Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 28 August 2021

by Max Passantino

Leamington got their season started in spectacular fashion as goals from Dan Turner and Jack Edwards and a heroic goalkeeping performance from Jake Weaver secured all three points on a lovely Warwickshire day at Your Co-op Community Stadium.

Paul Holleran announced a familiar starting eleven for the Brakes, with Kelsey Mooney and Devon Kelly-Evans making their Leamington debuts. Kieran Cook was named amongst the Brakes substitutes. 

Both sides started slowly in the first half, testing each other out - both lining up in similar formations - with no shots in the first 10 minutes from either side. A Brakes corner on 8 minutes after a Dan Meredith cross was blocked came to nothing with Spennymoor easily clearing. 

New summer signing from Nuneaton Borough Devon Kelly-Evans was quick to make himself the man on set piece duty for the Brakes as Leamington had the first effort of the game from one of his free kicks, Jack Lane’s shot on the stretch easily saved at chest height by Dale Eve. 

It was Spennymoor’s turn to attack next, Rob Ramshaw forcing Jake Weaver into a save from point blank range on the eighteenth minute. Mark Anderson thought he had won the Moors a corner as he powered a half volley at Jake Weaver but he was adjudged to be offside by the linesman. 

A Devon Kelly-Evans free kick was headed down by Kyle Morrison, but Jack Edwards couldn’t connect with the ball and Bermudan international Dale Eve comfortably held. Spennymoor went right up the other end and had strong claims for a penalty as Meredith appeared to take Stephen Thompson down, but the referee waved the claims away. 

For the final 15 minutes of the first half, Kelsey Mooney peppered Eve with efforts from all ranges. It looked as if his drive from 20 yards would drop in, but it fell just wide of the post. Mooney had another go from the edge of the box minutes later, but Eve was equal to it diving to his right hand side. In an almost identical move, the Bermudan dived low to save from the summer signing. 

The final chance of the first half fell to Leamington as Dan Turner tried to get his shot away after a Lufudu mistake inside his own penalty area but the ball was cleared just as the former Port Vale man was about to pull the trigger. The Brakes would have been happy with their first half performance, the only thing missing from a pretty complete performance was a goal. 

Goals can be just like buses… when you need one, two come along at once and Paul Holleran would have been delighted at how Leamington started the second half, with it only taking ten minutes for the deadlock to be broken. Kelsey Mooney found the ball on the right hand side and stood up a cross to Jack Edwards, his shot saved by Dale Eve who could only parry it into the stride of Dan Turner who smashed home in front of the Harbury Lane End. 

Straight after the restart, Kelsey Mooney once again found himself in space on the right and found Jack Edwards for the second time in as many minutes, this time the Leamington captain made clear contact with the ball to head it home to give the Brakes a two goal cushion. 

Spennymoor were completely in shock as the Harbury Lane End choir broke into full song to show their support for the boys in gold. It didn’t take long for Spennymoor to have a chance at getting back into the game as Rob Ramshaw was taken down in the area by Jack Lane, earning the Moors a penalty. Usually Mr Reliable Glen Taylor stepped up but his well struck penalty was saved by a diving Jake Weaver, parrying the ball away low to his right. 

It was kitchen sink time for the Moors with shots flying in from everywhere. Stephen Thompson saw his shot from distance go out for a corner, the Spennymoor fans voicing their displeasure at his performance. Brad Abbott was the next Spennymoor fan to shoot from range, but his effort also went wide of Weaver’s post, who minutes later showed his skills doing keepy uppies in his own penalty area, clearly on cloud nine after his penalty save.

All Leamington players were doing their defensive duties perfectly, Simeon Maye performing a world class challenge on Glen Taylor inside the penalty area getting all man, no ball. Weaver produced several fantastic saves, notably getting his fingertips to a Ramshaw drive that looked destined for the back of the net.

Weaver could do nothing about Spennymoor’s next move as a cross fell perfectly on Rob Ramshaw’s head, and he guided it into the top corner to set up a tense final 7 minutes. Brakes defended resolutely against the siege from Moors, Kyle Morrison blocking two shots on the line in the last minute of normal time. Leamington saw the rest of the game out impeccably and fully deserved the three points, ending Spennymoor’s unbeaten run to the season.

The Bank Holiday weekend doesn't stop there for Paul Holleran’s side as they face off with Brackley Town on Monday at St James Park.

Attendance: 480

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Dan Meredith, Steph Morley, Joe Clarke, Kyle Morrison, Jack Lane, Devon Kelly-Evans, Simeon Maye, Kelsey Mooney (16 Kaiman Anderson 85), Jack Edwards, Dan Turner (12 Kieran Cook 75)

Subs: Kieran Cook, Josh Martin, Kaiman Anderson, Callum Gittings, Junior English

Spennymoor Town: Dale Eve, John Lufudu, Jamie Chandler, Joseph Tait, James Curtis, Stephen Thompson ( 20 Frank Mulhern, 74), Glen Taylor, Rob Ramshaw, Mark Anderson, Brad Abbott, Scott McLean

Subs: Henry Flatters, Carl Magnay, Frank Mulhern, Adriano Moke, Jason Kennedy

Referee: Dale Baines

Assistant Referees: Callum Jones & Simon Robinson

Brakes Man of the Match: Jake Weaver

Photos: Sally Ellis