Buildbase FA Trophy 1st Round
Tuesday 17th December 2019

Leamington stormed into the second round of the Buildbase FA Trophy with an ‘old five’ as they trounced Telford on their own turf to extend their cup adventure into the New Year.

A brace from George Carline and a second hat trick of the season for Josh March earned Brakes their biggest win of the season so far and their biggest on the road since September 2016 when they won by the same scoreline at St Ives Town.

Paul Holleran restored Steph Morley to the starting eleven against the club he left back in October, while Callum Gittings stepped into midfield in place of Joe Clarke, who was missing from the squad. For Telford, Matt Stenson lined up against Brakes for the first time since he left for Solihull just over a year ago.

With the pitch still heavy and sanded in places after the substantial rainfall in Shropshire that forced the weekend postponement of the game, conditions were tricky for both sides, and the hosts skipper James McQuilkin picked up an early booking for a challenge on Jack Edwards.

Leamington forced the first opening when Callum Gittings got in on the left as Theo Streete misjudged the flight of the ball, keeper Matthew Yates sticking out a leg to deflect it behind for a corner.

The Bucks replied with a free kick from distance by Brendon Daniels which proved straightforward for Jake Weaver before Brakes hit the front with ten minutes gone. George Carline received the ball from the right and was afforded plenty of time to turn and hit a low shot into the bottom corner.

With the home fans audibly voicing their frustration inside a sparsely populated New Bucks Head, Junior English flashed an inviting ball across goal that nobody in a blue shirt was able to connect with as Leamington continued to hold the upper hand. Edwards then tried his luck from distance, forcing Yates to help the ball over his crossbar. It looked to have been forced over the line following the corner but Referee Richard Holmes signalled a foul on the goalkeeper.

The game appeared to swing further in Leamington’s favour just before the half hour when Riccardo Calder was sent off after bringing down Kaiman Anderson on the edge of the box as he chased a high ball towards goal. Morley fired the resulting free kick just over the bar.

Gittings fired in another shot that was held by Yates as Brakes looked to press home their numerical advantage but the forced changes in personnel and formation seemed to give the home side a spark and they ended the half with their best spell of the game, with Stenson inevitably at the forefront.

Any thoughts that this might hand Telford a route back into the game were dispelled within fifteen minutes of the restart however as Leamington emphatically rammed home their advantage.

Yates was forced into an early save with his legs from Carline, but the goalkeeper turned villain eleven minutes in when he was sold short by a poor back pass from Arlen Birch to bring down March with a poor sliding challenge and concede a penalty, which the striker coolly dispatched to the goalkeepers right.

Within two minutes it was three, March beating Yates in the same position once more as he met Morley’s free kick with a glorious header.

March completed his hat trick in just six minutes when he latched onto a diagonal ball to run in behind the beleaguered Bucks defence and finish calmly past Yates.

Kieran Dunbar saw a shot blocked by former Brakes loan man Zak Lilly, and Edwards almost played the substitute in with a superb ball that was slightly too far in front of the former Telford man for him to get a shot off, but Carline completed the scoring with his second of the evening with eleven minutes to play when he thumped home a header at the far post to give Yates no chance.

Substitute Aaron Williams, on for the injured Stenson, summed up Telford’s evening when somehow heading over the bar from almost on the goal line as a corner was knocked on.

Callum Maycock forced a tremendous one handed save from Yates as he came close to adding a sixth, while Morley sent a shot skidding past the post after his free kick was cleared back out to him. The game had been won long beforehand however, and Leamington were able to savour an emphatic and fully deserved victory which will see them travel into uncharted territory when they visit Kingstonian in the next round.

Attendance: 352

AFC Telford United: Matthew Yates, Arlen Birch, Brendon Daniels, Adam Walker, Zak Lilly, Theo Streete, Riccardo Calder, James McQuilkin, Matt Stenson (15 Aaron Williams, 53), Marcus Dinanga (12 Shane Sutton, 33), Darryl Knights (17 Ryan Barnett, 61).

Subs not used: 13 Sheridan Martinez, 14 Ross White, 16 Matthew Barnes-Homer.

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Junior English, Stephan Morley, Callum Maycock, James Mace, Jack Lane, Kaiman Anderson (14 Kieran Dunbar, 72), Callum Gittings (15 Jordan Murphy, 75) Josh March (16 Connor Taylor, 65), Jack Edwards, George Carline.

Subs not used: 12 Dexter Walters,13 Josh Allen (GK).

Referee: Mr Richard Holmes

Assistant Referees: Mr Declan Brown & Mr Jake Topp

Brakes Man of the Match: Josh March.