Vanarama National League North
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Saturday 1st October 2022

By Paul Edwards 

This fixture had a distinct feeling of déjà vu about it, as Leamington took a two goal lead only to be pegged back by Telford, with Brendon Daniels scoring both the Bucks goals for the second consecutive season.

It was difficult to argue that they didn’t deserve something from the game, despite the fact that Brakes went two goals in front, and with a little more composure they may have taken all three points.

There was just the one change to the eleven which started at Hereford on Tuesday, with Ben Usher-Shipway replacing Kieran Cook.

The visitors broke down the right in the opening minute, recent acquisition Montel Gibson forcing a good save from Callum Hawkins as he drove low and powerfully across goal to earn a corner which came to nothing.

The opening quarter of an hour was very low key, the visitors spurning another chance that came their way following a free kick midway through the Leamington half. Devarn Green saw his shot blocked, Liam Nolan sent his high over the Harbury Lane End.

Leamington’s first corner of the afternoon came via the fist of Luke Pilling, who punched Usher-Shipway’s long throw behind his own goal. The same player recycled the ball from the flag kick, and Simeon Maye laced a low first time effort well wide of the left hand upright.

Devon Kelly-Evans stretched to poke a close range effort wide following another ball hurled into the box, but the visitors came close again when Brendon Daniels lifted an effort onto the roof of the net, but Robbie Evans probably summed up the entertainment level at that point when his attempted volley travelled so far wide it almost hit the corner flag on the far side.

Despite their poor recent run of form Telford were making it difficult for Leamington to get in behind them, but just past the half hour they broke through. Adam Walker was up against his former club, and refused to give up on an attack up the left. The ball was eventually played back in from the opposite wing, and the diminutive Kelly-Evans rose above the defenders in the centre to knock down for Jack Edwards, who helped it on for Tom Hewlett, who thumped a powerful first time strike into the back of the net on his home debut.

Leamington’s confidence levels visibly rose after the goal, and Walker’s left wing cross was met by the diving Usher-Shipway, who forced a block from Bucks keeper Pilling. Conversely, the belief seemed to have drained from the visitors; summed up when a header from skipper Matt Brown back to his keeper almost went behind for a corner.

Four minutes into the second half Brakes were in dreamland as they scored more than once in a game since the opening day of the season, but they were given a huge helping hand by what can only be described as some calamitous defending from Telford, as Brown’s attempted clearance struck Brad Bood and ran perfectly for Hewlett to stride through on goal, clipping a confident low strike beyond Pilling into the bottom corner.

If Leamington thought that the rest of the game was going to be plain sailing, they were mistaken, as Telford halved the deficit six minutes later. Nathan Blissett charged into the penalty area on the right and went down under a challenge from Hawkins, who had raced from his line. Daniels stepped up and rammed the spot kick into the bottom left hand corner, sending Hawkins the wrong way. Prior to the kick Paul Holleran was sent from the dugout, presumably for disagreeing with the decision.

This clearly galvanised the visitors and Gibson curled a shot well wide after some neat footwork. Robbie Evans then grazed the outside of the post with a powerful low strike from distance.

Despite the goals Brakes hadn’t really got going properly at any stage during the game, but they began to build up a brief spell of pressure without troubling the visitors’ goal.

Blissett saw a shot bravely blocked by Maye as Telford came again, while Usher-Shipway’s mazy run into the box saw him just run out of pitch to do anything with the ball. He was involved in Leamington’s next attack however, charging down the right again, the ball running for Dan Meredith to run on when he was challenged, but he saw his shot blocked.

Telford were running out of time to get something from the game but they drew level on 83 minutes when Daniels’ long range strike took a wicked deflection off a Leamington man to completely wrong foot Hawkins, who was still desperately trying to change direction as the ball went past him into the net.

Kelly-Evans’ free kick was saved by Piling as Leamington tried to get some momentum again, but Gibson spurned a glorious chance to win it for Telford when he ran in on goal with only a defender for company, but drove his shot into the hedges on the North Bank. The striker had another effort as Telford moved upfield quickly from a Leamington attack, but having taken on and beaten Jack Lane he curled a poorly struck shot into the hands of Hawkins.

Kelly-Evans scuffed a bouncing effort at Pilling as Leamington came again, and substitute Connor Taylor slammed a first time effort over the clubhouse roof as Pilling punched a late free kick out to him inside the penalty area.

As with last season the result felt a little like a defeat after being in a commanding position, but a two goal lead is always vulnerable.

With the manager understandably annoyed after the sending off and subsequent events, Chris Knott gave his verdict on the game: ‘The conditions were horrible out there. The wind was blowing a gale, you had the sun in your eyes at one end…it was not conducive to a nice game of football.

‘Barring their chance in the first minute when Callum made a good save to be fair, which was our own mistake - after that I think we did enough to sort of control the game really. We nicked a goal - a good goal from Tom, and then in the second half we let them come out of the blocks, which again was the conditions a bit. At that end, going into the wind was a nightmare. We couldn’t get out, couldn’t get first contacts, let alone seconds. They had a little spell but we’ve then nicked a goal on the counter from their mistake. You’re thinking hopefully with our record we can just shut the door, but poor decisions from us led to the penalty that they’ve converted and after that it’s just been a scrappy second half. Nothing going for us, nothing for us to work on in the top third. I don’t think they’ve troubled Callum really apart from set pieces - both teams just had set pieces really, and then it was just deflections for the second goal, maybe two in there.

‘It was a tough day at the office really. They have hurt us or opened us up, it was just our own doing or long balls really that have killed us. We’re having two or three minute spells where we’re looking after the ball, early on in games, but it’s just a confidence thing I think - nothing’s flowing in that top third. It’s just disappointing that we’ve scored more than once for the first time since the opening day, but it’s the first time we’ve conceded two.’

Attendance: 427

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Simeon Maye, Theo Streete, Jack Lane, Ben Usher-Shipway, Adam Walker (14 Joe Clarke, 79), Tom Hewlett (17 Connor Taylor, 64), Jack Edwards ©, Devon Kelly-Evans.

Subs not used: 12 Kieran Cook, 15 James Mace, 16 Stephan Morley.

AFC Telford United: 1 Luke Pilling, 3 Brad Bood (11 Byron Moore, 78), 4 Matt Brown ©, 6 Harry Flowers, 8 Liam Nolan, 12 Robbie Evans, 15 Devarn Green, 16 Nathan Blissett, 17 Brendon Daniels, 18 Montel Gibson, 30 George Burroughs (5 Jordan Piggott, 41).

Subs not used: 23 Kobe Chong, 14 Prince Ekpolo, 7 Carl Baker.

Referee: Mr Darius Bradley

Assistant Referees: Mr Kurt Bartlett & Mr Thomas Dickens

Brakes Man of the Match: Tom Hewlett.