The Mander Cruickshanks Solicitors Stadium
Southern League Premier Division Central
Saturday 12th August 2023

Brakes travelled into neighbouring Leicestershire to take on a Coalville Town side who have been among the promotion frontrunners in the Southern League Central for two or three seasons now, and only lost out on the title to Tamworth on the final day of last season.

This could be marked down as one of the toughest away assignments of the season given the circumstances, with Adam Stevens’ side looking to bounce back from an opening day reverse at Stourbridge in front of their home supporters, while for Leamington it was a chance to test themselves against one of the clubs who will surely be there or thereabouts come the end of next April.

Ashley Chambers fired an early warning shot high and wide, before Ravens skipper Joe Doyle-Charles volleyed narrowly over the crossbar following a good move.

Leamington were only able to push forward in patches during the first half, and threatened briefly when a good first time ball into the box from Jack Lane was met by Henry Landers, who perhaps should have attempted to shoot first time, but instead controlled the ball and saw his shot blocked.

Callum Smith was forced into his first save of the game as he dived low to his right to push Tom McGlinchey’s goalbound strike behind for a corner.

Ben Usher-Shipway was heavily involved in much of Brakes’ attacking play, and he saw a shot blocked on the edge of the box.

Kieran Cook, who spent the second of two spels at Leamington at the beginning of last season, was making his home debut for Coalville, and saw a fierce low drive deflected behind after cutting in from the left. From the corner Tom McGlinchey’s shot was blocked at close range bedore Andi Thanoj curled wide from the loose ball.

Coalville were in the ascendancy here, and it was no real surprise when they went in front through Cook, who beat his man with a neat flick before volleying into the bottom corner.

Smith did well to gather a shot from Luke Shaw at the second attempt as Coalville looked to consolidate their lead, but despite a below par first half Brakes hauled themselves level five minutes before half time when Usher-Shipway’s long throw bounced around on the edge of the box before Adam Walker took charge, controlling and drilling in a low shot that looked to take more than one deflection, almost travelling past the diving debutant keeper Dean Snedker in slow motion to hit the back of the net. Not the prettiest of goals but one that gave Paul Holleran’s side a foothold in the game with the second half to come.

Usher-Shipway’s shot on the turn was straight at Snedker, but Jack Edwards was flagged offside.

Coalville regained the lead seven minutes into the second half with a fabulous goal from their perspective, but disappointing from Leamington’s, as you felt more could have been done to prevent it. Tom McGlinchey capitalised on a failure to get the ball clear, and set off on a slaloming run into the box that took him past at least two defenders before he curling low under the diving Smith into the net.

An awful first time effort from Shaw flew into the car park behind the goal, before the same player drove another shot straight at Smith. Usher-Shipway then saw an effort blocked on the edge of the box after what looked like a promising counter attack broke down.

Callum Stewart was introduced with a little over 20 minutes remaining, and immediately made a nuisance of himself down the left with a strong run past a defender, and within two minutes he had scored his first goal for the club. Receiving the ball from Devon Kelly-Evans, he exchanged passes with Tyrone Barnett before beating a defender with his touch and slotting a fine strike in off the far post the drag his side level.

Smith produced another fine save to thwart a thumping strike from Chambers, while Snedker held a deflected effort from Stewart after a scramble in the area.

Just when it looked like Leamington might take a point from a below par display, Coalville were handed the chance to take the lead once more as Smith blotted his copybook a little by giving away a penalty with a rash challenge on Chambers, who had initiated the attack on the left. It was an uneccessary tackle to make but in his defence his team mates were at sixes and sevens as the ball was pulled back from the left, causing chaos in the six yard box, and Coalville may have found the net anyway had he not made an attempt to win the ball. As it was he was left to face Eliot Putman, who sent him the wrong way from the spot.

Unfortunately the third goal signalled a complete capitualtion from Leamington, and Coalville added two more in the time that remained. Edwards lost possession in his own penalty box to Cook, who squared for substitute Tim Berridge to slot home a low first time strike into the bottom corner.

Berridge almost took on and beat the entire Brakes defence down the right before driving a shot to the near post that was held by Smith. The striker capped a productive eight minutes or so on the pitch in added time, as he slotted home the rebound after a great strike by Cook clattered back off the upright.

Coalville’s number 9 attempted to return the favour for his team mate as he set up Cook for a first time strike that was saved by Smith. The travelling Brakes fans must have been left wondering why the midfielder never put in such a performance during his time at Leamington, as he was one of the standout men in black and white over the course of the afternoon.

This was a sobering afternoon for Brakes, who struggled to deal with the pace of the hosts attack at times, and even the manager struggled to find answers afterwards, but to put it into some kind of context, this was only game number two of a long season, against potentially the best side we will face this season. Hopefully it will serve as a wake up call ahead of the trip to newly promoted Halesowen Town on Tuesday evening.

‘I don’t think we were great all afternoon to be honest,’ said Holleran after the game. ‘But I thought we showed a bit of character to get back into the game twice, and it was sort of easily balanced at that point; but the facts are the facts - you’re 2-2 at 89 minutes and then 2-5 at the end of the game. I think that tells its own story, and with the calibre of some of the players we’ve got in the dressing room, that shouldn’t be happening. It’s been a poor afternoon for us all round really, but when you get to that late in the game against probably the best side in the league you take it don’t you, but it’s really concerning that, and it’s something we’ve got to try and resolve.

*The full interview with the manager will be posted up later ths evening.

Attendance: 510

Coalville Town: 1 Dean Snedker, 3 Eliot Putman, 4 Jake Hutchings, 6 Ash Carter, 18 Herve Pepe-Ngoma, 8 Joe Doyle-Charles ©, 15 Andi Thanoj, 7 Luke Shaw (16 Wes York, 87), 19 Kieran Cook, 10 Ashley Chambers (9 Tim Berridge, 87), 11 Tom McGlinchey.

Subs not used: GK Tom Carter, 17 Steve Towers.

Leamington: Callum Smith, Dan Meredith, Jack Lane, Joe Clarke (12 Josh Quaynor, 90), Theo Streete, Jack Edwards (16 Jiah Medrano, 90), Adam Walker ©, Tyrone Barnett, Henry Landers, Devon Kelly-Evans, Ben Usher-Shipway (14 Callum Stewart, 68).

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

Referee: Mr Richard Walker

Assistant Referees: Mr Max Underwood & Mr Ryan Jennings

Brakes Man of the Match: Callum Stewart.