Vanarama National League North
Tarmac Silverlands Stadium
Tuesday 16th August 2022

By Paul Edwards 

Brakes will probably consider themsleves a little fortunate to take a point home from a long trip to Derbyshire as they clung on in the face of a fierce late rally from Buxton, but there will also be an element of disappointment as they passed up several very good chances prior to the opener on 65 minutes. However, to maintain an unbeaten start away from home against a team led by the National League North know-how of former Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio is certainly not something to be too despondent about, and a draw was probably the right result from what was a very entertaining game.

Paul Holleran handed Louis Hall a debut at left back, otherwise sticking with the side that kicked off at Kidderminster on Saturday, with Junior English dropping to the bench.

The expected and very much needed rainfall arrived as the game kicked off, the heavens opening fully for the first time in quite a while to spoil the view of the surrounding Peak District hills.

Brakes spent the majority of the opening minutes on the back foot as the newly promoted Bucks attempted to stamp their authority on proceedings, as you would expect, but other than a couple of long throws into the penalty area they did not threaten Callum Hawkins in the Leamington goal.

By the quarter hour Leamington had settled down, and they fashioned the first chance of the evening when some neat play from Jack Edwards saw him play Dan Turner in behind the Buxton defence, but his aim was slightly askew as he beat keeper Theo Richardson but placed the ball narrowly past the far post, much to his frustration.

Diego de Girolamo fired the first shot of the evening for the home side high over the bar from long distance after he was fed into space down the middle. Shortly afterwards Sean Newton glanced a header well wide of goal from Connor Kirby’s left wing corner.

Adam Walker spun just past half-way to ping a fine ball down the right for Ben Usher-Shipway to run on to, but his cross into the box just evaded Turner and Devon Kelly-Evans, and was cleared by the Buxton defence.

Another corner from Kirby, this time from the right, was played to Jake Moult just inside the box in what looked like a well rehearsed routine, but the former Altrincham man placed the ball well wide.

As the rainfall became heavier the hosts began to enjoy a good spell of pressure, forcing Leamington back into their own half and making them work hard to keep the ball away from goal.

The slickness of the ball and the pitch maybe didn’t help Brakes just past the half hour as Turner missed Edwards left wing centre by a whisker, and when debutant Hall recycled the ball with interest, the striker was narrowly wide once more with a diving header.

Brakes were enjoying a little more of the ball now, and Jack Lane saw a shot blocked at source before Dan Meredith picked up the loose ball, cutting inside before curling a left footed strike wide.

Turner was denied again as half time approached. Played clear by a fine through ball from Hall, he bore down on goal but was denied by a superb save from Richardson, with the rain now torrential.

Both sides were probably relieved to hear the half time whistle, with the weather now more akin to an autumn fixture.

On his first start for the club Hall was displaying an eagerness to get forward, and early in the second half he cut out a pass just inside the Buxton half to sprint forward and deliver a ball in to the box that just evaded Usher-Shipway, as Leamington made a lively start to the second half.

Turner had his head in his hands once more as he couldn’t quite get a proper connection on Usher-Shipway’s right wing centre, Richardson making the save, with Kelly-Evans unable to get the follow up into the net.

Another long throw from Usher-Shipway on the right was only cleared as far as Lane just outside the box, and the centre back connected with a powerful first time strike that whistled across the artificial surface, Richardson doing very well to hold on to the ball as Turner looked to follow up.

Lane was back doing his job in defence moments later, nicking the ball off the boot of an attacker.

Turner turned provider when he pounced on a loose ball to get a cross in from the right, but the arriving Kelly-Evans dived to miscue his header over the crossbar.

The home players and crowd were appealing for a penalty when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Simeon Maye as Buxton tried to work it into the box on the right. The screams were amplified moments later when another cross struck Meredith, but the Referee was unmoved.

The game was swinging from end to end now, and these incidents served to whip up the atmosphere. Buxton manufactured their first effort on target of the evening when Harry Bunn bent a good cross into the box from out on the right, substitute Jason Gilchrist heading straight at Hawkins.

Within sixty seconds Leamington were in front. Turner had not allowed his head to drop despite the missed chances, and he pounced again when the ball ran loose at the back to round Richardson and fire into an empty net from a tight angle, before running to celebrate with the ecstatic band of travelling supporters on the far side.

Moult headed over the bar from Warren Clarke‘s left wing cross as the hosts attempted to respond. There was plenty of endeavour from the Bucks, but Leamington were defending solidly.

Paul Holleran was incandescent as Turner was clattered from behind, Buxton breaking to win a corner from which a header flashed just wide of the far post.

Bunn did well to make space for a decent curling strike from just outside the box that gave Hawkins something to think about as he sprang to save.

Brakes were living dangerously as the ball pinged around their penalty area, and they were made to pay with 7 minutes remaining as Mace Goodridge absolutely leathered an unstoppable low drive through a congested penalty area and beyond a helpless Hawkins into the far corner of the net to an almighty roar from the Silverlands crowd.

The home side came again, but their set piece delivery let them down as a corner flew over a packed penalty box and out of play.

Leamington hearts were in mouths as Bunn’s cross was headed over by Moult, and it was only a fantastic save from Hawkins that prevented the roof from coming off the main stand as a right wing cross looked certain to find the back of the net at the far post.

Brakes just could not give themselves any breathing space as Lane gave away a cheap corner, but Maye was there to get a boot on the ball to clear. The same player was on hand to clear away at the back post again as the hosts pushed hard for a winner.

Turner held the ball up and won a free kick to relieve the pressure, and Leamington were able to move the ball to safety as the full time whistle sounded.

‘It was a good first visit to Buxton,’ said the manager afterwards. ‘They have a cracking set up and there was a good atmosphere tonight. They’ve recruited a good manager and have some good players, and I’m sure they will want to maintain the momentum they have built up from last season.’

‘We spoke about our away form last season, and the amount of points we got was nowhere near enough. We had to really dig deep and be gutsy on Saturday but today on a really good wet surface we played some really good football. We mixed it up, caused no end of problems and created lots of chances. I think there will be a couple of players in the dressing room disappointed that they haven’t got on the scoresheet. The goal we did score came from a mistake.

‘Buxton have got good players on the bench - the manager has changed his system and personnel. They were always going to have a spell, and it came at the end. It was a really good strike, a good goal. We had a chance to spin it higher - it needed to go to the half way line there to get the pressure off, but we didn’t. We had to dig deep for fifteen minutes then.

‘We’ll look back and be disappointed with the golden opportunities we’ve had tonight, but I’m so delighted with the performance away from home on a Tuesday night. I’d have loved the three points but I’m delighted with the performance.’

Attendance: 630

Buxton: 1 Theo Richardson, 4 Jake Moult, 5 Josh Granite ©, 8 Connor Kirby, 9 Diego De Girolamo, 11 Warren Clarke, 16 Shaun Brisley (7 James Hardy, 68), 17 Mace Goodridge, 18 Sean Newton, 19 Jack McKay (14 Jason Gilchrist, 33), 23 Harry Bunn.

Subs not used: 6 Lindon Meikle, 15 Ollie Greaves, 20 Serhat Tasdemir.

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Simeon Maye, James Mace, Jack Lane, Ben Usher-Shipway (12 Alex Prosser, 73), Adam Walker, Dan Turner, Jack Edwards (14 Junior English, 88), Devon Kelly-Evans.

Subs not used: 15 Kieran Cook, 16 Connor Taylor, 17 Theo Streete.

Referee: Mr Shaun Taylor

Assistant Referees: Mr Luke Lazenby & Mr Adam Burgess

Brakes Man of the Match: Jack Lane.