Pre Season Friendly
The Community Stadium
Tuesday 25th August 2020

Leamington turned round a half time deficit with an enterprising second 45 minutes and three goals.

Having been second best to a lively young Walsall side in the first half, a freak own goal shortly before half time gave Brakes fresh impetus, and the introduction of recent signings Lance Smith and Simeon Maye sparked an impressive comeback.

With no clash of colours both sides oddly lined up in their change kit for what was Leamington’s third game of pre season. Saddlers first team manager Darrell Clarke and his coaches Brian Dutton and Maik Taylor were interested spectators as they ran the rule over potential future Walsall stars on an almost autumnal evening in Warwickshire.

The visiting youngsters certainly gave Brakes a stern workout in the first half as they were quicker to every ball and maintained possession well, really making Paul Holleran’s men work to gain a foothold in the game.

The first opportunity of the evening for either side came with just over ten minutes played, a trialist picking up a stray back pass to advance towards goal before feeding another trialist, who drilled in a powerful low shot that Jake Weaver claimed at the second attempt.

The same player looked to find the target again in and around the edge of the box, driving in another low effort that was straight at Weaver.

Brakes contributed to their own downfall as the visitors opened the scoring on sixteen minutes, another loose pass back towards the edge of the box gave the lively trialist number six the chance to drive in another shot which Weaver could only parry, and Joe Willis was on hand to slot the ball into an empty net.

The visitors were certainly the dominant force in the opening half, zipping the ball around and showing some neat touches that were at times simply too quick for the Leamington players.

Only a timely block from Kyle Morrison prevented another shot on Weaver’s goal as the strong wind continued to howl around the Community Stadium.

Walsall’s young side almost doubled their advantage when Willis capitalised on more sleepy defending to crash in a dipping drive that Weaver helped onto the crossbar, the loose ball being headed well over.

Brakes finally troubled the Walsall penalty area moments later when Dan Meredith drove in a fierce first time effort along the turf that was blocked before it could reach the goalkeeper.

Morrison played an intelligent ball out of defence to almost set up Danny Waldron, who stretched to try and get a shot in but was unable to direct the ball past the keeper.

Having barely threatened the Walsall goal Leamington found themselves level four minutes before half time when the Walsall keeper was adjudged to have carried the ball over the line as he rose to meet Kieran Dunbar’s right wing cross, colliding with one of his defenders in the process.

This slice of good fortune invigorated Brakes, and Jack Edwards slipped Waldron in inside the box, the former Rushall man stepping past his marker and unleashing a powerful shot that could well have been bound for the top corner until a great block from Tom Leak diverted it away from goal.

The second half turned out to be far more entertaining from a Leamington perspective as they approached the game with far more vigour. Holleran introduced Smith and Maye and Brakes made a strong start, pushing forward early on and forcing a corner, Morrison rising highest to power in a header which was pushed over the bar by a flying save from the goalkeeper.

Maye then nodded down Junior English’s ball up to the edge of the box down for Joe Parker to thunder in a first time drive that was deflected behind. Meredith quickly followed this up with a low strike from distance that the keeper watched all the way.

Brilliant perseverance by Smith to win the ball back on the right touchline saw it worked in to Meredith, who smuggled it out to Waldron on the left, the striker doing well to engineer the space for a shot which was unfortunately blocked at source.

He was right on the money with his next attempt however, swivelling to send a well executed acrobatic effort into the net as Edwards headed the ball on to him inside the box.

The contrast in the second half display was stark - the Brakes players showed far more confidence and belief. Weaver confidently rose above a packed six yard box to claim a corner, while Morrison was impressive once more at the back, marshalling the defence well and making some well timed blocks. Meredith was busy in midfield, biting into challenges and winning the ball back.

Leamington’s trialist substitute possibly chose the wrong option when opting to try and send a square pass to Waldron inside the box instead of attempting a shot when in space on the right, while Smith was left frustrated as he miskicked inside the box after being fed by Edwards.

In the closing stages Waldron bamboozled his marker with a neat turn, supplying a cross which was only cleared out as far as English, who set himself before volleying just over the bar. Kaiman Anderson, who looked lively stepping off the bench, then forced the goalkeeper into a save with a powerful low drive.

Leamington capped their second half turnaround with a third goal 11 minutes from time. Anderson played in his trialist team mate for a mazy run and cross which was missed by a sliding defender but not by Meredith, who drove it firmly into the net.

The visitors’ trialist number six, who had a quiet second half, came close with their only real effort of the half, a powerful drive that whistled inches over Weavers’ crossbar.

Smith forced a fine one handed save from the goalkeeper as he took aim from the edge of the box, but Paul Holleran will surely have been delighted with the way his side transformed their performance after half time.

Leamington: Jake Weaver (17 Josh Allen 90), Junior English, Jack Lane, Joe Clarke (15 Simeon Maye, 46), Kyle Morrison, Josh Martin, Kieran Dunbar (12 Lance Smith, 46), Dan Meredith, Danny Waldron, Jack Edwards (14 Kaiman Anderson, 77), Joe Parker (16 Trialist, 54).

Walsall: Trialist, Lynch, J Perry, Leak, Faulkes, Campbell, S Perry, Trialist, Trialist, Willis, Trialist.

Substitutes unknown.