Birmingham Senior Cup 2nd Round
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Brakes moved seven games unbeaten as they recorded an ‘Old Five’ for the first time in almost four years as they dumped Warwickshire neighbours Rugby Town out of the Birmingham Senior Cup with an entertaining performance which might have left some of the fans who tend to give these games a miss wishing they had attended.

Leamington controlled this contest from start to finish, not allowing their opponents so much as a sniff of a chance at goal, while producing a polished performance and playing some delightful stuff at times. Were it not for some wayward finishing the scoreline could well have been higher.

Paul Holleran often uses these Senior Cup fixtures to utilise his squad, and rested Josh Quaynor, Joe Clarke and Jack Lane altogether while giving starts to Jiah Medrano and Junior English. Brakes were in such a comfortable position with a quarter of the game remaining that he was able to bring on academy starlet Zach Taylor for his senior debut, along with goalkeeper Dan Moore, while Toby Nicoll also made an appearance from the bench.

The visitors, who had beaten Brakes quite convincingly in pre season and were recently promoted back to Step 4 after a six year absence, might possibly have been fairly confident that they could give a good account of themselves despite not having had the best of starts to the season, but they simply were not given the chance to make any kind of impact on the game.

Leamington received something of a helping hand from Town keeper Nykah Liburd-Hines when they opened the scoring on 7 minutes. Will Shorrock won the ball back well just inside the Rugby half, and fed Cally Stewart, who advanced with a couple of touches and let fly from distance. The goalkeeper seemingly had it covered, but contrived to fumble the ball into the net.

Tyrone Barnett appeared to be determined to stage his own ‘goal of the game’ competition, and he displayed admirable close control, twisting between two or three defenders before shooting straight at Liburd-Hines.

Henry Landers fed Shorrock to scoop a shot over the bar, but the game was halted around the 20 minute mark when English fell heavily after an aerial challenge, and there was increasing worry on the terraces as he appeared to be unconscious before being stretchered off, to be replaced by Dan Baldwin. Fortunately supporters were reassured at half time that after losing some of the feeling in his body following the challenge, Junior was up and about. We wish him all the very best as he recovers.

This unfortunate setback did not throw Leamington out of their stride however, and they set about making sure they won the game for their stricken team mate by adding two more goals to their tally before half time.

The visitors contributed to their own downfall again in the build up to the second, as Jordan Wilson collided with Andrew Wooldridge as he attempted to halt Medrano, who skipped into the box and pulled the ball back for Landers to slam home his seventh goal of the season.

Barnett tied the Rugby defence in knots again with his footwork, but this time placed his shot over the bar, but a third goal was not long in arriving. Jack Edwards rose highest to meet a right wing corner with a thumping downward header that looked like it might just have crossed the line before being blocked, but it mattered little as Stewart reacted quickest to crash home the loose ball.

The highlights of the first 45 minutes other than the goals were the signs of what could be a fruitful partnership down the left between Medrano and Shorrock, linked with some utterly determined play from Stewart, who refused to give up the ball on several occasions when under heavy pressure, and eventually drove a shot into the side netting.

The only effort on goal of the evening for a beleaguered visiting side was a tame header that dropped through to Callum Hawkins from a free kick.

There was still time for Barnett to go close twice more before the half time whistle, as he linked up well with Shorrock and Stewart before seeing his shot blocked, and then pounced as Shorrock’s attempted cut-back from the left span off the boot of Josh Thomas into his path, but this time he stabbed his effort wide.

Medrano was off target with a fierce first time drive from a half clearance early in the second half as Leamington continued their offensive on the Town goal. A goal for the fans favourite would have taken the roof off an already noisy Harbury Lane End as the Brakes support, who were thoroughly enjoying what they were seeing, noisily backed their team.

Ewan Williams, who is growing into the team with each passing game, put in another accomplished display, and almost capped it with his first goal for the club as he headed against the crossbar from Dan Meredith’s right wing cross.

Stewart cut in from the right and drove a low strike straight at the keeper, before he was sent flying by a challenge from Wooldridge in front of the Rugby dugout. The defender was booked, and Stewart was inches from connecting with the resulting free kick at the far post.

Landers saw a free kick strike the Rugby defensive wall, while Barnett fired wide on the half volley from a right wing corner. The visitors’ only effort of the second half was a shot from Jordan Wilson that never looked like troubling Hawkins.

Barnett finally got the goal he deserved when more superb close control from Meredith’s ball in to him saw him trickle a shot over the line for a fourth Leamington goal - the first time this season that all three of our front men have been on the scoresheet in the same game.

Stewart would no doubt have been disappointed to have been withdrawn without bagging his hat trick goal, but with Saturday’s clash with Redditch looming the manager rang the changes; with Taylor making his first team bow; Nicoll and Moore joining him soon afterwards. The two young outfield players were busy and keen to get involved, and Nicoll really should have grabbed the fifth goal of the evening as Meredith played another inviting ball in from the right, but slammed his first time effort inches over the bar, much to his disappointment.

Barnett got his second of the evening on 76 minutes when he rose to send a back header from a left wing cross into the net to complete a perfect evening for Brakes.

A final mention must go to David Kolodynski, who was one of the first people on the pitch to help out when Junior English went down. The former Brakes striker seemed to take the ribbing about his website and poetry in the spirit it was intended. Top man, Kolo.

‘Only’ the Birmingham Senior Cup it may be, but wins and good performances breed confidence, and this can only be a positive thing as Brakes head into a tough looking set of fixtures that could define their season over the coming weeks.

Attendance: 197

Leamington: Callum Hawkins (13 Dan Moore, 72), Dan Meredith, Jiah Medrano, Ewan Williams, Junior English (12 Dan Baldwin, 32), Theo Streete, Henry Landers (14 Toby Nicoll, 67), Jack Edwards, Cally Stewart (16 Zach Taylor, 65), Tyrone Barnett, Will Shorrock.

Sub not used: 16 Adam Walker.

Rugby Town: Nykah Liburd-Hines, Andrew Wooldridge, Dan Summerfield, Josh Thomas, James Mace, Claudio Dias, Courtney Lashley, Barry Fitzharris, Silvano Obeng, Jordan Wilson, Omreiki Myles.

Subs not used: 12 Ryan Sahota, 14 David Kolodynski, 15 Liam Francis.

Brakes Man of the Match: Jiah Medrano.