Report

Isuzu FA Trophy Second Round
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 19th November 2022

By Paul Edwards 

Brakes were indebted to Rackeem Reid’s maiden goal for the club as they edged past Bishops Stortford into the Third Round of the FA Trophy.

With more substitutes available in FA Competitions Paul Holleran was able to add young academy goalkeeper Luke Slater, while James Mace and Ben Usher-Shipway returned to the squad. The absence of loanee Charlie Williams saw Reid move back into the number seven shirt, while Dan Turner made a welcome return to the starting eleven after almost two months out injured.

Visitors Stortford were something of an unknown quantity; the two sides having never faced each other before, but had been founder members of the National League’s regional divisions when they were formed back in 2004, and had spent a couple of seasons in the North prior to Leamington winning promotion in 2013. They arrived in Warwickshire on the back of a really strong run of form that had seen them taste defeat only once in 12 games, so this was never going to be a straightforward afternoon.

After a scrappy opening five minutes in which neither side could make any headway, Reid won a corner for Leamington on the right which saw Devon Kelly-Evans play a low ball to skipper Jack Edwards on the edge of the box, and his low first time strike was hacked off the line by Jay Porter.

Reid was proving to be a real handful for the Stortford defence early on, and after keeper Jack Giddens had rushed from his line to clear ahead of Turner, Reid saw a close range effort blocked.

Dan Meredith and Adam Walker both saw shots blocked on the edge of the box as Leamington attempted to build up a head of steam going forward. The second corner of the afternoon was then played straight into the gloves of Giddens.

It was easy to see how the Stortford winger Ryan Charles had earned his nickname ‘Spider’, as his tireless running saw him snake out a leg to dispossess Edwards as he looked to play the ball forward. The visitors were certainly full of energy and endeavour in the opening half an hour, while never coming close to Callum Hawkins’ goal.

With around ten minutes to go before half time a neat little passage of possession from Brakes ended with Turner nodding down for Edwards to set himself for a first time volley which was never going to trouble Giddens.

A fine run past several blue shirts into the penalty area on the left from Kelly-Evans was unfortunately not matched by the cross, and the attack broke down.

The game needed something to light it up, and this moment arrived four minutes into the second half as Reid turned sharply inside the box following a corner to drive low towards goal, the ball beating Giddens at his near post. There was delight on and off the pitch for the striker as he finally notched his first goal for Brakes.

With the deadlock broken the visitors began to look more adventurous, and tested Hawkins for the first time just before the hour mark through a long range effort from substitute Darren Foxley that was destined for the bottom corner before the goalkeepers’ intervention. Hawkins then claimed the loose ball before anyone in a blue shirt was able to capitalise.

The ball was lifted into Hawkins’ arms after a scramble inside the Leamington area, while another effort from distance by substitute Jonathan Giles saw Hawkins save again.

There were questionable decisions made against both sides during the afternoon - Edwards’ booking in the centre after appearing to hook the ball from his opponents’ boot was one, while Stortford felt that they had a legitimate claim for a penalty as a header looked to have struck an arm inside the Brakes box, but the Referee was unmoved.

To their credit the visitors bossed the last quarter of the game, making it very difficult for Leamington to get out of their own half, and to hold on to the ball for any period of time. There was a brief moment when Giddens’ fluffed clearance ended up with Edwards some 30 yards out, but his strike sailed high and wide, and Leamington nervously saw out several minutes of added time before they were able to breathe easy.

First team coach Chris Knott came out to face the after match inquisition, and admitted that it had been a tight affair. ‘Clearly there were two teams with very good defensive records. Fair play to them, they came here and managed the ball well at times but I don’t think they really opened us up. We grew into the game, had some little spells, didn’t create too many chances but we took one and we’re in the hat for the next round so it’s job done.

‘We said to the lads that these three games in a seven day period could really shape the rest of the season, so it’s a good start today.’

Attendance: 387

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Simeon Maye (12 Joe Clarke, 69), Theo Streete, Jack Lane, Rackeem Reid, Adam Walker, Dan Turner (14 Ben Usher-Shipway, 63), Jack Edwards ©, Devon Kelly-Evans (15 Junior English, 89).

Subs not used: 13 Luke Slater, 16 James Mace, 17 Connor Taylor, 18 Tom Hewlett.

Bishops Stortford: 1 Jack Giddens, 2 Jay Porter, 6 Ryan Henshaw ©, 8 Matthew Johnson, 10 Frankie Merrifield, 11 David Olufemi, 12 Jack Thomas (9 Donell Thomas, 63), 15 Ryan Charles (14 Darren Foxley, 55), 16 Brandon Adams (7 Jonathan Giles, 55), 18 Oliver Peters, 19 Harry Beadle.

Subs not used: 3 Josh Demetriou.

Referee: Mr Stuart Morland

Assistant Referees: Mr Kieran Forrest & Mr James Strumidlo

Brakes Man of the Match: Rackeem Reid.