Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 11th September 2021

Leamington put last weekends’ defeat to Curzon Ashton firmly behind them as they notched a third victory of the season, a second in four days against a promotion chasing side.

Paul Holleran named an unchanged squad for the visit of Boston United, who had been without a game since August 30, their fixtures since then having gone the same way as Leamington’s opening two games of the season due to Covid 19.

Brakes looked confident and lively in the opening minutes, no doubt boosted by Tuesday’s win while determined not to suffer the same fate that befell them in last season’s opening day thumping by the Pilgrims. Simeon Maye was at the forefront, getting the home fans in the car park terrace going by winning the ball from Keenan Ferguson with a crunching challenge by the touchline, and moments later almost catching out Boston keeper George Sykes-Kenworthy with a quickly taken free kick that dropped just past the post.

Brakes came close twice in a matter of seconds on the quarter hour, the goalkeeper saving a close range effort from Dan Turner, before Kelsey Mooney picked up possession just inside the box and unleashed a rocket of a strike that Sykes-Kenworthy matched with an equally good save to divert the ball over the crossbar. From the resulting corner on the right Jack Edwards found the side netting.

The visitors looked a little shaky at the back as Mooney got another shot off, but crowded out by defenders was only able to drag it wide.

At the opposite end Jake Weaver was a tower of strength, confidently claiming everything that was delivered into his penalty area. It was from a free kick taken midway through his own half by Weaver that Boston skipper Luke Shiels sent a header looping back towards his own goal that only just dropped over the bar.

It took almost half an hour for the visitors to threaten the Leamington goal, Dan Meredith uncharacteristically hesitating on the edge of his own box, allowing Jordan Burrow and Danny Elliott to work it into the path of Shane Byrne, the former Brackley midfielder crashing a powerful drive not too far wide.

The visitors were working their way into this game now, and won a corner on the right which sailed over everyone to the far post, where Connor Dimaio smashed in a shot which Weaver got down superbly to parry.

Brakes were unable to get the ball clear, and when Jack Edwards failed to shepherd it out of play inside his own box, Tom Platt did well to guide it back into the centre, where it was somehow cleared off the line with several blue shirts closing in, the away support on the Harbury Lane End terrace insisting the ball had crossed the line.

There was a further flurry in the Leamington box as half time approached, Weaver settling the nerves by eventually claiming the ball, but Boston continued to come forward, and will probably feel they should have gone in front when Jake Leake pulled the ball back for Elliott to stroke towards goal, but Weaver got down superbly once more to save, keeping the ball out again on the follow up.

Both teams could argue they deserved to go in ahead at the break, and while the second half didn’t quite match the intensity of the first there was still plenty of incident for the crowd to digest.

Sykes- Kenworthy anticipated a free kick delivery from Joe Parker, clutching the ball inches ahead of the rising Edwards.

Mooney went close again when doing well to dig out a shot on the left edge of the penalty area, but the goalkeeper denied him again, diving low to his left to save.

The pendulum looked like it might swing in Leamington’s favour on 63 minutes when Mooney was shoved to the ground just a couple of yards from goal as he shaped to put the ball into the net. He quickly indicated that he wished to take responsibility from the penalty spot, but yet again was denied by the impressive Sykes-Kenworthy, who dived to his right to keep the ball out.

It was soon Boston’s turn to feel aggrieved again, as Jordan Burrow’s header from Leake’s centre struck the inside of the post and landed in the arms of the grateful Weaver.

The opening goal of the afternoon finally arrived on 68 minutes, and was a thing of beauty. Dan Turner was the instigator with some fine work in the centre circle, gliding past defenders before spraying a perfect pass out to the left for Parker to dart on to. His centre was equally on point, and was met bravely by the head of Mooney, who swiftly brushed off his penalty miss as he thumped the ball into the net to the delight of the home fans behind the goal.

Brakes put their bodies on the line in the final stages as the inevitable waves of pressure from the visitors required some last ditch defending at times, but they wrapped up the points in style four minutes from time courtesy of substitute Kaiman Anderson’s first goal of the season.

Sykes-Kenworthy blotted what was an otherwise decent performance as he left himself stranded outside his penalty area, and with his defenders also failing to get the ball clear, Anderson took control, digging it out and sidestepping challenges before advancing into the box and burying a low strike into the net.

It was nothing more than Leamington deserved for another good performance against one of the teams expected to be challenging for promotion, and they can now go into next weeks’ FA Cup tie in good spirits. Meanwhile, Boston’s misery was compounded in added time as Platt saw red for a challenge on Brakes substitute Junior English as he looked set to run in on goal. The visiting management were certainly not happy with something, as they made their feelings clear to the officials at the final whistle, but ultimately the game was won by two moments of quality.

Attendance: 565

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Josh Martin, Dan Meredith, Joe Clarke (14 Callum Gittings, 61), Kyle Morrison, Jack Lane, Joe Parker (15 Kaiman Anderson, 74), Simeon Maye, Kelsey Mooney (16 Junior English, 90), Jack Edwards ©, Dan Turner.

Subs not used: 12 Kieran Cook, 17 Devon Kelly-Evans.

Boston United: 13 George Sykes-Kenworthy, 4 Tom Platt, 5 Scott Garner, 6 Luke Shiels ©, 9 Jordan Burrow, 10 Jake Wright (19 Jordan Preston, 61), 12 Keenan Ferguson, 14 Danny Elliott, 17 Connor Dimaio (21 Fraser Preston, 77), 23 Shane Byrne (8 Paul Green, 84), 25 Jake Leake.

Subs not used: 3 Scott Duxbury, 7 Andi Thanoj.

Referee: Mr Michael Crusham

Assistant Referees: Mr Ben Tomlinson & Mr Daniel Tracey

Brakes Man of the Match: Kelsey Mooney.