Report

Brakes entered the FA Cup at the 1st Qualifying Round stage for the first time in eight years looking to improve on their poor recent record in the competition.

Their opponents Coleshill Town arrived from the other end of Warwickshire intent on making it another afternoon of misery in this competition, but second half goals from Henry Landers and Cally Stewart ensured that Brakes fans could look forward to the draw for the next round on Monday. However, they had it far from easy against their Northern Premier League Midlands Division visitors, who would have been disappointed with their second half performance after going in at half time having been the better side.

With Dan Meredith available again having missed the last three games, the right wing back was one of two changes to Paul Holleran’s starting eleven, Jack Edwards being the other, as Ben Usher-Shipway and Theo Streete dropped to the substitutes bench, while Junior English switched to central defence.

Brakes very nearly opened the scoring on the counter attack on three minutes when Josh Quaynor found Henry Landers with a ball out of his own half. The striker scampered upfield into the penalty area, but found his path blocked off by a defender, and instead turned the ball back to Meredith, who drove the ball low across the face of goal, Cally Stewart missing it by a whisker at the far post.

An early goal would have done wonders for the confidence, but the players looked well up for the challenge, and with the raucous backing of the Brakes youngsters on a glorious late summer afternoon, the stage was set, but unfortunately as the visitors began to settle, the optimism from the opening minutes was replaced by the worrying realisation that this could turn out to be another one of those days in the FA Cup.

Meredith saw an attempted shot deflected onto the roof of the net as Leamington continued to make most of the running in the opening stages. Stewart sent another ball flashing across the face of goal, before Hathaway made a superb save from an equally good shot from Landers, unaware that the offside flag had already been raised.

A good move from the visitors saw Ewan Williams curl a shot high and wide, but the move leading up to it showed that Leamington would take their opponents lightly at their peril.

They were certainly coming into the game more now, having soaked up Leamington’s early enthusiastic pressure with some solid defending. They were almost in when Theo Rowe found himself with a sight of goal inside the box, but his shot rolled towards Callum Smith.

A brief break in play as the Leamington keeper received treatment failed to disrupt Coleshill’s rhythm, and they enjoyed a good spell of possession inside the Brakes half.

Stewart almost got in behind the visitors’ defence with five minutes remaining before half time, but the ball just would not sit up for him to get a shot in, and rolled through to Hathaway. Coleshill moved forward quickly, and Williams headed over the bar from Rowe’s right wing cross.

Skipper Adam Walker drive a strike in from the right that was straight at Hathaway as Leamington retaliated, but Coleshill had the best chance of the first half when Rowe was afforded far too much time and space to crash in a powerful strike that was met by a flying save from Smith to turn it behind.

The game was beginning to follow the pattern of so many disappointing exits from this competition over the years, as Brakes struggled to get their foot on the ball, giving it away far too easily at times. They almost paid the price when a header was directed towards goal, Walker suddenly seeing the danger and hacking it off the line.

An improvement was most certainly required, and an early second half chance was forged by Landers, who found Stewart inside the box from the right, but Harry Higginson blocked his shot.

This writer is delighted to report that his half time fears, along, no doubt, with others in the home support, were to prove unfounded. Leamington looked far livelier than they had done in the previous half an hour, beginning to put more pressure on the visitors defence, and a smart move saw them take the lead three minutes before the hour mark. They kept the ball around the Coleshill penalty area, and Stewart’s cute backheel sent Landers in towards goal, and he drove low past Hathaway to the delight of the Harbury Lane End.

Landers was quick to return the favour, as within six minutes he was in possession down the right as Leamington moved forward swiftly, flighting in a perfect ball to the far post for Stewart to head home his third of the season.

The visitors squandered a gilt edged chance to halve the deficit when Alex Tomkinson’s free kick dropped perfectly for Josh Willis in the six yard box, but with nobody in the vicinity to make a challenge, he headed straight at Smith.

Another header missed the target, while Williams sent an overhead kick towards goal that was held by Smith as Coleshill continued to press for a goal, but Landers almost engineered a third all on his own, as a smart turn inside the box beat a defender, but his shot was wide of the mark.

Brakes were able to see out the remaining time comfortably, and can look forward with anticipation to see who they will face in two weeks time.

Attendance: 398

Leamington: Callum Smith, Dan Meredith, Josh Quaynor, Devon Kelly-Evans, Junior English, Jack Lane, Adam Walker ©, Jack Edwards, Henry Landers (14 Connor Taylor, 89), Tyrone Barnett (12 Ben Usher-Shipway, 78), Callum Stewart (15 Jiah Medrano, 85).

Subs not used: 16 Dan Baldwin, 17 Theo Streete, 18 Toby Nicoll.

Coleshill Town: Paul Hathaway, Vidal Hendrickson, Oscar Tonge, Taylor Byrne ©, Harry Higginson, Ewan Williams, George Washbourne (14 Fraser Doyle, 70), Robbie Bunn, Theo Rowe (15 Luke Cutlin, 90), Alex Tomkinson, Josh Willis.

Subs not used: 13 Lewis Landers, 16 Gio Dainty, 17 Ishan Rehman.

Referee: Mr Jake Allsopp

Assistant Referees: Mr Daniel Ellis & Mr Alex Shaw

Brakes Man of the Match: Dan Meredith.