan Barkers, Kennedy Digie (12 Lee Shaw, 81), Scott Garner ©, Aram Soleman, George Cantrill, Aaron Martin, Jamie Spencer, Gabriel Johnson.
Subs not used: 14 Scott Smith, 15 Andrai Jones, 16 Sam Scrivens, 17 Paul Clayton.
Referee: Mr Nathaniel Cox
Assistant Referees: Mr Mr Neil Allsop & Mr Christopher Hunter
Brakes Man of the Match: George Carline.