Pre Season Friendly
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Tuesday 13th July 2021

Brakes registered a first win in pre season as they edged out a gutsy young Walsall outfit.

As they had done on Saturday Leamington opened brightly, this time capping it off with a goal seven minutes in. Dan Turner showed a clean pair of heels to Walsall right back Josh Simcox, his low driven cross picked up just outside the box by Kaiman Anderson, who controlled and took a touch before crashing in a rocket of a shot that clipped the inside of the post before bouncing back out, but Referee Tom Reeves signalled the ball had crossed the line.

Brakes continued to press, sending several crosses into the arms of goalkeeper Tommy Jackson. The Trialist number 9 saw two half chances blocked in quick succession. He then picked up possession on the right, crossing low to the near post for Turner, who was denied by Simcox at the expense of a Leamington corner.

The young Saddlers defence put in a couple of fine challenges to stop Turner and Anderson in full flow as Brakes went looking for more goals, Turner going close as he picked up possession just outside the box before driving powerfully just over the bar. He then danced between two defenders but let himself down with the shot, which flew well wide.

The young Walsall side had their first shot on goal five minutes before half time, Samin Sarvari firing a weak effort well wide.

The half ended as it had begun, with Brakes camped inside their opponents half, but despite getting into plenty of good positions they failed to press home their advantage and returned to the dressing room with the solitary strike from Anderson.

A Trialist introduced at half time looked to be in with a decent chance, but Steph Morley put him off sufficiently for Jake Weaver to dart off his line to claim the ball.

At the other end Simeon Maye burst through only to see his deliberately placed shot towards the far corner met with a fine save from Jackson at the expense of a corner.

The visitors were starting to make more of an impression on the game, and Marvellous Onabirekhanlen drove a low strike inches wide of the post before winning a couple of corners, from the second of which Simcox met the ball at the far post with a fabulous overhead effort which cannoned back off the underside of the bar.

Leamington rallied however, and superb vision from Trialist A to find Dan Meredith on the right with a defence splitting pass saw the substitute stand a fine ball up to the far post, where Trialist B powered home a header.

With twenty minutes remaining the visitors were awarded a slightly fortuitous free kick right on the edge of the Leamington penalty area, and Ronan Maher channelled his inner Kevin De Bruyne, arrowing the ball into the bottom corner as the defensive wall jumped expecting a higher effort.

Brakes retaliated with Jackson saving two shots in quick succession at close range. The visitors broke and Weaver bravely saved at the feet of a Trialist.

After a brief break in play a Leamington corner found its way out to Meredith, whose goal bound shot was deflected behind.

Young substitute Josh Beeson appeared eager to impress at first team level, looking lively and ready to take on his man, forcing a couple of corners, seeing a cross-shot land on the roof of the net and almost catching out Jackson as he flicked Morley’s cross towards goal inside the six yard box.

Danny Waldron’s inviting low cross was almost turned into his own net by Walsall substitute Joe Perry, the ball hitting the post before going behind, but Waldron completed the scoring for the evening when he cut in from the left to send the ball fizzing past Jackson into the far corner for a third for Leamington.

Leamington: Jake Weaver (GK Josh Allen, 88), Josh Martin (15 Dan Meredith, 46), Stephan Morley, Simeon Maye (12 Jack Edwards, 64), Junior English, Jack Lane, Kaiman Anderson (16 Danny Waldron, 46), Trialist A, Trialist B (18 Josh Beeson, 64), Joe Parker (19 Lance Smith, 46), Dan Turner (17 James Mace, 75).

Subs not used: 14 Kyle Morrison.

Walsall: 1 Tommy Jackson, 2 Josh Simcox, 3 Brad Taylor, 5 Joe Perry, 82), 4 Jack Shaw (23 Trialist 2, 46), 6 Noel Angafor, 7 Antonio Cristoforo (21 Trialist 1, 46), 8 Ronan Maher, 9 Callum Derry, 10 Samin Sarvari, 18 Rio Sawyers, 14 Marvellous Onabirekhanlen.

Subs not used: 13 Zac Hedge, 20 Trialist 3, 19 Trialist 4.

Referee: Mr Tom Reeves.

Assistant Referees: Mr Mitch Cartwright & Mr Harley McKittrick.