Pre-Season Friendly
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 8 July 2023

by Max Passantino

A 2-2 draw with Coventry City XI kicked off a season that will no doubt be filled with hope and optimism with Leamington looking to return to the National League North at the first attempt.

Paul Holleran lined his Leamington side up in a new 5-3-2 formation, with all six summer signings either featuring from the start or off of the bench. One trialist was included on the bench, with Toby Nicoll also amongst the substitutes - making the step up from the academy after his first competitive Brakes game last May against Southport.

The showery spells didn’t put off over 700 fans in Warwickshire as the hosts started the game well. A flurry of Devon Kelly-Evans corners came to nothing before Tyrone Barnett registered the first real effort of the game, his venomous volley was just too high.

Goalkeeper Callum Smith was playing his first game for Leamington and made two saves in quick succession. The Midland League title winner with Walsall Wood last season claimed a left wing cross before he got down well to save from Charlie Finney.

Smith’s quick distribution put Leamington through on a counter attack and summer signing from Banbury United Henry Landers’ shot was well matched by Dan Rachel in the Sky Blues net. 

The visitors were starting to get into the game as the half hour mark went by and Trialist E sent a low effort across Smith’s goal, which evaded the goalposts. 

Dan Meredith was playing in a wing back position that allowed him to get forward when Leamington attacked and he sliced a shot wide before forcing Rachel to collapse on a cross from the right hand side.

Former Coventry player Devon Kelly-Evans was next to have an effort, but his strike from distance was always rising into the North Bank. 

Coventry took the lead with five left on the clock in the first period, largely against the run of play. Rylie Siddall made space in the penalty box before putting a cute finish low past Callum Smith.

Brakes captain Adam Walker, another former Sky Blue, looked to give Leamington a way back into the game straight away but his long range shot was tipped over by Rachel.

Paul Holleran made a plethora of changes at half time, introducing Josh Quaynor and Callum Stewart for their first Leamington games, but his Brakes side started slowly as Trialist E fired a ferocious long range effort past Smith to double the Sky Blues’ lead. 

The home side didn’t have long to wait until they got one back though as just two minutes after conceding, Ben Usher-Shipway danced through the City back line and somehow managed to squeeze a shot in from an acute angle which dropped into the back of the net.

Play started to slow down with Leamington still on top. Kelly-Evans fired over before Callum Stewart made room for himself inside the penalty box before volleying at the bar, and out not in off the bounce. 

A league winner with Coventry Sphinx having scored 40 goals in both of the last two seasons, Stewart was making a nuisance in the City back line and won a penalty with eight minutes to go which he stepped up and converted, his first goal for his home town club.

The rest of the game played out as the two sides finished level in the opening pre-season game.

Attendance: 705

Leamington: Callum Smith (13 Dan Moore, 73’), Dan Meredith, Jiah Medrano (18 Trialist A, 73’), Jack Edwards (12 Junior English, 46’), Theo Streete, Jack Lane, Joe Clarke (17 Josh Quaynor, 46’), Adam Walker ©, Henry Landers (15 Ben Usher-Shipway 46’), Tyrone Barnett (14 Callum Stewart, 46’), Devon Kelly-Evans (16 Toby Nicoll, 83’)

Coventry City XI: Dan Rachel, Jayden Smith, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D, Rylie Siddall, Charlie Finney, Tom Costello, Kai Andrews, Trialist E

Subs: 12 McKenzie Stretton, 13 Luis Lines, 14 Jay Marshall, 15 Leon Osague, 16 Connad Ambursley, 17 Constantine Popadopalis, 18 Ben Blakeley, 30 Dave Mantle, 31 Jack James

Referee: Mr Elliott Swallow

Assistant referees: Mr Mitch Cartwright, Mr Harley McKittrick