Vanarama National League North
St James Park
Tuesday 7 March 2023

by Max Passantino

Leamington picked up their first three points on the road this season with a superb performance at high flying Brackley Town, the Brakes’ first ever victory at St James Park in their tenth attempt.

In his 650th game managing the Brakes, Paul Holleran made one change to Saturday’s demolition of Curzon Ashton with Adam Walker replacing Jack Edwards who dropped to the bench.

The visitors set the tempo for the game and started quickest attacking fourth placed Brackley. Liam Cross found space down the right and cut the ball back only for a Saints defender to clear against his own post. Brakes continued the trend and came forward with Sam Perry, the on loan Walsall midfielder’s drive taking a deflection onto the crossbar.

It took 15 minutes for Brackley to register their first shot of the game, a tame effort from the edge of the box was easily collected by Ted Cann, who today extended his loan deal at Your Co-op Community Stadium until the end of the season.

Dan Turner, high on confidence after netting four times in his last four appearances, was the next player in a blue shirt to strike but saw his effort parried by veteran custodian Danny Lewis, Devon Kelly-Evans unable to reach the rebound.

Sam Perry broke free again and saw a drive from a cross blocked before putting the follow up wide. Perry’s former academy team mate at Walsall Alfie Bates struck a dangerous free kick for the hosts but Brakes were able to clear.

Leamington should have been ahead just before half time as Brackley failed to deal with another Liam Cross corner, the ball dropping inches past the post thanks to a mix up between two Saints defenders which saw the delivery deflect off of the back of the second defender and just wide keeping the scores level at the break.

The visitors started the second half just as they had been playing the first, in complete control. A neutral viewer would have found it challenging to guess which team was level on points with the drop zone at kick off and which team was in fourth ahead of proceedings. Liam Cross drove over the first effort of the second period.

The curse of the former player came back to haunt Brackley with 10 minutes of the second half played. Adam Walker spent three seasons at St James Park, winning the FA Trophy in the process with the Saints, but captained Leamington on Tuesday night and opened the scoring in fantastic style.

Driving in from the left hand side, the centre midfielder delightfully curled an effort into the top corner leaving a full stretched Danny Lewis with absolutely no chance, sending the 100 or so Leamington fans in St James Park crazy having witnessed several unbelievable goals over the course of the last seven days.

From not looking like scoring at all in recent games, confidence was now at an all time high in the Brakes camp and Liam Cross was able to add to the stunning strike category just five minutes after Walker’s opener. He placed his free kick up and over the wall, past the diving Lewis into the bottom corner to give Leamington a two goal cushion - the Northampton loanee’s second goal in as many games. 

Ted Cann was called into action for the first time in the second half with 20 to go, comfortably saving a lacklustre effort from Matwasa with Brackley trying to find their feet for the first time of the evening with pressure.

The hosts attacked with no real danger until the 85th minute. Paul Holleran admitted after the game his frustration at conceding from substitute Levi Amantchi after the first real slip up in the Brakes defence missing the first two or three contacts, allowing Amantchi to steal in and tap past Cann.

Dan Meredith received the Brakes’ only yellow card of the game seven minutes into the four added on as he handled a long ball forward, but despite everyone of a Leamington persuasion convinced the ball would nestle into the back of the net, the Brakes defence stood strong and cleared, marking their first away win of the 2022/23 season.

Attendance: 491

Brackley Town: 1 Danny Lewis, 2 Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, 3 Riccardo Calder, 4 Alfie Bates, 6 Gaz Dean ©, 7 Cosmos Matwasa, 8 Shep Murombedzi (16 Levi Amantchi, 70’), 9 Theo Robinson (14 Adi Yussuf 70’), 10 Jimmy Armson, 11 Callum Stead, 17 Sam Smart (5 George Carline, 59’)

Subs not used: 12 Adam Rooney, 15 Jordan Richards

Leamington: Ted Cann, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Sam Perry, Theo Streete, Jack Lane, Liam Cross, Adam Walker ©, Ollie Hulbert (15 Kelsey Mooney, 77’), Devon Kelly-Evans (12 Joe Clarke, 90’), Dan Turner

Subs not used: 14 Jack Edwards, 16 Ben Usher-Shipway, 17 Junior English

Referee: Mr Neil Pratt

Assistant referees: Mr Callum Gough & Mr Edgar Brown

Brakes Man of the Match: Adam Walker

Photos courtesy of Glenn Alcock.