Report

Leamington welcomed Bromsgrove Sporting over from Worcestershire for the first competitive meeting between the two clubs.

There were two changes to the eleven which started at Boston; one enforced, as Junior English replaced the suspended Theo Streete in central defence, while Ewan Williams returned after missing the trip to Lincolnshire due to being cup tied.

Prior to kick off there was an impeccably observed minute’s silence in memory of Brakes fan Sean Bell, who passed away in the week aged just 30, and also well known Non League journalist Steve Whitney.

The visitors, sporting their green and white away strip, the colours of the old Rovers club, broke away in the opening minute, Tristan Dunkley finding Conor Tee, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner which was eventually cleared by Leamington.

Henry Landers looked lively throughout, and after winning a corner on the right his run into the penalty area saw him set up Devon Kelly-Evans, who took a touch and bent a shot just over the angle of post and crossbar.

Bromsgrove, who had already won three times on their travels prior to this game, looked hungry to make it four, and came close again when Tee and Billy Shaw linked up, the latter moving into the box and driving the ball low across goal, just past the far post.

Despite the visitors arguably having the better of things it was Leamington who opened the scoring on 13 minutes. Landers was sent tearing towards goal by a flick on from Tyrone Barnett, and despite the close attentions of a defender, he curved a sweet strike between keeper Oliver Taylor and his near post to the delight of the Harbury Lane End.

Callum Hawkins was forced into his first save of the afternoon when former Leicester City youngster Tee sent a well struck free kick towards his goal, but with the game very much a stop-start affair the goalmouth incident was at a premium, and it became a contest between two well matched teams.

Brakes were dealt a blow before the half hour mark when English was forced off injured, meaning that without a recognised central defender on the bench, Jack Edwards dropped back from his midfield position, with Joe Clarke coming on to fill it.

Dan Meredith was having a superb game, and a mazy run into the box almost took him through on goal, but he was stopped at the last by two defenders.

Bromsgrove forced a couple of corners in first half injury time, thanks to another effort from the impressive Tee, who forced a full length save from Hawkins with a fine curling strike. The ball fell loose for Shaw from the second flag kick, but he blazed his effort into the field behind the goal.

Brakes then forced a couple of corners of their own, but it was the visitors who were on the offensive as the half time whistle sounded.

The visitors picked up where they left off as the action resumed, but were left stunned ten minutes in when Dunkley received two yellow cards in quick succession, the first for apparent obstruction as Hawkins went to take a goal kick, before the second was brandished as he debated the decision with the Referee.

Despite the numerical disadvantage the visitors continued to hold their own, but they were reduced to nine with ten minutes to go when player-manager Michael McGrath was sent off after bringing down Brakes substitute Cally Stewart as he turned him on the edge of the box. Josh Quaynor forced a good save from Taylor from the resulting free kick.

Stewart was all over Taylor like a rash as he struggled to clear a back pass, dispossessing the Sporting keeper, but the angle was too tight for him to take a shot at goal.

The visitors broke quickly from another Leamington attack, and Bromsgrove substitute Gustavo Sanches was scythed down by Quaynor right on the edge of the box. With the visitors calling for the Referee to even up the numbers a little, Quaynor perhaps got away with a red card against one of his former clubs because of the fact that Jack Edwards was running across to cover in front of him. Either way it was a very tight decision that was open to interpretation.

Tee struck the free kick into the side netting, but Bromsgrove’s resistance was broken for a second time in the final minute when Leamington broke down their right once more through the outstanding Meredith, who fed Landers to drive the ball low across goal for Barnett to slide in and prod home his first goal in Gold and Black to seal the points, extending his side’s unbeaten run in the league to five games, with four successive wins now without conceding a goal.

Speaking to BBC CWR’s Brian Halford after the game, Paul Holleran said ‘Bromsgrove made us work for the win from minute one to ninety - even when they went down to ten and nine men. They’re a very impressive team. I don’t know all the ins and outs of the football club but it’s pretty obvious when you look at the team sheet that he (Michael McGrath) has had to go with a lot of young unproven players from lower leagues, and he’s put them together and they’re a really well coached team - you can see that. And the manager is a very good player - there’s a reason he was at Manchester United as a kid.

‘I thought we played it really well in the first half an hour. We were prepared to give them certain areas of the pitch with the ball but we countered very well. The key thing with that is keeping the ball. We did well first half, scored a good goal, then in the second half we didn’t really do enough of it. We’ve got the advantage of the sending offs, and we’ve got to be better with the ball. I think the sending off was one of the few bit of quality where we’ve moved through the pitch quickly, got the overload in wide areas and scored a good goal. We probably needed to do more of that today. But, it’s another win, another clean sheet, and when you look at where we were after the first two or three games it’s a good recovery. It gives us a platform and something to work with.

‘I sort of know how they (Bromsgrove) will be feeling at the moment - we had it last week. My experience is that you look at it and go right, can’t do anything about it. Our control levels needed to be good. We needed to leave Boston last week with just the one player off the pitch, without any more cautions, and just reset, and that’s what we’ve done. We had two really good training sessions this week and I don’t think we’ve even mentioned Boston to be honest, and that’s what you have to do when the day is going away from you.

The problem with the second red card is that Callum Stewart has read him, he’s got away from him, last man, and the rules are the rules to be honest. I think everyone is going to be disappointed with the first red card because fans don’t turn up to watch 11 v 10 or 9. If you deserve a red card you deserve a red card, but some of the red cards at the moment are so avoidable if situations are managed better. The rules haven’t changed really - they’ve always been the same. The directives are a bit clearer this season, you’ve got to enforce the rules, but fans want to see 11 v 11. The first red card probably could have been managed better, by both parties.

‘I’m really looking forward to Tuesday night now at Alvechurch. We’ll go there with a spring in our step and it will be a really tough game.’

Bromsgrove’s goalkeeping coach Matty Ballard was understandably less enthusiastic about the result: ‘I thought we were the more dominant side really, in the first half, if I’m honest. The first red card he has given in the second half - our striker is asking him the question, to explain the rule, and he’s given him a second yellow card and sent him off, and ruined the game.

‘The gaffer’s red card, you take that on the chin, it is what it is, but I felt the Referee was very quick to give Bromsgrove yellow cards, whereas in the second half, late in the game, there were certain fouls, and no yellow cards given. A lot of manager’s are saying it these days - the Refs are ruining it. We’ll reset, and go again for Halesowen on Tuesday.’

Attendance: 632

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Josh Quaynor (15 Jiah Medrano, 90), Jack Edwards, Junior English (12 Joe Clarke, 27), Jack Lane, Devon Kelly-Evans (14 Callum Stewart, 78), Adam Walker, Henry Landers, Tyrone Barnett, Ewan Williams.

Subs not used: 13 Callum Smith, 16 Connor Taylor.

Bromsgrove Sporting: Oliver Taylor, Aksum White, Billy Shaw (17 Tui MacEdo Sanches, 78), Jack Newell (14 Kane Auld, 38), Aaron Roberts, Michael McGrath, Callum King-Harmes (12 Vladimiro Granjal Martins Pais, 67), Keanu Cooper, Tristan Dunkley, Conor Tee, Luke Rowe.

Subs not used: 15 Ayomide Lekuti, 16 David Solademi.

Referee: Mr Neal Templey

Assistant Referees: Mr Scott Postin & Mr Graham Hill

Brakes Man of the Match: Dan Meredith.