Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 11th March 2023

By Paul Edwards

Leamington locked horns with a Chester side that have their sights set firmly on the top of the table, but despite a bumper crowd and an expectant atmosphere, the game never quite matched the heights of the previous two. However, a point against a team who have only lost one of their last 25 games is certainly not something to be sniffed at.

Paul Holleran was forced into a central defensive change due to Theo Streete’s one match suspension, bringing in Junior English, who performed superbly in what was only his fifth start of the campaign.

The visitors almost got in behind the Leamington back line in the opening seconds after a high ball upfield, but the offside flag was quickly raised.

Liam Cross won a free kick on the right touchline in Leamington’s opening attack, but could only play the ball into the arms of Harry Tyrer.

There was a gilt edged chance for Chester as Brakes got into something of a tangle at the back; Louis Hall misjudging his header back towards Ted Cann to let in Kurt Willoughby, who darted into the box but drove a low strike across goal and just past the far post.

Both sides were committed to attack in the early stages, and Willoughby went close again when he faced up to English and drove another effort across goal from the right edge of the penalty area that was adjudged to have taken a defection on its way behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

It was certainly a measure of the confidence gained from the last few games that Leamington were able to face up to a side that had been on such a good run that had seen them on the cusp of the National League North summit prior to kick off.

Brakes’ first sight of goal arrived on 21 minutes, from a corner which left Chester manager Callum McIntyre livid as he believed Cross had handled in front of his dugout in the build up. English headed back towards goal, but Ollie Hulbert couldn’t quite get the direction on a scuffed effort, and it rolled past the post with Tyrer scrambling across his goal to make sure.

There was a chance for Dan Turner as Brakes threatened again, as Cross lifted the ball back into the box. Leamington’s top scorer was able to turn but was denied by a fantastic block by Matty Williams.

Hulbert came very close as Cross did superbly to keep the ball in on the right touchline, digging it out to the near post, but Hulbert was denied by Tyrer as the ball bobbled around.

Some neat combination play from Sam Perry, Cross and Adam Walker saw the captain for the day hold the ball up to the back post for Jack Lane to power a header just over the bar as Leamington finished the first half strongly.

Anthony Dudley scuffed a shot well wide in the early moments of the second half as Leamington struggled to clear their lines, while at the other end Dan Meredith whipped in a right wing cross from the corner flag that was headed towards goal by Turner, but struck Kieran Coates to go behind for a corner.

Declan Weeks’ attempt at goal deflected off English into the arms of Cann as Chester pounced on a loose ball in midfield, but Leamington were imposing themselves on the game again, and came desperately close when English saw a shot hacked off the line, Perry blazing the loose ball high over the bar. Hall then fizzed a dangerous ball right across the face of goal.

Some fine defending by Meredith then saw him brought down, but play continued, and Iwan Murray advanced before lashing in a rising drive that Cann pushed over the bar.

Chester continued to press, and Weeks’ driving run towards the Leamington penalty area saw the ball played in for Charlie Caton, who forced a Cann into a fantastic full length save to keep the ball out.

Jack Edwards was introduced with twenty minutes to go, and was booked within seconds for a challenge on Harrison Burke. Devon Kelly-Evans then sent over a great ball from the right which Turner stretched to head well over the bar.

Lane followed his skipper into the book for a late challenge on Weeks as he drove forward towards the box, and from the resulting free kick Willoughby curled the free kick into the arms of Cann.

Both sides had spells of pressure in the final ten minutes, but ultimately neither was able to conjure up the quality to win the game as defences were king on a miserable March afternoon that will not live too long in the memory.

Attendance: 966 (347 away)

Leamington: Ted Cann, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Sam Perry, Junior English, Jack Lane, Liam Cross (16 Jack Edwards, 70), Adam Walker ©, Ollie Hulbert (14 Kelsey Mooney, 83), Devon Kelly-Evans, Dan Turner (15 Ben Usher-Shipway, 80).

Subs not used: 12 Joe Clarke, Dan Moore (GK).

Chester: 1 Harry Tyrer, 4 Declan Weeks, 5 Harrison Burke, 9 Kurt Willoughby, 10 Anthony Dudley (11 Adam Thomas, 60), 12 Kevin Roberts, 15 Matty Williams, 16 Kieran Coates, 20 Iwan Murray (28 Rhys Hughes, 77), 22 Ollie Haywood (3 Alex Brown, 46), 26 Charlie Caton.

Subs not used: 7 Darren Stephenson, 17 Lewis Earl.

Referee: Mr Harry Jones

Assistant Referees: Mr Callum Fisk & Mr Matthew Jackson

Brakes Man of the Match: Junior English.