Pre Season Friendly
Tony Horley Charity Cup
Townsend Meadow
Saturday 15th July 2023

By Paul Edwards

Brakes made the short hop into Warwick to take on Racing Club for the Tony Horley Charity Cup as part of the two clubs pre season preparations.

Warwick had already played two games more than their visitors, but you would have been hard pressed to tell at times, as Brakes gave their Midland League hosts a tough test as they ran out winners.

Racing keeper Brad Catlow held the first shot of the afternoon comfortably, before Josh Quaynor curled an effort wide of the target. Jack Lane then cracked in a shot from out on the left that was deflected through to Catlow.

Brakes were their own worst enemies at times, creating problems of their own making with sloppy passes, and a stray one from Lane created panic in the penalty area, and after a shot from Trialist A the ball looked to have been bundled home, but the cheers of the home fans were cut short by an offside flag.

Within sixty seconds Leamington were ahead with a nicely worked goal. The ball was moved upfield, and Jiah Medrano’s left wing centre was neatly headed home by Tyrone Barnett for his first goal in a Brakes shirt.

Cally Stewart looked lively throughout, and was beaten to the ball by inches as Medrano’s bouncing cross was helped towards him by Adam Walker, but a deflection saw the ball behind for a corner which was claimed by Catlow.

The Racing Club stopper failed to claim another flag kick into his box from Ben Usher-Shipway, but recovered to hold Jack Edwards’ shot from the resulting loose ball.

The lively Stewart was prevented from engineering a counter attack just before half time by a shirt tug from Connor Mort, as Leamington went into the dressing room comfortably in control of proceedings.

The second half saw them continue where they left off, with Barnett seeing a shot deflected behind. A number of half time changes for Warwick breathed new life into them, and one of their Trialist strikers flashed a shot in that took a deflection to earn the home side their first corner of the afternoon.

Stewart was very close to the goal line as he connected with Usher-Shipway’s whipped right wing cross, and it would have been some effort had he directed the ball in with his head.

However, three minutes before the hour mark Brakes had a second, and a very well constructed goal it was. Medrano won a throw-in on the left which he took in to Walker, who proceeded to find Usher-Shipway out on the far side with a sumptuous pass with the outside of his right boot. Usher-Shipway controlled and cut in sharply before firing into the far corner.

Racing Club attempted to retaliate, and Archie Hamp won the ball from Edwards by the corner flag on the left before cutting in and forcing a save from Callum Smith at his near post.

Warwick’s trialist number 9 then almost got in behind the Brakes backline as his perseverance paid off when Smith, who had raced from his line to try and clear, missed his kick, and then Theo Streete’s attempted clearance ricocheted off the striker, but Streete got back well to help the ball behind for a goal kick.

Cal Templeton took aim from 20 yards for the hosts, but his shot was straight at Smith. The action then switched to the other end, where a deep right wing centre from Edwards was met by a flick header from Barnett which Catlow claimed at the second attempt.

Trialist A continued to be a nuisance when he was able to get on the ball, and he took on Brakes’ late second half substitute Junior English before Smith saved his shot at his near post.

It was another substitute, Trialist C, who was sent tumbling in the box to earn Leamington a penalty, from which Barnett completed the scoring with a stuttering run up and powerful strike past Catlow.

Smith got himself in a bit of a pickle in the closing stages when racing off his line to try and clear a ball up field, and ended up conceding a corner. Another Warwick shot flew harmlessly wide, before Brakes Under 23’s Cup winning keeper from last season, Ethan Pheasey, was introduced for the final few minutes. Ironically Ethan had featured for Racing Club in their first pre season game, inevitably saving a penalty, which as he demonstrated in the cup final at Bedworth, is something he is very good at.

Pheasey saved comfortably from a Warwick substitute, and then showed great awareness to hare off his line to clear from a stray back pass.

Overall this was a comfortable afternoon for Brakes, who set up well and moved the ball around very comfortably at times. Another 90 minutes in the bank sets them up for what will no doubt be a different challenge when Leicester City’s Under 21’s visit Harbury Lane on Wednesday evening.

Attendance: 470

Referee: Mr Luke Bowles

Racing Club Warwick: Bradley Catlow, Callum Scott, Archie Hamp, Cal Templeton, Kyle Barnett, Callum Carsley, Cameron Ebbutt, Ryan Quinn, Triaist A, Trialist B, Connor Mort.

Substitutes: 12 Jay D Lionga, 14 Trialist C, 15 Trialist D, 16 Elle Ikwa, 17 Toby Scott.

Leamington: Callum Smith (GK Ethan Pheasey, 83),, Jack Edwards, Jack Lane, Joe Clarke, Theo Streete (12 Junior English, 70), Josh Quaynor, Ben Usher-Shipway, Adam Walker © (16 Trialist C, 71), Callum Stewart (15 Trialist B, 70), Tyrone Barnett, Jiah Medrano.

Subs not used: 14 Trialist A.