Southern League Premier Division Central
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 5th August 2023

Brakes kicked off the new season with a narrow victory against newly promoted Long Eaton United. It was a game that they could, and perhaps should have won by a bigger margin, but a stubborn rearguard action from the visitors kept things interesting right until Henry Landers’ injury time winner.

Paul Holleran named three of his summer signings in the starting eleven, the other three beginning on the substitutes bench, while the visitors had four debutants in their starting line up, with a further three coming off the substitutes bench.

It was another of Leamington’s debutants, Callum Stewart, who played a huge part in turning the game in their favour after Cameron Philip had cancelled out Jack Lane’s first half opener.

The conditions were not those you would expect for the opening day of the season, with the rain falling steadily for most of the afternoon, but the pitch, which has been superbly maintained by groundsman Idris Elms and a number of volunteers over the close season, looked in superb condition throughout.

Brakes won a string of corners in the opening 45 minutes, the first of which arrived from a deflected strike from new captain Adam Walker, after the first of many long throws into the penalty area from Ben Usher-Shipway was helped on by Jack Edwards and Tyrone Barnett. A second corner was won quickly, but Edwards was unable to get any purchase on the ball.

The first flag kick of the afternoon for Long Eaton saw Brakes defend well, and Devon Kelly-Evans won the ball before sending Henry Landers charging forward at pace from half way, with defenders trailing in his wake. However, keeper Ross Durrant was on hand to make a fine save to deny the former Banbury United man a first goal in Leamington colours.

Kelly-Evans saw another effort deflected behind before Brakes hit the front on 16 minutes. The ball was played into the box from the left and Barnett nodded down for Lane to take a touch before slamming the ball into the back of the net. It was the central defender’s second goal on opening day in consecutive seasons.

Lane was involved in Leamington’s next opportunity, his ball into the area being controlled by Landers and hooked towards goal, Durrant producing a scrambling save before claiming the ball at the second attempt.

Long Eaton were presented with an opportunity to register their first attempt on goal of the afternoon when Joe Clarke was penalised for a foul, but Callum Cocks’ free kick was blocked by the defensive wall.

Dan Meredith’s tremendous slaloming run down the right saw him veer past defenders before being brought down by Callum Minkley, who was booked. Jack Edwards and Alex Hardwick’s names were also taken after a scuffle down by the corner flag.

Former Stratford man Philip saw the visitors’ first effort from open play deflect so far wide it struck the corner flag and remained in play before Usher-Shipway got back to clear.

Just before half time Barnett headed over from a corner after another shot from Landers had been deflected behind.

Leamington had seen an earlier shout for a penalty dismissed, and there was time for another before the Referee’s whistle sounded. A combination of goalkeeper and defender prevented a shot from Landers from squirming over the goal line, the vociferous claims of his team mates being waved away by the man in charge, Gareth Davis.

Long Eaton had grown in confidence as the first half wore on, and were level three minutes into the second half through Philip, who launched himself full length at Kameron Campbell’s fine left wing cross to head the ball past Callum Smith and back into the far corner.

It took Leamington a while to reassert themselves on the game. Kelly-Evans sent a low drive skidding wide, but it was the introduction of Stewart that kickstarted them back into life. Within seconds he won the ball back inside the box, which allowed Walker to clip in a shot that struck the outside of the far post.

Landers came close again as he laced a first time snapshot that whistled past the upright into the home support in the Harbury Lane End, before Meredith cut in from the right and curled a decent effort wide.

Barnett met a cross from Clarke at the far post with a downward header that was blocked by Durrant. Stewart then dropped his shoulder on the left and crashed in a strike that was straight at the goalkeeper.

Long Eaton gave notice that they were not going to lie down however, and Theo Streete got across quickly to deny them the space to get a shot off inside the box. They then came very close when substitute Alans Voskresenskis fell to Riece Bertram at the far post, and his venomous strike was diverted over the bar by the superb reactions of Smith.

Just when the game looked to be heading for a score draw, Stewart intervened, dancing past Minkley into the box before picking out Landers with a low cross that was gleefully stabbed home from close range by his fellow debutant, to the delight of the Harbury Lane End.

‘It’s a good sign that we scored late in the game,’ said Holleran afterwards. ‘We had some difficult moments during the second half, and we’ve had to deal with the fact that we’ve been wasteful in the final third. Ross (Durrant) in goal was excellent for them, and they’ve put in a really hard working, energetic, characteristic performance have Long Eaton, which after the week they’ve had must have been difficult, so they’ve done really well.

‘From our point of view we’ll look back at the clips and we’ve got to take more of these chances to put the game to bed, but from a character testing perspective we’ve then had to find ways, we’ve changed the system that we were comfortable with. We needed a bit more width to stretch their back four, because they were too comfortable at times. I thought Callum when he came on, Henry Landers and Tyrone Barnett were great all afternoon.

‘It’s a great way to win games. Last minute winners are great for the emotions, and players and supporters, but not so much if you’re a manager! But there are lots and lots of positives in terms of, I want us to be in the final third more, I want us to create more chances, I want us to try and play the higher players on a higher line, with two up top. There were lots of moments in the game that were positives, and as I said at the beginning, it is a good sign that emotionally we were able to deal with being pegged back in a game that we probably should have had wrapped up, so we’ve had to deal with that and go again, because their belief and momentum changes at 1-1.

‘You’ve seen Henry Landers’ performance today - that was why we were desperate to get him signed up; and we were desperate to get Tyrone in because we felt we needed that target man. Callum Stewart is a young local boy who has been scoring goals regularly for the last two years at Coventry Sphinx, and his performances have warranted an opportunity for him to come and play at Leamington. I think my track record proves that if I think there’s enough there then we’ll give them a go. He was excellent when he came on, and the goal was a great moment.’

Attendance: 402

Leamington: Callum Smith, Dan Meredith, Jack Lane, Joe Clarke, Theo Streete, Jack Edwards, Adam Walker ©, Tyrone Barnett, Henry Landers ( 12 Josh Quaynor, (90+2), Devon Kelly-Evans, Ben Usher-Shipway (16 Callum Stewart, 68).

Subs not used: 14 Jiah Medrano, 15 Connor Taylor, 17 Junior English.

Long Eaton United: Ross Durrant ©, Callum Cocks (14 Ben Cassady, 74), Adam Clark, Callum Minkley, Riece Bertram, Keiran Walker, Micah Jebbison (17 Alans Voskresenskis, 62), Marley Fearon (12 Breeyen Grainger, 88), Alex Hardwick, Kameron Campbell, Cameron Philip.

Subs not used: 15 Hugo Broughton, 16 McKenzie Bult,.

Referee: Mr Gareth Davis

Assistant Referees: Mr Scott Postin & Mr Mehul Karia

Brakes Man of the Match: Henry Landers.