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Monday 15th April 2022

Leamington welcomed Brackley Town to Harbury Lane on a glorious spring day perfect for football, and a season’s best attendance of 907 witnessed a typically close fought affair between the two sides.

This Warwickshire - Northamptonshire contest has historically nearly always been this way - games have either been drawn or swung the way of the home side with the exception of a penalty shoot out win for the Saints in the Southern League Cup back in 2011. With Brackley still in a strong position to win automatic promotion a healthy following made its way up the M40, and were met with a Brakes side who were in no mood to slip back into the losing habit having ended a four game barren streak with a late point at Southport in midweek.

Having rotated the players available to him to give those recently returned from injury some rest time, Paul Holleran reverted to the eleven that had started up at Spennymoor.

Leamington could and should have got proceedings off to an explosive start as they passed up a glorious chance to open the scoring with less than five minutes played. Dan Turner saw his shot blocked just inside the box but the ball ricocheted through for Jack Edwards, who, with only Danny Lewis to beat, blazed the ball high over the crossbar.

While not having a huge amount to do in terms of preventing goals, Callum Hawkins still had a busy afternoon, and made a good save from Glenn Walker’s free kick, while Saints skipper Gareth Dean thumped a header off target from a right wing corner by Walker.

Matt Lowe drove low and wide and just off target as Brackley attempted to give their noisy support even more to shout about, but Turner almost prodded Leamington in front as half time approached, latching on to Edwards’ flick on from Steph Morley’s ball into the box, but the ball was inches the wrong side of the post.

Brackley started the second half well, and went close when Hawkins beat away a fierce strike from Jaanai Gordon. Then there was panic in the six yard box as the ball bounced dangerously around in front of the Leamington goal, before Shep Murombedzi cut in and shot straight at Hawkins.

Matt Lowe headed another effort onto the roof of the net for the visitors, while Devon Kelly Evans’ blocked shot was about as close as Leamington came to a goal in the second half of what was not a great game by any stretch of the imagination; although the players of both sides couldn’t be faulted for their endeavours.

‘It was a difficult afternoon with it being so warm. The pitch was lively, but the focus and the concentration of the players was fantastic,’ said Paul Holleran after the game. ‘They’re a tough tough unit to play against - a team full of experience; legs, strength, power. They keep putting the ball in good areas, make you defend constantly; and we’ve had to work really hard. That’s a good clean sheet for us - there’s a reason they are up there with Gateshead and they deserve a lot of plaudits because they’re a part time football club so it’s fantastic what they’ve done.

‘For us it was a real nip and tuck game but it was like a lot of other games we’ve had here. Our home form and our goals against column has been very good this year. It’s pretty obvious what we need to improve on but sometimes when you haven’t quite got the tools you need you’ve got to make sure you do the other things right, so our organisation, our defensive unit blocks, understandings; our defensive set plays have been fantastic really.

‘You look at it and we’ve had to travel Tuesday night and play - rested a few players on Tuesday. There’s been different kinds of bizarre things that have been said - Walks (Adam Walker) had an injury, Steph’s just come back from injury, Dan Turner’s just come back from injury…. Jack Edwards has missed 11 games - three games in six days was too much for them. The pleasing thing Tuesday was that some of the boys that came in did really well, but against the physicality of this kind of game we’ve needed to bring players back in and to a man we were fantastic. To be fair we’ve probably had the two best chances in the game possibly, with Jack and Dan Turner. I’m not sure either side did enough to win it, but I think both sets of players for the amount of effort they put in today deserved something out of the game.’

The manager gave an update on our long term injury victims Simeon Maye and Kelsey Mooney:

‘Sim is back running now. He did a bit of training with the team on Thursday night. We’re looking at next season now for him but he’s getting there. Great news on Kelsey - we were able to get a scan and a consultation early, and he had his operation on Wednesday, with great assistance from the PFA. I have spoken to him. He was very groggy, but he’s had the cartilage repaired, the ACL repaired - it’s gone well apparently, so now we’ve just got to try and support him in his recovery. He’s got to get through the next few months but the fact that he’s got it done so quickly - if everything went to plan then similar to Colby (Bishop) he’ll be back towards October/November time, so it’s great for the boy - it gives him something to focus on now.

‘Steph’s pulled up a little bit at the end of the game. Lots of boys have gone through it today. It was a difficult game to manage with all the ingredients, and I can’t praise them enough. They’re just a good bunch of good people who give you everything. We’re doing a lot of things right but it’s just the final third. We’re not the only team in the league that are struggling to score goals.’

Attendance: 907

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Stephan Morley (15 Melis Bushaj, 90+4), Joe Clarke, James Mace, Jack Lane, Joe Parker (16 Junior English, 79), Adam Walker, Dan Turner (12 Callum Gittings, 90+2), Jack Edwards ©, Devon Kelly-Evans.

Subs not used: 14 Charlie Williams, GK Jake Weaver.

Brackley Town: Danny Lewis, Wes York (17 Twariq Yusuf, 81), Connor Franklin, Shep Murombedzi, Louis Lomas, Gareth Dean ©, Matt Lowe, James Armson, Lee Ndlovu, Jaanai Gordon (14 Fabio Lopes, 78), Glenn Walker.

Subs not used: 12 Jordan Richards, 15 Alex Prosser, 16 Ellis Myles.

Referee: Mr Jonathan Maskrey

Assistant Referees: Mr Alan Cox & Mr Jamie Conde

Brakes Man of the Match: Callum Hawkins.