Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Tuesday 9th November 2021

In a week when manager Paul Holleran will mark 12 years in charge of the club, Brakes extended their recent positive sequence of results to five games without defeat as big guns York City came unstuck on a mild Autumn evening in Warwickshire.

Holleran made two changes to his starting eleven, surprisingly dropping Devon Kelly-Evans to the bench, while Callum Gittings was unavailable. Kelsey Mooney started after coming off the bench at Blyth, while his former team mate in the Aston Villa Academy, Alex Prosser, was handed his first start just hours after joining on loan from Brackley Town.

Jake Weaver was forced into an unorthodox save early on as the visitors hoisted a free kick into the box, having to readjust his body and punch the ball clear after initially blocking the ball.

Brakes then stunned their visitors by taking the lead with their first effort on goal on four minutes. Dan Turner saw his initial cross blocked by a defender, but rifled the loose ball across Peter Jameson into the far corner to hand Leamington a welcome early advantage.

Jack Edwards almost added to the early goal when he met a left wing cross with a half volley into the ground, Jameson springing to his right to push the ball away from goal. The Brakes skipper then headed just wide from a right wing corner.

A wake up call arrived when the Minstermen were afforded a little too much space to manoeuvre as they pressed forward, and Mitch Hancox clipped the ball into the six yard box. It looked like all Jason Gilchrist had to do was get a good connection a few yards out to score, but unfortunately for him he didn’t, and the ball ballooned over the bar.

Prosser, who impressed on his debut, was harshly cautioned for a challenge in the middle of the park by Referee Sam Mulhall.

The visitors registered their first effort on target with 25 minutes played, Paddy McLaughlin’s well struck 25 yard strike being confidently held by Weaver, who commanded his penalty area all evening, earning back to back clean sheets for the first time since January 2020.

The Brakes keeper got a good fist to a right wing free kick given away by Steph Morley, before Sean Newton’s volley rattled the advertising board on the roof of the Harbury Lane End.

Leamington doubled their lead on 34 minutes, thanks in part to impressive work from Turner, who continues to grow in stature game by game. He capitalised on a loose defensive header to make inroads down the left before centering for Mooney to slam first time into the bottom corner to the delight of the home support.

Jack Lane, imperious in central defence once more along with Kyle Morrison, produced a superb recovery challenge on the edge of the box to prevent Gilchrist from potentially going through on goal.

Prosser almost bagged a debut goal as he crashed in a half volley which whistled past the far post with Jameson scrambling across his goal. A late City free kick sailed into Weaver’s arms to cap a promising first 45 minutes’ work for Brakes.

It was inevitable that the visitors would emerge from the dressing room galvanised and ready to have a real go at clawing back the two goal deficit in the second half, but it was Leamington who went close first with Morrison’s header from a right wing corner into the arms of Jameson. Mooney then went within inches of adding to his first half strike as he cleverly opened up his body on the left edge of the penalty area for a curling strike that flashed just the wrong side of the upright.

Half time substitute Clayton Donaldson’s cross was headed narrowly wide by Akil Wright, and Sam Fielding’s free kick cleared the crossbar as York continued to look for a route back into the game, but Turner came within inches of putting Leamington three goals to the good when his low strike clipped the outside of the post.

The pressure continued to build but the Gold and Black wall stubbornly stood firm. Mackenzie Heaney saw his shot deflected for a corner before Weaver highlighted the importance of his performance to this result when he produced a fantastic save to deny Matty Brown’s powerful header following a corner, and he did well again when McLaughlin’s initial strike struck the post, getting down well to hold on to the rebound.

Second half substitute Kurt Willoughby went close for York, but they never appeared to have the belief that they could get back into the game, and with time running out on them Brakes were able to toast a win that sent them to the lofty heights of fourth in the table. We may be only a third of the way into the season, but these boys are doing us proud.

Attendance: 675

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Dan Meredith, Steph Morley, Joe Clarke, Kyle Morrison, Jack Lane, Joe Parker (15 Kaiman Anderson, 84), Alex Prosser (14 Joe Willis, 82), Kelsey Mooney (12 Devon Kelly-Evans, 76), Jack Edwards ©, Dan Turner.

Subs not used: 16 Kieran Cook, 17 Junior English.

York City: 1 Peter Jameson, 4 Sean Newton ©, 5 Matty Brown, 6 Paddy McLaughlin, 11 Jason Gilchrist (10 Clayton Donaldson, 46), 14 Harrison Hopper (9 Kurt Willoughby, 59), 15 Mackenzie Harvey, 16 Mark Beck, 17 Sam Fielding, 20 Akil Wright, 26 Mitch Hancox.

Subs not used: 23 Jonny Haas, 25 Mason Campbell, 27 Lewis Cunningham.

Referee: Mr Sam Mulhall

Assistant Referees: Mr Jake Allsopp & Mr Matthew Perry

Brakes Man of the Match: Dan Turner.